Oil crops, namely groundnuts, simsim (sesame) and sunflower, are important income earners in Uganda, and thus of interest for farmers as well as research.
As such at Naro’s National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), which is based in Serere District, eastern Uganda, scientists are breeding improved varieties of the crops.
In line with farmers’ preferences, they are addressing yield, maturity period, pest and diseases, oil content, drought tolerance, among others.
For sunflower and simsim, the research work is on hybrid varieties.
While for simsim, it is mostly traditional open pollinated varieties, some hybrid sunflower varieties are being grown in the northern and eastern regions.
Dr Walter Anyang, who is in charge of sunflower and simsim breeding, says the focus is on planting dates, compactness of the seed, weed management, fertiliser use and intercropping with other crops.
Tested and released
A number of hybrids have been tested and released, the most recent ones being Sesun 1H and Sesun 2H.
Sesun 1H has a head, which is hidden below the leaves. This avoids the birds that eat the seeds while in the field.
It matures between 89-100 days, has black coated seed and the oil content is 43 per cent.
Sesun 2 H matures in the same period but its oil content is 36 per cent. The yield capacity is up to 1,600 kg per hectare.
Some of the varieties used in breeding were obtained from Australia and crossed with the local ones.
For simsim, a major oil crop in Uganda ranked second to groundnuts, Dr Anyang’s team has released Sesim I and Sesim II.
Sesim I is white in colour, matures within 110 days, has a yield potential of 500-800 kg per hectare, and the oil content is 42–45 per cent.
Sesim II matures in the same period, has the same oil content but yields between 500–900 kg per hectare.
Just like sunflower and simsim, the groundnut research aims improved varieties, maintenance and conservation.
Dr David Kalule Okello, who is in charge of the programme, points out that the crop is cultivated in semi-arid tropical regions in nearly 100 countries across the six continents.
“Groundnut has protein content of 25-34 per cent, oil content of 44-56 per cent and vitamins. These qualities make it nutritional supplements mainly to cereal diets such as maize, sorghum and millet,” he notes.
“In Uganda, people make groundnut cake and peanut for human consumption while its foliage and stem are used for livestock feed.”
The crop is also known for fixing nitrogen in the soil meaning farmers are at an advantage because it improves soil fertility.
Observe right practices
Most varieties grown by farmers in Uganda are landraces adapted mainly for survival than for increased yield.
The yields from such varieties average 800 kg per hectare yet 3,000kg per hectare has been achieved from on-station plots.
Farmers obtain low yields due to a combination of factors, which include unreliable rains, pests and diseases and poor quality seed.
The breeding efforts at NaSARRI have resulted in the release of 14 varieties.
The most recent are Igola 1, Serenity 1R, Serenut 2T, Serenut 3R, Serenut 4T and Serenut 6T.
Christine Eclama, a field assistant, says though breeding groundnuts is not that smooth, close observation leads to selection of the right breeding material.
Dr Kalule advises the farmers to observe the right spacing as well as proper harvesting practices for good results.
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