A presentation by the National Agricultural Research Organization Cereals Program

1. Harnessing University-NARI
partnership to Develop Stress Tolerant
and Nutrient-Rich Maize
National Agricultural Research Organization
Cereals Program
The 3rd RUFORUM Biennial Conference , Sept 24-26, 2012

2. Outline
● The Maize research
● Case of collaborative drought research
● University collaboration in maize research
● Capacity building
● Future outlook
● Concluding remarks
2

3. Africa is Vast and Highly Diverse. Strategies for
Crop Improvement and Seed Supply Must
Embrace this Reality
• Diverse agro-ecologies
• A diversity of crops
• Rain-fed systems
• Segmented political
landscape

4. Maize Program thrust
● Develop adapted maize germplasm
● Maintain and produce seed
● New tools: breeding methods, software
● Capacity building and knowledge sharing
● Trial mechanization and electronic data capture
● Collaborative research projects
● Socio-economic studies

5. Maize Ecosystem in Uganda
Highland agro-ecology
• Eastern and S. Western
• 15% of maize growing areas
• Produces about 30% of
maize

6. Losses of maize
grain yield due to
various stresses in
the developing
world

7. Maize Research Focus
Stress Tolerant Maize Nutritional & Specialty Maize
• Drought tolerant maize • Micronutrient-enriched maize
• Tolerance to low fertility soils • Quality protein maize (QPM)
• Striga resistance • Multi-purpose and specialty maize
• Disease resistance, mycotoxin
• Pre- and post harvest pest resistance
• Improved grain storage
• Highland maize
Food and income security Nutrition, Health
Adjust to climate change Income
Food safety
Environmental concerns

8. Flowering and post-
flowering drought stress
• Top left: time of last irrigation
• Top right: crop after flowering
• Right: genotypic differences

9. Collaborative drought research
• Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA)
• Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA)

10. A case of WEMA Partnership
World leader in MAB,
World leader for
gene discovery, trait
breeding maize for
development and trait
African agro-ecological Monsanto licensing
zones
CIMMYT
WEMA AATF
• Expertise in field trials NARS
African institution mandated to
• Test DT maize
access and deliver proprietary
• Adapted checks
technologies to smallholders
• Capacity building
African farmers
opportunities

11. Sharing drought screening facilities at Kiboko

12. NARI-University collaboration in maize
improvement
1. Uganda within developing countries / SSA / ECA context
2. Special relationship
● Areas of partnership / Interactions
o Germplasm development & exchange
o Capacity building - personnel training
o Capacity building - infrastructure development
o Impact assessment and targeting
12

13. Student Research activities imbedded within
strong NARI breeding programs

14. NARI-University germplasm development
• Access to Elite inbred lines, OPVs and hybrids derived from these inbreds,
Narrow-based (2-10) heterotic synthetics, Tester lines (A, B), Early generation
lines, & markers
• Common nurseries
• Multi-location trials
• Seed requests
Breeding progress (2008-2012)
• Drought tolerant maize - 6 Hybrids released (2 MSc. Students)
• QPM - 1 OPV released & 1 Hybrid in NPT (4 Interns, 2 PhD)
• Stem borer resistant - 3 OPVs & 8 hybrids released (2 PhD students)
• Storage pest resistant - 5 SPR hybrids in NPTs (2 MSc. Students, 1 PhD)
• IR - maize - 3 hybrids
• Disease resistance - 12 new inbreds, (4 MSc., 3 PhD)

15. Partnership in Capacity building
• International students - S.Sudan, Kenya, Tz,
Rwanda, Burundi
• Upgrading of Technicians -4
• Biotechnology & biosafety ->2
• Seed companies - Seed companies
• Internships - Numerous
• Graduate student attachments - >10 in plant breeding and
seed systems

16. Experiences and Benefits of Univ/NARO
partnership
• Increased manpower in research
• Shared infrastructure
• Helps student training
– HR, facilities and enrichment of students
research experience
– Choice of research area (crop +problems)
• Keeping University Programs Relevant to National
poverty eradications agenda

17. Mentorship; Seasoned scientists
+ not Research Crop

18. How does NARI-University
partnership work?
In the frame of distinct collaborative projects
which are developed based on global, regional
and national priorities
● Potential project collaborators
o Other NARES
o Universities and other advanced research institutes
o Private seed companies
o NGOs/CBOs
o Farmers/Farmers’ organizations

19. Future perspectives: New methods needs to be
adopted to accelerate gains in crop improvement
• Managed abiotic and biotic stress
screening approaches
• Doubled haploids
• Maize molecular breeding approaches
• Breeding software: Fieldbook
• Maize Finder
• GIS Software: Africa / Asia / Latin Maize ME’s
Highland
America Maize Research Atlas Upper humid mid-altitude
Lower humid mid-altitude
Dry mid-altitude
Wet lowlands
Dry lowlands 19

20. Conclusion
Breeding = Germplasm + Methodology + People + Testing + Breeding
success Network Support
=Genetic
Gain
We just need to get the
Testing Network straight!
WE NEED TO BUILD CAPACITY
WE NEED TO IMPROVE QUALITY
WE NEED TO TRAIN PERSONNEL

21. • A single bracelet does not jingle – Congo
Proverb
• Together the Teeth Can Cut. Somali proverb
• A bunch of broomsticks is not easily broken as a
single stick– African proverb

22. Thank you!