Ministry of Agriculture and

Livestock

Zambia Agriculture Research Institute

Contribution to Nutrition Improvement

By

John C. MusanyaMt Makulu Central Research Station

CHILANGAmusanyajc@yahoo.co.uk

www.zari.gov.zm

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.

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

Roads

Rivers

KEY

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

% %

%

%

%

Mansa

Kabwe

Nanga

Msamfu

Magoye

Msekera

MutandaMufulira

Mochipapa

Simulumbe Mt Makulu

Golden Valley

Finger MilletAroforestryCoffeeFood Leg (Beans)RiceSoilsFSRTSOILS (S.V.)

FSRTSOILS (S.V.)

Root and TubersFSRTSOILS (S.V.)

Pearl MilletsLivestockCashewFSRTSOILS (S.V.)

LivestockSorghumFSRTSOILS (S.V.)

AgroforestryFood LegumeFSRTSOILS (S.V.)

SOILS (S.V.)Tree Crops

kenafFSRTSOILS (S.V.)

MaizePastures

Plant ProtectionOil SeedsWheatResearch ManagementAdministrationCentral ServicesSoilsFSRTSOILS (S.V.)

CottonFPM

IrrigationVegetablesTree Crops

80 0 80 160 Kilometers

N

EW

S

Agro Ecological Regions

Soils Research Team, Mt Makulu,ZARI Private Bag 7, Chilanga August 2006

RESEARCH STATIONS AND MAJOR PROGRAMMES

Regions

Region I

Region IIa

Region IIb

Region III

LEGEND

FPM= FARM POWER AND MACHINERYFSRT= FARMING SYSTEMS RESEARCH TEAMG.V= GOLDEN VALLEYNIRS= NATIONAL IRRIGATION RESEARCH STATIONS.V. = SOIL SURVEY

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS

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

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

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)

ZARI VisionTo be a centre of excellence

providing scientific leadership in the generation and transfer of improved and appropriate technologies through partnerships involving stakeholders and beneficiaries.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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 sorghum.

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

Collaboration with International Organizations in Nutrition

The Feed the Future Program was launched on 13 June 2011 involving 2 Sub Programmes.Food Security Research ProgramAgriculture 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 of crop varieties.

Highlights, on ZARI’s ResearchQPM – Obatampa (Lysine,

Tryptophan) Sweetpotato – Chingovwa (High

Beta Carotein)Vegetables – Beta Car, Vit A, Vit C

,other nutrientsWheat – Methionine, Cystein –

Gluten QualityProVitamin A Maize (Harvestplus)Bio-fortification in Beans increase

micronutrients (Iron and Zinc).

Nutrition PromotionMost 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 Roots and Tuber

ConclusionZARI 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.

THE END

THANK YOU