soil and water management, socio-economic and related cross-cutting issues among many other things.
Our Correspondent GERALD KITABU caught up with the Director of Research and Development, Dr HUSSEIN MANSOOR at the 2016 agricultural show held at the national level in Lindi last week.
He sheds more light on the major technologies, innovations and best management practices along various crop commodity value chains developed by research centres under the DRD. Read on…
QUESTION: You are now winding up the 2016 national agricultural show, what new things should we expect from the division of research and development (DRD) after this show?
ANSWER: The agricultural shows are held annually to promote agricultural technologies, innovations and best management practices for crops, livestock and fisheries. The shows are held at the national and zonal levels. For three consecutive years (2014, 2015 and 2016), the agricultural shows at the national level have taken place at Ngongo grounds in Lindi Region.
At the same time, the zonal shows are held in Dodoma (Central Zone), Morogoro (Eastern Zone), Mbeya (Southern Highlands Zone), Arusha (Northern Zone) and Mwanza (Lake Zone). Government ministries and various public and private organisations and institutions participate in these shows and exhibit a number of agricultural-related technologies, innovations, best management practices and services to farmers and other stakeholders.
The division of research and development (DRD) participates in this important event every year in order to promote technologies related to crops, soil and water management, socio-economic and related cross-cutting issues.
Major technologies, innovations and best management practices along various crop commodity value chains developed by research centres under the DRD are being promoted to farmers and other relevant stakeholders at Ngongo-Lindi and zones. Some of the displayed technologies are improved crop varieties, crop processing technologies, pest and disease management, soil fertility and water management practices, and cost benefit analyses.
Q: Is there any new technology you have introduced and showcased during the just ended agricultural shows?
A: In addition to a variety of agricultural technologies along the commodity value chains exhibited at Ngongo-Lindi and zones (Arusha, Dodoma, Mbeya, Morogoro and Mwanza) in the last two years, the DRD is promoting new technologies,
innovations and best management practices in this year’s shows. These include the following newly released crop varieties released by DRD scientists and its affiliates that are high yielding, resistant to diseases and pests, and consumer acceptable traits: They include Maize, rice, groundnuts and tea.
For example in maize, Selian Agriculture Research Institute (ARI Selian) has released variety called Selian H215. This is a Hybrid maize, ideal for growing in altitudes 800-1200 metres, matures at 105-148 days, potential yield: 5 tonnes/ha and tolerant to “Grey leaf spot” especially in the northern highlands.
Ilonga Agriculture Research institute (ARI Ilonga) has released a variety called WE4106. This is a Hybrid maize, ideal for growing in altitudes 0-1500 metres, matures on average after 106 days, potential yield: 6.8 tonnes/ha, tolerant to maize streak, grey leaf spot and leaf rust, good ’pound ability’ and drought tolerant. Other varieties includes WE 4102 and WE 4110, WE 4112, WE 4114, and WE 4115.
Rice: In terms of rice, ARI-Chollima- Dakawa has released CH-SATO1. This is ideal for growing in altitudes 0-1000 meters, matures after 88-143 days, potential yield: 7.8 tonnes/ha, it tolerates saline and sodic soils (this is the most important breakthrough) and CH-SATO 9 which is ideal for growing in altitudes 0-1000 meters, matures after 93-147 days, potential yield: 8.2 tonnes/ha, it tolerates saline and sodic soils (this is the most important breakthrough).
Groundnuts: Naliendele Agriculture Research Institute (ARI-Naliendele) has released Nachi 2015 which is Ideal for growing in altitudes 0-1500 meters, matures after 59-102 days, potential yield: 1.1 tonnes/ha, it resistant to ‘Rosette’ disease.
Another variety is called Kuchele 2015 which is ideal for growing in altitudes 0-1500 metres, matures after 110 days, potential yield: 1.1-2.0 tonnes/ha, resistant to ‘Rosette’ disease, and has large seed size. Narinut 2015 is ideal for growing in altitudes 0-1500 meters, matures after 106-110 days, potential yield: 1.2-2.0 tonnes/ha, it resistant to ‘Rosette’ disease and has large seed size suitable for confectionery market).
TEA: Tea Research Institute of Tanzania (TRIT) has released TRIT 201/43 which is Ideal for growing in altitudes 970-1800 metres, potential yield: 2.5 tonnes/ha, high green leaf/made yield potential, moderately good black tea quality, tolerant to drought stress, tolerant to mosquito bugs and sprouts quickly after pruning.
TRIT 201/44 is ideal for growing in altitudes 970-1800 metres, potential yield: 2.5 tonnes/ha, high green leaf, high yield potential, moderately good black tea quality, tolerant to drought stress, tolerant to mosquito bugs and sprouts quickly after pruning. Others are TRIT 201/55, TRIT 201/16
DRD promotes improved varieties that were previously released; for example, sesame variety, Mtondo 2013, which is also high yielding and tolerant to diseases and preferred by farmers and consumers. Likewise, improved cassava varieties, namely, Kizimbani, Mkuranga 1, Chereko and Kipusa
These varieties give high yields, tolerant to cassava mosaic and brown streak diseases, early maturing and preferred by farmers and consumers. In terms of cashew, DRD is promoting 16 Brazilian dwarf clones as well as 22 recently-released hybrids which are high yielding and have relatively high kernel percentage outturn.
These are just a few examples of promoted varieties (we have mentioned these ones as examples because they were developed and released by ARI-Naliendele scientists; this research station is based in the Southern Zone where the agricultural shows are held nationally). The cashew research programme is also promoting cashew butter during this year’s agricultural shows.
Q: What are the challenges you are facing and the advice you give to farmers and other stakeholders?
A: There are a number of challenges facing the DRD and the most important ones are: inadequate funds: Development of crop technologies, innovations and best management practices require substantive amounts of funds.
However, the DRD has limited funds to support research and development activities. We are mitigating this challenge by encouraging scientists to write and submit winning research proposals for funding through collaborative research arrangements with national, regional and international institutions and partners. Efforts have been made to make sure that such proposals are in line with national priorities.
Most of the technologies that we are promoting at agricultural shows were funded through collaborative projects. Also, the government has allowed our research centres to sell research products and retain the fund to support research programmes through well-managed and monitored agricultural research funds.
These funds have helped out the centres to address some of the gaps resulting from meagre budgetary allocations. We advise the beneficiaries of research technologies to support research services for sustainable agricultural development.
Inadequate staff at all levels: Undertaking research and development activities requires competent researchers and technicians. The DRD has inadequate of these staff as the rate of staff retirement is higher than recruitment.
Currently most of the experienced and highly qualified researchers are over 50 years old while only a few researchers are below 30. This limits effective implementation of research and development activities.
Some of the mitigation measures have been the recruitment of newly graduated scientists and technicians by the government; at the same time the government started to provide two-year contracts for retiring scientists so that they could mentor young scientists.
Low adoption rate of crop technologies, innovations and best management practices by farmers: DRD has developed several technologies and innovation for farmers but these technologies have not widely been adopted by farmers due a multiplicity of factors including inefficient extension services that are responsible for wider dissemination, low capacity of the seed distribution system in the country, marketing challenges, poor infrastructure that affects transportation of agricultural produce, and so on.
The mitigation measure is to enhance Research-Extension-Farmer linkages and to ensure participatory planning and implementation of research projects so that they address farmers’ needs.
This challenge, however, requires multi-sector consultations so that barrier to adoption of technologies will be addressed in a holistic manner.
Q: What is the role of biotechnology in catalysing agricultural revolution in Tanzania?
A: Biotechnology has a role to play in complementing conventional breeding techniques to catalyse agricultural revolution in the country. Some of the benefits of biotechnology include the following:
To speed up the release process of crop varieties: It takes longer time to release varieties using conventional breeding than the use of biotechnology. For example, for cassava it takes about 10 years to develop and release an improved variety whereas this period could be shorten to 6-7 years through modern biotechnology applications.
To speed up multiplication of improved and disease-free varieties for wider dissemination: The use of tissue culture (TC) technique facilitates mass propagation of improved planting materials for farmers.
Tissue culture technique is of paramount importance in vegetative propagated crops such as cashew, Irish potato, cassava and sweet-potato whose multiplication rate is low. By using TC, it is possible to multiply huge quantities of planting materials in a short time for wide dissemination to farmers.
Genetically engineered varieties:
Disease and insect pest resistance break in some commercial crop varieties. Therefore, genetic engineering could be used to introduce disease/insect pests’ resistance in these commercial varieties without interfering with other traits of economic value to farmers such as yield, drought tolerance, early maturity and high dry matter content.
It is also possible to incorporate drought-tolerant trait into a variety with other desirable traits and the DRD is currently finalising arrangements to be able to establish confined field trials.
Q: What is the status of Biotechnology and Biosafety in Tanzania?
A: Tanzania considers biotechnology as a tool that can provide new opportunities for achieving productivity gains in agriculture, health, food and environment. During the last three decades, conventional biotechnologies including tissue culture, diagnostics and molecular marker technologies have produced vast numbers of useful products that have contributed to higher productivity and household income in many countries.
Of recent, modern biotechnology or genetic modification (GM) technology has been used to generate products that offer several benefits to human kind such as more effective drugs and food additives; more nutritional dairy and other products, more resilient and productive crops and tree species, new sources of renewable energy and safer, more effective treatment of industrial and agricultural waste.
Furthermore, applications of biotechnology have led to new products and processes that have a competitive edge over the traditional ones in terms of effectiveness, productivity, cost and safety.
The level and pace of biotechnology research and development in Tanzania has remained rather slow but the country is picking up gradually, with the agricultural sector being one of the most active ones.
This handout provides current status of modern biotechnology development and biosafety regulation and a brief outlook on the future use of this technology in Tanzania.
Modern biotechnology includes a range of tools that scientists employ to understand and manipulate the genetic make-up of organisms for use in the production or processing of products. The resultant organisms or products are commonly referred to as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or GM products.
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