ZARI is the leading agricultural research institution in Zambia that develops improved crop varieties. It has divisions focused on soil management, crop improvement, plant protection, and farming systems. ZARI operates research stations across nine provinces and works to develop nutrient-rich varieties of staple crops through conventional breeding. It collaborates with international organizations to strengthen its capacity and promote the adoption of nutritious varieties to improve nutrition among Zambians.

1. Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock
Zambia Agriculture Research Institute
Contribution to Nutrition Improvement
By
John C. Musanya
Mt Makulu Central Research Station
CHILANGA
musanyajc@yahoo.co.uk
www.zari.gov.zm

2. Zambia Agriculture Research
Institute
 The Zambia Agriculture Research Institute
(ZARI) is one of the departments of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
 ZARI is an institution that focuses on public
good agricultural research issues.
 It is the leading institution in the generation
and transfer of improved and appropriate
agricultural crop technologies.
 ZARI has a presence in nine provinces
except Muchinga either in form of research
stations or testing sites.

3. ZARI’s Technical Divisions
 SOILS AND WATER MANAGEMENT
Appropriate Soil and Irrigation Technology
Development
 CROP IMPROVEMENT AND AGRONOMY
New improved crop Varieties and Agronomy Package
Development.
 PLANT PROTECTION AND QUARANTINE
Improvement of Crop Protection Technologies ,use of
Agro Biotechnologies ,and Post Harvest Technologies
Phytosanitary and Quarantine Services Provision
 FARMING SYSTEMS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Research/Extension/Farmer linkage promotion

4. Agro Ecological Regions Finger Millet
Aroforestry
RESEARCH STATIONS AND MAJOR PROGRAMMES Coffee
Food Leg (Beans)
Rice
Soils
FSRT
SOI LS (S.V. )
80 0 80 160 Kilo meters
%
Ms am fu
N
W E
Man s a
S
%
Root and Tubers FSRT
FSRT
SO ILS (S.V.)
SOI LS (S.V.)
KEY %
Muf ulira
Mut and a %
Ro ads
Rive rs SO ILS (S. V. )
Tree C rops
kenaf
Ms ek era
FSRT % Agrof orest ry
SO ILS (S. V. ) Food Legume
Irrigation Maize FSRT
Veget ables Pas tures
SOI LS (S.V.)
Tree C rops
Ka bwe
LEGEND %
Go ld en Va lley %
Reg ion s Simu lu mb e Cotton
FPM Mt M ak u lu
% Nan ga
Re g io n I %
Pearl Millets %
Re g io n IIa Liv estock
Mag oy e %
Cashew
Re g io n IIb FSRT Plant Prot ec tion KEY TO A BB REV IATIO
SO ILS (S. V. ) Oil Seeds
Re g io n III Moc h ip apa Wheat FP M = F A R M PO W ER AN D M A C
% Researc h Management FS R T = F A R M I N G S YST E M S R E
Adm inistration G .V= GO LD E N VA LLE Y
Liv estock Central Serv ices N IR S = N A T I ON A L I R R IG AT IO N
Sorghum Soils S. V. = S O IL S U R VE Y
FSRT FSRT
SO ILS (S. V. ) SOI LS (S.V.)
S oi ls Re s e ar ch T e a m, M t M a ku lu ,
ZA R I P ri va te B a g 7 , Ch i la n g a A ug u s t 2 00 6

5. Role of ZARI in the Zambia
Agricultural Framework
 Development and promotion of
appropriate agricultural crop
technologies
 Diversification of agricultural crop
production and utilization
 Promotion of sustainable and
environmentally sound agricultural
practices

6. Role of ZARI continues
 Strengthening the capacity of agencies
handling agricultural products for
export in ensuring that the products
meet the standards and sanitary and
phytosanitary requirements for export
markets
 Strengthening and facilitating the
provision of agricultural services

7. Role of ZARI continues
 Re-enforcing the sectors regulatory
functions; this also include liaising or
coordinating with the appropriate
institutions or bodies responsible for
the regulation of the use of
biotechnology and the resulting
products, particularly Genetically
Modified Organisms (GMOs)

8. ZARI Vision
 To be a centre of excellence providing
scientific leadership in the generation
and transfer of improved and
appropriate technologies through
partnerships involving stakeholders
and beneficiaries.

9. ZARI Variety Development
 Crops research is the main focus and
in Zambia it dates as far back as
1953
 ZARI is among 3 public research
institutions engaged in variety
development
 Other institutions are CDT and UNZA

10. ZARI Variety Development
Variety Development takes place in:
 maize, sorghum, finger millet, pearl
millet, rice, wheat, sunflower,
cassava, sweetpotato, ground nuts,
bean and soyabean
Variety selection takes place in:
 vegetables, cowpea, bambara ground
nuts, pigeon pea, kenaf, and fruit &
nut.

11. ZARI Variety Development
 Overall objective is to breed varieties with
the following attributes for all categories of
farmers:
◦ high yield
◦ stable
◦ adapted to target environments
◦ tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses
◦ desirable plant, fruit and grain quality and
◦ Postharvest food processing technologies and
value addition

12. Factors influencing variety
development
 beneficiaries (small scale farmers in
this case)
 Preferred characteristics such as:
earliness, drought tolerance, low
nitrogen tolerance, soil acidity
tolerance, bird resistance, disease
resistance, good storability, flintiness,
(taste), sweetness, bitterness, etc

13. There are approximately 900,000 farm
families in Zambia (a guide)
CATEGORY TOOLS AREA %
(ha)
Small Hoe/Oxen <5 75
Medium Oxen/Tractor 5 – 20 17
Commercial Tractor > 20 8

14. Factors influencing variety
development
 Conventional methods are being used to
come up with varieties.
 In short there are no GMO varieties at
ZARI.
 For cross pollinated crops like maize,
when proper isolation distance is not
observed, chances of stray pollen affecting
other maize varieties is there and will be
exhibited by colored grains within a cob.

15. Factors influencing variety
development
 All factors being equal (maturity, genetic
improvement) best performance of
varieties is in order of single cross, three
way cross, double cross, top cross and
OPV.
◦ Cost of seed is in reverse order.
◦ Under adverse environmental conditions
stability of varieties is also in reverse
order due to variation among the plants.

16. Products of variety development
 OPVs: Mostly developed in self
pollinated crops (finger millet, pearl
millet, rice, wheat, ground nuts,
beans, soyabean and cowpea). Also
developed in maize, sunflower and
sorghum
 Hybrids: mostly developed in cross
pollinated crops (maize and
sunflower). Also developed in

17. Collaboration with International
Organizations
 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
 Int’ Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT)
 International Sorghum and Millet Programme (INTSORMIL)
 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
 International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
 Int’ Crops Research Inst for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
 Centre for International Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
 Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Network (TSBF)
 International Centre for Agroforestry Research (ICRAF)
 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
 SADC (SPGRC), ICART
 International Information and Communication Development
Centre (IICD)
 etc

18. Collaboration with International
Organizations in Nutrition
The Feed the Future Program was launched
on 13 June 2011 involving 2 Sub
Programmes.
Food Security Research Program
Agriculture Research and Development.
Nutrition is in Agriculture R and D Sub
Program and will work through key ICGIAR
Centres (IITA, ICRISAT, CIMMYT, CIP) to
build the capacity of Zambia’s NARI’s to
raise farm productivity and promote adoption

19. Highlights, on ZARI’s
Research
 QPM – Obatampa (Lysine,
Tryptophan)
 Sweetpotato – Chingovwa (High Beta
Carotein)
 Vegetables – Beta Car, Vit A, Vit C
,other nutrients
 Wheat – Methionine, Cystein –Gluten
Quality
 ProVitamin A Maize (Harvestplus)
 Bio-fortification in Beans increase

20. Nutrition Promotion
 Most ZARI Commodity research
teams concentrate on breeding and
agronomic practices.
 Released varieties for nutrition usage
is done through collaboration but is
mainly under Farming Systems and
Social Sciences
 Successful projects have been
undertaken that have taken up
processing e.g. Food Legumes and

21. Conclusion
 ZARI has the capacity to contribute to
Nutrition Improvement as the crops
worked on are the ones consumed by
the general population.
 ZARI has also within its establishment
a division with qualified nutrition
practitioners.
 ZARI collaborates with many
institutions and there is room for many
more.

22. THE END
THANK YOU