Napier grass smut and stunt resistance: Introducing the Project

Napier grass smut and stunt resistance ASARECA Project 06/RC01-FC-2-02 (LFP PRJ 12) Presented at the ASARECA/ILRI Workshop on Mitigating the Impact of Napier Grass Smut and Stunt Diseases, Addis Ababa, June 2-3, 2010

Napier grass is grown extensively in Kenya and Uganda by smallholder farmers as feed for stall fed dairy cows

Napier grass smut and stunt both severely reduce plant biomass production. This is limiting feed availability for smallholder farmers Napier grass smut Napier grass stunt

Effect of Napier grass stunt on fodder yield, Uganda 2007 2009

Project leaders from Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya Some of wider project team

ILR I INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK RESEARCH INSTITUTE INSTITUTE Napier Grass N apier grass is a major cut and carry feed for cross bred dairy cattle. Smut and stunt diseases are causing yield reductions. W orking together can reduce the impact of stunt and smut on smallholder dairy farms in East Africa . This project is: R esponding to the disease threats to a smallholder dairy industry dependent on Napier grass R aising awareness of Napier grass smut and stunt in the region R esponding to demand for information on managing Napier grass smut and stunt R esponding to demand for productive and resistant clones of Napier grass from NARS and farmers in the region Best management practices I nspect your crop regularly and remove diseased plants K eep Napier healthy by weeding and manuring plots U se planting material from disease free areas A partnership approach to mitigate the effects of Napier diseases on smallholder dairy Partners: International Livestock Research Institute , Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute, National Biological Control Program (Tanzania), National Livestock Resource Research Institute (Uganda), Rothamsted Research (UK), International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology Contact: Dr Jean Hanson, j.hanson@cgiar.org Dr Janice Proud, j.proud@cgiar.org Stall fed cows face feed shortages Screening for disease incidence Stunt affected plant Different strains of stunt Website screenshot (https:/sites.google.com/site/napiergrassdiseaseresistance) Raising awareness National team leaders Information gathering and dissemination Weighing biomass Healthy Napier grass

ILRI’s role in the project
In proposal
Nutritional analysis for project (student from region)
Molecular characterisation for project (student from region)
Validate and test smut diagnostics
Arrange and host training in molecular diagnostics
Screen ILRI collection for smut & stunt
Arrange annual regional meeting
Train and support partners in M&E, using Outcome Mapping
Project coordination
Subsequently added
Further development work on smut diagnostics
Training national partners in molecular diagnostics
Transfer of ILRI collection to Kenya for disease screening
Website development and maintenance
Regional final workshop to disseminate project results

Surveys and collections Surveys carried out in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, in selected districts representing 3 agro-ecological zones Clones that farmers thought disease tolerant collected and planted in each country Technical progress
Data from surveys collated in each country to identify:
how Napier grass is selected and grown
how it is managed managed for yield
how it is managed to mitigate the impact of disease
the extent and severity of disease in the selected areas
52 296 Uganda 212 250 Tanzania 597 515 Kenya Clones collected Households surveyed

Morphological characterisation and biomass trials Napier grass from national collections selected for replicate trials on basis of disease resistance, high yield and variation in morphology Napier grass characterised for morphological traits using standard protocol. Traits can be used to select clones desirable to farmers, less hairy and serrated High yielding clones identified in each national trial Technical progress 56 52 Uganda 30 212 Tanzania 120 597 Kenya Clones in trial Clones collected

Nutritional quality and molecular diversity
Nutritional quality
All replicates of clones in national trials analysed at two harvest using NIRS, at ILRI, Addis Ababa
Equation for Napier grass expanded and used to predict nutritive quality
High and low quality clones identified for each country
Molecular diversity
All clones from national trials and ILRI collection (60) analysed using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, at BecA/ILRI, Nairobi
64 primer pairs tested, 10 pairs selected for analysis of the 281 samples
Near Infra Red Spectral analysis Technical progress M57 M58 M59 M60 M61 M62 M63 M64

Disease incidence and severity Replicated trials planted with spreader rows of infected plants for field challenge for stunt Disease scored after each harvest Uganda all clones susceptible to stunt Clones showing tolerance planted for further challenge with vector To date, still 14 clones disease free in Tanzania and 40 in Kenya, of which 28 high yielding Technical progress 0 0 0 56 Uganda No data yet 14 15 30 Tanzania 28 40 83 120 Kenya Disease free high yielding clones Disease free clones Clones vector challenge Clones in trial

Molecular diagnostics
Napier grass smut
Causal agent of Napier grass smut, Ustilago kamerunensis , cultured, used to infect healthy plants
Sequenced for first time
Primers and probe designed and being optimised for PCR and Nucleic Acid Hybridisation
Napier grass stunt
Better primers and probe designed for detection of phytoplasma strains causing Napier grass stunt in Ethiopia and Kenya
Capacity building
Training manual prepared
Training planned to share techniques with regional partners for use in their institutes or BecA nodes in their countries
Phylogenetic tree based on ITS
Ethiopian sample (UE) identical to U. cynodontis
Kenyan samples separate and close to U. trichophora
No U. kamerunensis sequences in Genbank
Technical progress

Collecting and sharing information
Focus during surveys:
collecting information on:
disease extent and severity
best practices to manage the diseases
raising awareness of smut and stunt, especially in Tanzania where they had not been recorded previously
Knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing
Then:
raising awareness of smut and stunt
sharing best management practices
getting feedback
Using a variety of means:
leaflets
posters
drama
In different settings:
on farm
at markets
at roadside
at stakeholder meetings
at agricultural shows
at field days
song
radio
participatory assessment
TV
website

Knowledge sharing

Influencing policy
Activities
Participation at agricultural shows
Invitations of policy makers to stakeholder meetings
Raising awareness of diseases in media (newspaper, radio, TV)
Policy briefs
Outcomes
Research, extension work and disease reporting supported
Proposals funded
for extension work to share knowledge
to increase understanding of the disease

Capacity building
Integral to project, both locally and regionally
Nutritional quality at ILRI Addis, Clementine Namazzi (Uganda)
Molecular characterisation at ILRI Nairobi, Bramwel Wanjala (Kenya)
Biomass yield, morphological characterisation and disease incidence and severity in each country, national in each country
Capacity of project leaders enhanced through the rigorous cycle of:
workplan and budget preparation
recording and reporting on finances
reporting on technical progress
presentations on project activities to different groups
Outcome mapping of project progress

Regional relevance and linkages
ICIPE working on east Africa promoting Push Pull technology for Striga and maize stem borer control have real concern about Napier diseases, working to identify vector of Napier grass stunt, will promote disease resistant clones
East Africa Dairy Development project, a link for dissemination of best management practices and disease resistant planting material
FOA promoting Napier grass in Burundi, have disease problem and want to learn more from this project.
Many local partnerships at all levels, from research to sharing knowledge
Napier grass stunt is a severe threat to smallholder dairy sector in western Kenya and Uganda, an emerging disease in Tanzania and suspected in Burundi. Napier grass smut is a threat in central Kenya, where stunt is now an emerging disease.

Technical reporting
Reporting, following ASARECA structures
Six monthly reporting by partners
Collated by ILRI to single report for ASARECA, with follow up by email for clarification, extra information
Analysis of pooled national data for regional overview
Similar procedures for annual report
Progress indicators calculated as progress made in different activities needed to complete the indicator
Outcome mapping reporting
Training at inception reporting
Support at meetings to develop indicators
Follow up training at regional meeting end year 2
Initial outcome mapping report develop by partners
Further support to complete reports including participation at final national stakeholder meetings

Financial procedures and reporting
Using ASARECA formats
Partners prepare budget for workplan activities for each year
Submitted to ASARECA as annual financing plan for project
Fund request submitted to ILRI with budget for year
First advance 80% of year 1 budget
Submission of financial report and supporting documents to ILRI 6 monthly
Expenditure checked against workplan activities and budget
Expenditure recorded by ILRI finance
Expenditure reported to ASARECA 6 monthly
Subsequent advances made against cleared expenditure of at least 75% of advanced funds

Gender
This project is important for women in East Africa, since women provide most of the labour on smallholder dairy farms.
The project outputs of management practices to mitigate the impact of Napier grass diseases and disease resistant planting material will have a significant impact on women by improving Napier grass production.
Increased Napier grass production will increase milk yield, benefiting women and their children through enhanced nutrition and income from milk.
The project has also developed the capacity of women scientist in the region, both in the project team in each country and other staff.
Several of the project team have benefitted from participation in the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) program of the CGIAR

Thank you to ASARECA and ADB for funding this work 1 Demand driven technologies/innovations generated and promoted 3 Regional and national capacity for implementing agricultural research in the IAR4D paradigm strengthened 4 Availability of information on agricultural research and development enhanced which is working to ensure that farmers have productive disease free Napier grass for their cows to help feed and support their families, while meeting ASARECA objectives: Napier grass stunt in Uganda

Napier grass smut and stunt resistance: Introducing the Project

by ILRI

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