Project 1:

Project 1: Legume Breeding – Equipment & Facilities

Kenya continues to grapple with chronic food and nutrition insecurity particularly in the rural areas. Over the years, agricultural research has been conducted in the country by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and various universities. Most of the research has been donor-funded and has concentrated on the cereals (maize, wheat, sorghum) with very little attention devoted to research on pulses which are nutritionally superior. The little research that has been conducted on pulses has concentrated on increasing yield and improving resistance to insect pests and diseases using conventional plant breeding approaches, which take a long time before a new variety is developed and released. Moreover, the plant breeders have not addressed quality aspects of the pulses such as cooking time, flatulence and anti-nutritional content. In addition, the plant breeders have utilized limited biotechnological approaches in their research. Consequently, only a few improved pulse varieties have been released in the country, and those few, have been developed without consideration of enhancement of quality traits.

At university level, The Horticulture department and the Institute of Biotechnology Research (IBR) are faced with human and infrastructural constraints that make them unable to effectively carry out their research and training activities. Postgraduate training is low leading to low staff/student ratio. On the other hand, physical infrastructures are over stretched due to the high student numbers and most of the equipment is old.

Objectives

The legume breeding project aims at strengthening the local research and training capabilities of the Horticulture Department and Institute of Biotechnology Research (IBR) of JKUAT

The specific objectives of the project are two-fold:

1. To develop bean varieties with improved cooking and nutritional quality;
2. To improve the research practice at the department of horticulture and Institute of Biotechnology Research of JKUAT.

Activities

The project has three main thrusts of activities namely, research, capacity building and outreach/extension. The research-related thrust will focus on screening and breeding of legume (common bean, cowpea and green gram) cultivars for the easy-to-cook trait and/or with low flatulence factors and anti-nutritional factors using both conventional and biotechnological approaches. Capacity building will involve postgraduate training of staff and students in the Horticulture Department and IBR, and purchase of modern plant breeding and biotechnology equipment. The project results will be disseminated to stakeholders in various forums such as workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions within the country. Last but not least, the project will multiply and conserve seed materials for analyses by Projects 2 and 3 and for distribution to collaborating stakeholders.

Students

PhD students

MSc students

Equipment & Facilities

1. qPCR machine
2. Electrophoresis equipment: centrifuges, electronic balance, pH meter
3. Cold room for seed storage
4. Screen house and crop working room
5. Clean bench for molecular biology work

Partners