Disease-free plants and new lab aim to improve food security in Zambia

The health status of the starting planting material is very important as viral, bacterial and fungal diseases can dramatically reduce yields and quality.

Best agricultural practices and awareness of food security related issues in Africa will be promoted at a seminar about disease-free planting materials of major staple crops organised by the James Hutton Institute in Lusaka, Zambia. The seminar is co-hosted by MTT Agrifood Research Finland, the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute and the World Bank.

As well as factors associated with climate change and the impact of human activity on the environment; viral, bacterial and fungal diseases are a grave threat to food security in Africa. Root and tuber crops such as cassava and potato are staples in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and they play important roles in development as famine reserves, rural and urban staple foods, cash crops, industrial raw materials and livestock feeds. They are also relevant because of their association with the mitigation of climate change effects and soaring food prices.

These issues will be discussed at the seminar, which is organised within the framework of the ICI project, an initiative that aims to develop a new plant laboratory for production of disease-free planting materials of vegetatively propagated crop plants in Zambia.

Jill Middlefell-Williams, a laboratory manager at the James Hutton Institute and co-organiser of the seminar, commented: “Cassava, sweet potato and cultivated potato are multiplied from tubers and stem cuttings or vines. The health status of the starting planting material is very important as viral, bacterial and fungal diseases can dramatically reduce yields and quality.

"Micropropagation is an efficient tool for maintenance and cloning of root and tuber plantlets, providing the initial starting material for completely disease-free seed tubers and cuttings. This requires upgraded facilities and well-trained staff, which currently are very limited in Zambia.

“With this seminar, we would like to inform our stakeholders in Zambia about the ICI project activities, as well as provide a forum for representatives from diverse organisations to discuss their activities in Zambia concerning food security programmes, and also interact with the Zambian private sector about the future sustainability of the plant laboratory currently under development.”

The event will feature presentations from the following speakers:

• Dr Indira Janaki Ekanayake, Senior Agriculturist, Agriculture and Rural Development (AFTAR), Sustainable Development Network, Africa Region, The World Bank
• Dr Tokutaro Iino, Project Coordinator, JICA - Food Crop Diversification Support Project Focusing on Rice Production (FoDiS-R)
• Dr Naomi Kamanga, Project Coordinator for the research and development ‘Feed the Future’ projects
• Dr Emily Mueller, CIP (International Potato Centre), Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Office (SSA)
• Mr Mwala Lubinda, Msc Agric Econ, Marketing and Impact Specialist, CIP (International Potato Centre), Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Office (SSA)
• Mr Moses Mwale, Acting Director, ZARI, Mt.Makulu Research Station, Chilanga
• Dr Patrick Chiza Chikoti, ZARI, Mt.Makulu Research Station, Chilanga
• Dr Martin Chiona, ZARI, Mansa Research Station, Mansa
• Dr Eeva-Liisa Ryhänen, Director, Biotechnology and Food Research, Jokioinen
• Dr Elina Kiviharju, Coordinator of Plant Genetic Resources Programme, Jokioinen
• Dr Veli-Matti Rokka, ICI Project Coordinator

The ICI project is a bilateral initiative from MTT Agrifood Research Finland and the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute, and is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.