Maize is the principal crop and major staple food in the most African and South American countries. The main problem in human nutrition in developing countries, and in livestock feed in developed countries, is insufficient production and poor quality of cereal proteins. In the case of maize, due to the very low content of essential amino acids lysine and tryptophan in grain endosperm, biological value is very low, which is main limiting factor of common maize in human nutrition and feeding of monogastric animals. Quality protein maize (QPM) can help in solving of this problem. Maize production also faces serious constraints caused by agro-ecological conditions and poor socio-economic situation. To alleviate the effect of the constraints, selected genotypes with more desirable traits and appropriate field-plot techniques to create multiple-stress conditions, were used. It was found that, in downy mildew nursery distance up to 35 m from spreader plot is providing sufficient down load of spores for plant infection, provided that the testing breeding materials are planted towards to down-stream direction of the dominant wind. Using these breeding approaches large number of early, white and flint synthetics, composites and inbred lines were created with resistance or tolerance to downy mildew (DMR), maize streak virus (SR) and drought (DT). Created genotypes exhibited very good kernel modification and yield potential under low and normal inputs. In the case of synthetics and composites, besides tolerance to multiple stress factors, they were competing in yield with local QPM and normal maize checks. In the case of created inbred lines high combining ability was exhibited both in non-conventional and conventional maize hybrids. Trial data revealed that in the most cases the best entries were over-yielding the best checks.

The incrementation of lysine, tryptophan and maize protein nutritional value in locals where maize is staple food could contribute significantly to improving the population nutritional status. The objective of this study was to estimate variance and average components related to the maize protein quality based on tryptophan and grain yield analysis, and to select from the early generations progenies which best complement with the tester for both characters. The laboratory analyses were carried out by using colorimetric reactions and the statistical analyses were based on mixed model. The experiment was set out in partially balanced square lattice with 144 treatments, two replications and 12 blocks. The estimations, associated with the assessed treatment performances made it possible to infer that both populations are promising for recurrent selection and suggested good experimental precision. The selective accuracy demonstrated the possibility of obtaining gains by selecting in both characters. For tryptophan content, the specific combining ability presented small magnitude value due the qualitative inheritance and, the additive effects might have been more important. The shrinkage effect in grain yield was more noticeable than the tryptophan content. Over 25% of the progenies contributed positively to the tryptophan content and only 3.65% to grain yield.

HARNESSING CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE (CSA) PRACTICES TO REDUCE THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA -CCARDESA MONLY PROGRESS REPORT ZAMBIA

A model Climate Smart Village - the case of Rushinga Village-Success story 

MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY USING  CLIMATE-SMART TECHNOLOGIES-FINAL EVALUATION EPORT FOR ZAMBIA

Joint Monitoring & Evaluation Report Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on food and nutrition security using Climate Smart Technologies in SADC Countries

MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY USING CLIMATESMART TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAMME FINAL REPORT 

Biannual Programme Report,:(Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on food and nutrition security using Climate Smart Technologies (CSA) in SADC Countries)

Programme Monthly (Oct) Report -Intra-ACP GCCA+ Programme in the Southern African Development Community region

Groundnuts (Arachis Hypogaea) in Tanzania

In Tanzania, where groundnut is one of the main annual crops, the production cost of groundnut is cheaper than of other annual crops like rice (Akpo, Muricho, et al., 2020; Bakari et al., 2021). The total production cost of groundnut ranges from 500,000 TZS/ha to 1,000,000 TZS/ha compared to rice, which ranges from 2,500,000 TZS/ha to 3,250,000 TZS/ha (Ndabila, 2018). Groundnut can be produced in all areas with an altitude below 1500m and having alluvial soils (Daudi et al., 2012). In Tanzania, groundnut is mainly produced in Dodoma, Tabora, Geita, Shinyanga, Songwe Mbeya, Katavi, Singida, Rukwa and Manyara regions (URT, 2021). Likewise, groundnut is largely produced in Kigoma, Mwanza, Mtwara, Simiyu and Kagera. Most of these regions are either semi-arid or arid and mostly challenged by drought, food insecurity and poverty.

Currently, the country needs to cope with increasing drought due to climate change, market shift, and other biotic and abiotic stresses (Zurich, 2014). In addressing these challenges for improving people’s livelihood, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in collaboration with other development partners released 17 improved groundnut varieties (Mwalongo et al., 2020). Six improved groundnut varieties were release between 1960s and 1990s (Daudi et al., 2012). The outcomes, however, were below expectations attaining maximum average productivity of 444 kg/ha during the period. Thereafter, 11 more improved varieties were released, and productivity increased to an average of 745 kg/ha. This is still less than the average productivity of Africa, which is 800kg/ha (FAO, 2020). Even though the new varieties were available, it was reported that about 81% of the groundnut producers still use old varieties, which are less resistant to drought and diseases, have low productivity between (0.5t/ha to 1t/ha) against the potential yield of between (1-2t/ha) and low market value (Mwakimata, 2017).

Limited use of improved varieties by farmers was reported as one of the major bottlenecks to realize high yield in the country (Daudi et al. 2018; Akpo et al. 2020). Use of improved varieties will make ever lasting effects on peoples’ health, financial power and human resource capacity of the country. Studies illustrate that the groundnut market is expanding in Tanzania due to a rapid population growth rate of 3.1 per year, multiple uses of groundnut and exports of about 20,000 tons per year (URT, 2020). All these factors combined raised an alarm of increasing awareness and use of improved groundnut varieties.

This variety catalogue underscores the important characteristics of all the released groundnut varieties since 1960s to date, an effort to enhance stakeholders’ awareness and groundnut utilization along the value chain in Tanzania.

Groundnuts (Arachis Hypogaea) Varieties Released in Tanzania

Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in collaboration with Development Partners released 17 improved groundnut varieties (Mwalongo et al., 2020). Six improved groundnut varieties were release between 1960s and 1990s (Daudi et al., 2012). The description of the varieties have been provided in the document.