RTB East Africa Germplasm Exchange Laboratory construction commences in Kenya

3 May 2024

A significant milestone was reached on 25 April in the realm of roots, tubers, and bananas (RTB) with the ground breaking of the Roots, Tubers and Bananas-East Africa Germplasm Exchange Laboratory (RTB-EAGEL). The Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Hon. Mithika Linturi, commissioned the construction of RTB-EAGEL at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Plant Quarantine and Biosafety Station (PQBS) in Muguga.

The RTB-EAGEL is a collaborative project between KEPHIS, IITA, and the International Potato Center (CIP), funded by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) through CGIAR 's Crops to End Hunger (CtEH) program. The new state-of-the-art facility aims to provide services such as pathogen diagnostics, virus-elimination, in vitro, and germplasm exchange services, as well as a platform for RTB research and knowledge sharing within the Eastern Africa region and beyond.

Speaking during the ground breaking event at KEPHIS PQBS in Muguga, Project manager and IITA Scientist Morag Ferguson highlighted that breeding is expensive and not all countries in the region can afford to have proper, fully-fledged breeding programs for all RTB crops. She further emphasized the need to leverage the stronger breeding programs and take advantage of what's produced therein.

Hon. Linturi said access to high-quality RTB planting material greatly impacts the Kenyan government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda 2022-2027. He also expressed the government's dedication to collaborating with different partners to maximize the benefits of this facility and attract further investment.

KEPHIS Managing Director Prof. Theophilus Mutui reiterated that there was a dire need for a centralized facility that can operate at a larger scale, providing services reliably to the region and serving as a center of excellence and training as well as a one-stop shop for stakeholders and farmers.

By enabling the safe and efficient exchange of RTB crops-sweet potato, potato, cassava, yams, and bananas-between CGIAR breeding programs and regional National Agricultural Research and Extension Service (NARES) partners for local field evaluations, it is anticipated that new varieties will be released, and get into the hands of farmers, more quickly than is currently happening. The exact timeframes for this vary according to crop but will ultimately increase productivity. In addition, RTB-EAGEL will supply, on request, 'nucleus' high-quality disease-free plantlets of the best varieties for further mass-propagation in seed systems. This will accelerate the selection, delivery, and widescale adoption of a steady stream of new RTB crop varieties. The laboratory will also offer state-of-the-art technology for capacity development and research.

Dr Ian Barker, CGIAR Senior Director, Strategy, Delivery and Scaling, committed to ensuring that the use of the facilities will be part of OneCGIAR's plans. IITA Eastern Africa Hub Director Dr Leena Tripathi stated that the groundbreaking ceremony signifies a very important moment in the collective efforts to advance agricultural science, foster collaboration, and propel progress for RTB crops in the region. CIP Regional Director for Africa, Dr Joyce Maru, pivoted the RTB-EAGEL lab as a crucial investment to help realize the full potential of African crops.

Roots, tubers, and bananas play a vital role in the diets and socioeconomics of many households, particularly in Eastern Africa, where they significantly contribute to food and nutrition security and livelihoods. With a collective annual global production of about 700MT, their use as a staple cannot be understated. The RTB-EAGEL, thus, comes at an opportune time to complement and support efforts across different countries to improve these crops by offering coordinated support for the safe movement and exchange of plantlets across borders without spreading disease.

Contributed by Rose Harriet Okech

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