Presentation at RTB Annual Review and Planning Meeting (Entebbe, Uganda, 29 Sep-3 Oct 2014)

1. RTB-NARO Collaborations
Uganda| 3 October 2014
• Yona Baguma, PhD
• Acting Deputy Director General Research Coordination, NARO
Plot 11-13,Lugard Avenue, P.O. Box 295, Entebbe, Uganda
t: +256 (414) 320512, 320341/2 m: +256 (772) 930185, f: +256 (414) 321070
Email: researchcoordination@naro.go.ug baguma1234@yahoo.com,

2. WHAT IS NARO?
• Apex body responsible for guidance and coordination of
all agricultural research activities in the NARS in Uganda
• Nonprofit, national
• Old NARO established in 1992 (NAR Act 1992)
• New NARO established in 2005 (NAR Act 2005)
• About 834 staff
• NARO 16 PARI Centres (7 NARIs & 9 Zonal)
• Research activities conducted by semi- autonomous
PARIs coordinated by a NARO Council Secretariat

3. Biotechnology Applications to
Combat Cassava Brown Streak
Disease
• Aim: To develop and deploy new technologies to improve the
accuracy and efficiency of cassava breeding to address the cassava
brown streak disease (CBSD) epidemic
• Duration: 1st Phase: 2009 to 2013; 2nd Phase 2014-2016
 Key Achievements
 36 new breeding materials that combine CBSD and CMD tolerance
developed
 Categorization of CBSD resistance/Tolerance
 Human capacity built for plant breeding: 2 MSc, 1 PhD.

4. Cassava Varieties and Clean Seed
to Combat CBSD and CMD (5CP)
• Aim: To exchange and evaluate 25 elite cassava genotypes
among NARS in CBSD affected countries, and to monitor
degeneration due to CBSD in elite cassava varieties
Duration: 2012 – 2016
Key Achievements
 Uganda received the 24 best
CBSD tolerant varieties from the
region
 Experiment to study degeneration
due to CBSD planted NARS Breeding Programmes:
Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi & Mozambique

5. Double Haploid Breeding for
Cassava Enhancement, Phase II
Aim: Development of robust protocols for generation of cassava
double haploids
Duration: 2014 - 2017
Key Achievements
 Androgenesis was undertaken primarily on two genotypes; all
regenerated plantlets not haploid
 Use of irradiated pollen tested at selected dosages; all
regenerated plants not haploid

6. Sweetpotato Action for Health and
Security in Africa (SASHA)
Aim: Building of capacity in biotechnology and biosafety, and
development of WRSP Varieties and Breeding Lines
Duration: 2009-2014
Key Achievements
• Protocol optimised for regeneration of adventitious shoots based on
thidiazuron (TDZ)
• Optimized genetic transformation protocol to transform Cv
Kyebandula
• Attempted to pyramid natural host resistance and genetically
engineered resistance by transgenic breeding; F1 plants confirmed
parent to progeny transfer of transgene
• 2 PhD students completed their studies

7. Field Evaluation of Transgenic S/potato
Expressing
siRNAse Protein For Resistance to SPVD
Achievements
 Approval/Decision to conduct CFT granted by NBC
 1st season evaluation completed, 2nd season planting done

8. Keeping Disease-free Sweetpotato
Planting Material Closer To Farmers
Established 60 Net Tunnels on 30 farms

9. Development and Dissemination of
Biofortified Crops
Objective
• Increase and/or introduce OFSP varieties in the farming
systems of Northern and Western Uganda for combating
VAD.
9

10. 2 OFSP varieties officially released
and are being disseminated by H+
SPK004 / 2006 / 1136
NASPOT 12 O (24.7t/ha)
NASPOT 7 /2006 /292
NASPOT 13 O(38.4 t/ha)

11. Combating Banana Bacterial Wilt in
Farming Communities
• Aim: Reduce the impact of BBW on farming communities in East
and Central Africa using cultural methods
 Key Achievements
 Fine tuned control package to incorporate single stem removal;
• Less laborious, No need for replanting; quick production recovery
• Used in TZ, DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya
 Improved technology promotion;
• a combination of participatory and topdown approaches and
effectively scaled out BBW control from village to regional level
• Reduced BBW prevalence from 42% to below 13% in 1 year in
Ankole; with yield recovery worth US$ 54.4 million.

12. Development of banana bacterial
wilt (BBW) transgenic resistance
• Aim: To develop and deploy bananas resistant to BBW to address
the epidemic that is very destructive and rapidly spreading with no
source of resistance for classical banana improvement.
• Duration: 2nd Phase 2012-2016
 Key Achievements
 6 lines immune to BBW already being further evaluated in CFT at
NARL; to be evaluated in 2 other locations in Bulindi and Mbarara.
 Over 100 lines of 2 popular cultivars of M9 (with background
resistance to black sigatoka and Fusarium wilt) and Nakitembe
developed with stacked genes of hrap and pflp – batch has material
for commercial release in 2020
 Human capacity built in molecular breeding; 1 students being trained
at PhD.

13. Banana Weevil and Nematode
Transgenic Resistance
• Aim: To develop and deploy transgenic banana resistant for banana
weevil and nematode resistance
• Duration: 2011-2015
 Key Achievements
 Over 100 lines of Gonja and Nakitembe with resistance to both
weevils and nematodes developed and ready for screenhouse
evaluation.
 6 Embryogenic cell lines for Nakitmbe and 3 lines of Gonja
developed

14. Development of Matooke Resistant
To Black Sigatoka
• Aim: To develop and deploy matooke resistant for black sigatoka
• Duration: 2011-2015
 Key Achievements
 2 hybrids in AYT on farmers’ fields before release
 3 promising hybrids in PYT at NARL and on farmers’ fields
 2 segregating populations for Fusarium wilt and weevils
developed
 Over 400 accessions in Musa germplasm serving the ECA
region
 Diploids developed for further matooke improvement

15. Field evaluation of genetically modified potatoes for
resistance to potato blight disease caused by
Phytophthora infestans at Kachwekano ZARDI
Aim: To evaluate two potato cultivars (Desiree and Victoria) over
expressing the R genes; RB, Rpi-blb2 and Rpi-vnt1.1 in the field at
Kachwekano, Kabale district in Uganda.
Duration: 2014-2016
Key Achievements
•Greenhouse and field site
contraction completed
•Staff trained in Biosafety of CFTs
•CFT application submitted to
NBC
•Mock trial with non-GM Desiree
and Victoria cultivars completed

16. Considerations of Increased
Visibility of RTB in NARO
• Work jointly with RTB to identify, pilot, launch and commercialize
research products to the market, including strong aspects of value
addition.
• Proposal to have NARO-Directors and Team Leaders attend RTB
business and/or enterprise planning meetings.
• Placement of RTB staff at both NARO research institutes and
headquarters to jointly plan and implement pre-selected activities
together.
• Use of new genomics approaches (genotyping by sequencing,
comparative genomics, QTL mapping and gene discovery) to
develop new varieties with yield and durable resistance value.
• Joint effort in establishing functional seed systems for Cassava,