1. Enhanced Utilization of Biotechnology Research and Development Innovations in ECA: ASARECA’s success stories Seyfu Ketema, Charles Mugoya, and Clet Wandui Masiga
Presented at the Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa: Fostering Innovation
Held at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Conference Hall
May 13th to 15th 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. ASARECA has 10 MEMBER COUNTRIES
Mission: Enhance regional collective action in agricultural research for development, extension and agricultural training and education to promote economic growth, fight poverty, eradicate hunger and enhance sustainable use of resources in Eastern and Central Africa.
Burundi
Democratic Republic of Congo
Ethiopia
Eritrea
Kenya
Madagascar
Rwanda
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda

3. Rational for ASARECA’s Investment into Biotechnology
To harness opportunities that biotechnology offer to agricultural development as envisaged by CAADP;
It is recognized as a powerful tool for economic development of the region;
Biotechnology offers promise to improve yield, nutritional quality, as well as human health
The tool has developed invaluable new methodologies and products in food and agriculture e.g. resistance to pests, diseases and herbicides

4. Objectives of ASARECA’s investment in Biotechnology
Enhanced generation and uptake of demand driven biotechnology Innovations in ECA
Strengthened capacity for using biotechnology in Implementing Agricultural Research for Development in ECA
Enhanced Availability of information on biotechnological agricultural technologies and innovations in ECA

5. Biotechnological tools being promoted by ASARECA
Plant Genetic Engineering
Marker Assisted Breeding
Sorghum for resistance to striga
Maize for drought tolerance
Gene location and comparative mapping
Cassava transformation
Plant tissue culture
Sorghum and Cassava
Banana, cassava, sweetpotato
Disease detection
Sweetpotatoes, cassava and Teania in Pigs
Invitro Conservation
Slow growth
Vaccine development
Cryopreservation
Both for cassava and sweet potatoes
Pigs

6. Genetic Engineering of Maize for Drought tolerance
Drought is a single most important abiotic stress responsible for reduced maize productivity in arid and semi-arid areas, leading up to 70% crop loss.

7. Success story of Maize project
ASARECA and its partners (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and Sudan) led by Professor Jesse Machuka at Kenyatta University are introgressing drought tolerance conferring genes into the Maize
Ms Rasha Adam invented a drought tolerant gene & named it ASARECA AnxZm35 gene
Sudanese Maize transformed with NHX1 gene
Glass house care of transfomats
Putative transformant

8. Success story of Maize project
This will be a 70% increase in maize production in ECA, hence improving food security, reducing hunger and promoting economic development.
Ms Rasha Adam invented a drought tolerant gene & named it ASARECA AnxZm35 gene
Sudanese Maize transformed with NHX1 gene
Glass house care of transfomats
Putative transformant

9. Vector transformation map of the ASARECA Plant Transformation- Annexin Zea mays 35 (AP-AnZm35) gene construct in pNOV vector
Ms Rasha Adam discovered a drought tolerant gene & named it ASARECA AnxZm35 gene

10. Establishment of a Genetic Transformation Platform for Cassava
Status: Completed and functional
All have acquired biosafety level II status .
GM cassava has been developed for resistance to CMD and CBSD

11. Applying tissue culture to improve access to cassava and sweetpotato clean planting materials for farmers
Developed a DNA based method to detect viruses of cassava and sweet potatoes
Optimization of low-cost tissue culture protocols
Establishment of centralized regional tissue culture database
Established facilities at 8 NARI centres – NacRRI, ISAR, ISABU, INERA EIAR, Kenyatta University KARI, University of Nairobi & at Agrobiotech Ltd (Burundi)
Trained 41 scientists and technicians

12. Developing/acquiring and standardizing virus indexing tools for cassava and sweet potato culture materials
Cassava/sweet potato virus sequences For the developing PCR-based and antibody based diagnostics now available.
Specific diagnostic primers and the PCR based diagnostics for sweet potato and cassava viruses have been developed.
Epitopes from coat proteins of cassava/sweet potato viruses for antibody development have been identified and have been used to develop antibodies.
Antibodies against the synthesized peptides for plant viruses have been tested with the synthesized peptides, and evaluated with the infected cassava samples by blocking test with the injected peptides.
Virus elimination protocols have been optimized and used to produce virus free cassava and sweetpotato germplasm

13. Conservation for Sustainable Availability of Cassava and Sweetpotato Germplasm through Biotechnology Applications
Established facilities at 8 NARI centers – NacRRI, MARI, ISABU, INERA EIAR KARI, ARC &El Obeid
Trained 41 scientists and technicians\
Characterized and evaluated some key target crop accessions
Regenerated and safely duplicated some key regional crop collections
Facilitated capacity development for Invitro Conservation
Slow growth
Cryopreservation
Both for cassava and sweet potatoes

14. Freezing equipment

15. Storage in liquid nitrogen in Dewar flask

16. Genetic Linkage Mapping of Field Resistance to Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD)
A total of 316 SSR markers are being mapped on the linkage map.

17. Fighting Striga: Resistance Genes Deployed to Boost Sorghum Productivity
Striga infestation threatens to bring 17 million hectares of farm land out of sorghum production
Using Marker assisted breeding, ASARECA and its partners in Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya and ICRISAT, have developed 50 striga resistant sorghum lines capable of giving yield up to 3.6 t/ha

18. Success story of striga project
One of 50 lines developed with resistance to Striga
Donor Parent N13 for striga resistant gene
Background parent, Wad Ahmed
This breakthrough will enable 300 million people in Africa to get out of hunger, attain food security, walk out of the poverty bracket and lead better lives.

19. Fine Mapping of genes associated with Striga resistance in sorghum

22. Diagnostic and control tools and strategies for Taenia solium Cysticercosis
Taenia solium (pig-tapeworm) vaccine and diagnostic kits developed
Epidemiological data collected
2 Msc students received training
Pig1 and Pig3 are negative others positive. 
The top line is the control (present in all samples) while the bottom is the test line
(present only in the positive samples).  So the antibodies have good potential in this assay.
 We now have 300 of the devices at ILRI and aim to start testing them on many more pig sera

23. Transfer of Banana Tissue Culture, Tissue Culture Certification and Tissue Culture Business Network Project
Produced and disseminated TC banana to farmers
Established banana nurseries in 6 districts
Training of farmers and stakeholders