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OILSEEDS RESEARCH
PROGRAM IN TANZANIA
Oilseeds are important component of
smallholder agriculture. They
contribute to farmers’ income also
to human and animal diets. The
major oilseeds grown in Tanzania are
sesame, groundnuts, sunflower and
castor bean. The
Southern Zone is
suitable for growing oilseed crops
particularly groundnuts and sesame.
Research on
oilseeds has been going on since the
period prior to independence. In
the early 1950s, a research
programme with a main emphasis on
groundnut breeding was established
at Nachingwea and Kongwa to support
the then Overseas Food Corporation (OFC)
groundnut scheme. This led to
recommendation of groundnut
varieties Natal Common and
Red Mwitunde, plus a package of
agronomic practices. Following the
collapse of the OFC in late 1950, a
breeding programme on sesame and
soybeans was begun at Nachingwea
from 1957 – 1963. This work led to
recommendation and release of sesame
varieties Morada – 2, SSBS 4 and
SSBS 7.
Although research
on oilseeds had been going on for a
long time, it was inconsistent and
lacked cohesion. However,
activities conducted and
recommendations made (i.e. improved
varieties and agronomic practices)
made a foundation for the Oilseeds
Research Project, which was incepted
in 1978 following a bilateral
agreement between the Governments of
Tanzania and the United Kingdom. In
the early 1980s, commodity research
programmes in the country were begun
and Naliendele Agricultural Research
Institute became the co-ordinating
centre for Oilseeds Research
Programme (ORP).
Objectives
The ORP has been
operating within the framework of the
following main objectives:
1.
To identify and develop high yield
varieties adapted to the main growing
areas of southern Tanzania. They should
have desirable attributes such as
tolerance to insect pests and diseases
of major economic importance.
2.
To develop the best cultural practices
for different varieties of oilseeds.
3.
To identify the major insect pests and
diseases of economic importance and
develop suitable control measures.
4.
To investigate the role of oilseeds in
farmers' traditional systems and develop
recommendations to improve
productivity of these systems.
Current research emphasis
Breeding
• Variety
type: High yielding, farmer and market
preferred varieties
• Disease & pest resistance
• Drought tolerance
• Industrial suitability e.g. high oil
content for oil processing and seed size
for confectionary market
Agronomy
·
Plant
population
·
Fertilizer trials
·
Herbicides trials
·
Sesame
priming trials
Crop protection
·
Screening against foliar diseases of
groundnuts
·
Aflatoxin management for groundnuts
·
Integrated pest management to control of
flea beetles in Sesame
·
Screening sesame varieties against leaf
spots diseases.
Socio-economics
·
Sesame
and Groundnut Value chain analysis
·
Linking farmers from production to the
markets
·
Post
harvest processing
Seed multiplication and delivery systems
·
Contract growing with farmer research
groups and individuals
·
Primary school seed multiplication model
·
Seed
loan system model
·
District Councils Vs NGO seed delivery
system
·
Rural
Seed fairs
Achievements
Since 1983,
five sesame varieties and four
groundnuts varieties have been
released. However, currently varieties
grown and preferred by farmers and
market are Naliendele-92, Ziada-94 and
Lindi-02 for sesame; and Pendo and Nyota,
Johari and Sawia-98 for groundnut.
Improved sesame varieties are grown in
about 30% of sesame and in 20% of
groundnut fields annually in the
country.
Improved crop
husbandry for both crops (for example
optimal time of planting, optimal plant
populations, seed rates, time and
weeding frequencies, etc) have been
developed and disseminated to farmers
Integrated
pest and disease management for these
crops have been developed and
recommendations made.
Staffing
The ORP is manned by
three (3) research scientists and six
field technicians as follows:
Research scientists
1.
Dr. Elly Kafiriti
Principal Agronomist & Programme Lead
Scientist
2.
Dr. Omari Mponda
Principal Plant Breeder
3. Mr.
Juma Mfaume
Agricultural Research Officer
Field Technicians
1.
Ms Joane Kasuga
Principal Field Technician
2.
Mr. Charles
Mkandawile
Principal Field Technician
3.
Mr. Joseph Nzunda
Field Technician
4.
Ms. Jacquiline Shayo
Field Technician
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