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MaRCCI Embarks on Cowpea and Sorghum Research for Disease, Drought and Other Tolerances

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Makerere University’s Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI) has initiated two breeding programmes on cowpea and sorghum not only for research but also to address the issue of nutritional security and increasing income for farmers.

A seven (7) acre cowpea research and demonstration field under MaRCCI has been established at the Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) where most students admitted on the cowpea breeding programme are based.
 
Dr. Dramatri Onziga explained that MaRCCI’s breeding program is focusing mainly on cowpea and sorghum because they are drought-tolerant semi-arid crops that can be bred for Northern Uganda and other areas prone to drought.

The Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (Green Cap & Tie) examines a sample of cowpeas during a tour of one of the demonstration plots under MaRCCI at MUARIK

“We are also filling a gap in the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS). We are trying to complement and be part of NARS to make it more collaborative,” he said.

A global collection of 360 different cowpea lines referred to as “a Minicore” and the Multi-parent Advanced Generation InterCross (MAGIC) population of 260 cowpea traits and 250 Ugandan collections and crosses are being evaluated on this site.

The cowpea project is addressing the issues of cowpea pests and diseases like thrips and scab, fusarium virus, cerospora, leafspot, bacterial blight, pod borer, pod sucking bugs and others.

“We are evaluating a lot of materials for different traits. The Minicore and the MAGIC populations were obtained from University of Riverside Califonia, some came from IITA, and we also have 250 Ugandan collections and crosses.

Two of the students (Left) explain to Dr. Edema (in red) and other officials during a tour of one of the sorghum demonstration plots

“From all those unique crosses; 1000 lines, the one of California are all genotyped (have molecular data) available” Dr. Patrick Ongom said.

Several similar cowpea experiments are being conducted in Serere, Arua and Ngetta. Another 8 acre cowpea site is located at Kyentume, Kabanyolo.

Another research and demonstration field on Sorghum has been established on 5 acres of land at MUARIK where the MAGIC population of sorghum obtained from Perdue University USA and the cold-tolerant populations are under evaluation.

In addition, the program is testing potential sorghum hybrids for the commercial beer production industry and other high yielding sorghum lines that can tolerate cold in mountainous areas like Kisoro and Elgon.

Visitors tour one of the cowpea demonstration plots in MUARIK

“The idea is that we want to see if sorghum adopted to cold can be grown in the cold areas of Uganda like Kisoro, Mt. Elgon area etc. So we are testing lines that can tolerate cold and give high yields. The programme is also testing the potential of hybrids which are popular in maize, targeting the beer industry” explained Dr. Onziga.

Value Addition

The programme is also looking at value added products from leaves and seeds of cowpea. The cowpea flour can be used for making porridge which is highly nutritious and this is the centre’s future prospect. The programme intends to work with the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering to come up with these complementary products.

The programme’s focus on sorghum is in line with the beer industry’s high demand for the raw material. Besides food, the sorghum can be processed into local bushera for commercial household income.

“We are trying value addition potential for better products and how to combine sorghum and cowpea with other crop products.” Dr. Dramatri said.

Report compiled by;
Jane Anyango,
Principal Communication Officer, CAES

Mark Wamai

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Advert: Admission under Mature Age Entry Scheme – Private Sponsorship 2025/2026

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The Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

The Academic Registrar, Makerere University invites applications for the Undergraduate Programmes under Private Sponsorship for 2025/2026 Academic Year through the Mature Age Entry Scheme.
Details in the attachment below:

The closing date for applying will be Friday 18th July, 2025.

WARNING
The Academic Registrar has not appointed any agent to act on his behalf to solicit for additional funds other than the application fee.

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR


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Directorate of Graduate Training concludes 9-day Phd Cross Cutting Training

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By: Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training has completed a 9- day PhD crosscutting training course, inducting three groups of PhD students. The groups of students included those in Cohort 1, Cohort 2 and the Non Cohort PhD students. The number of PhD student participants were over 300 students learning via both face to face and online.

The training that started on Monday 2nd June 2025, took place in the New Library Building.

In his closing remarks, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma encouraged the PhD students to put up a spirited fight that would see them remain in the cohort up to the end of the three years of their doctoral studies.

“Get organized, show seriousness in your doctoral pursuit, stay together, make use of your supervisors as and when you need them. We will fully support you in your Doctoral academic journey.” Prof. Kikooma said.

Prof. Kikooma emphasized the need for PhD graduate training saying, “We need more research for the University and Country. This cannot be achieved without increasing the number of graduate students especially PhDs.”

At their different stages of PhD doctoral training, Prof. Kikooma encouraged the students to give feedback to the Directorate and the supervisors so that they are served seamlessly.

Prof. Kikooma further informed the students that going forward, they must cover all the three mandatory cross cutting courses meant to be taught under the three-year program of their doctoral studies.

“All three foundation courses including Scholarly Writing, Advanced Research Methods and Philosophy of Methods will be covered. Tighten your belts. We want to ensure that all these structured programs prepare you for the foundations you need for next two years of research. Success becomes easy when you undertake foundations.”

He challenged the students to use the program in guiding their research directions, making informed decision, improving their critical thinking and consumption of knowledge.

Dr. Dixon Knanakulya, one of the trainers of the doctoral students said, “At PhD level, it is no longer a normal research. It is at a level of knowledge production. The students must understand the main philosophical assumption behind the research methods they use and they must consider the ethical implications of their research. Philosophy of Methods enables them to go through that.”

“PhD students must be creative, innovative and start at the level of researching in the mind. This challenges them to think differently.” He added.

He further said that Philosophy of Methods helps in researches done at the different aspects of the national development plan. “Usually, the students question how the National plans are come up with and support improvement of government policies.”

Dr. Kanakulya added that the research output can be used by government for improvement because it is done by highly skilled researchers. Adding, “They come with very good insights which can be taken on to improve implementation of government programs such as Emyoga and Parish Development Model (PDM).”

He further said that policies are not enough without the social conditions and mindset of the people, saying that PhD scholars can help government know the social conditions and apply policies better.

The Cohort 1 PhD students’ president Mr. Wanyakoko Ebiru Moses said, “This training is extremely important for each student under taking doctoral studies and without it, they cannot acquire the fundamental skills they need to become independent researchers.”

He added that with the knowledge acquired in the Philosophy of Methods training, they will focus on research that aims to resolve societal and community problems.

Dr. Robert Kakuru, the President of Makerere University Academic Staff Association said that Philosophy of Methods is an important pillar in the doctoral journey of every PhD student.

“The Course, Philosophy of Method provides a critical foundation and Philosophical grounding for research methods that doctoral students use to undertake their respective studies. The course further underlines other critical issues that graduate students ought to know, integrate, adopt or adapt in their doctoral journeys.” He said.

Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo, a senior lecturer and coordinator of the training said, “Philosophy of Methods builds a mass of critical researchers who are able to look at the world not from a narrow point of view but a holistic and broad based sense of understanding reality.”

He added, “Students understand how they can imagine the world to be. They take into account assumptions which inform the methods of research used, how they conduct themselves during research and how they approach respondents during the research process. Such assumptions are laid bear in this training and it helps participants to understand the things they have always held at the back of their minds without deliberately knowing that these are the assumptions they hold and this is how they affect and influence studies.”  

Dr. Ssentongo further said that once PhD students are engaged in reality in its broadness with right assumptions, they are then better placed as researchers to investigate such realities and that whatever they investigate, be it related to the National Development Plan and National Development Initiatives like Emyoga and Parish Development Model. This training positions, them at a more critical level as researchers not only in terms of assumptions but also being thinkers.

The Philosophy of Methods training was supported by the ICARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.

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Talented Sportspersons Scheme -Government Sponsorship Admission List 2025/26

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The Office of the Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released the admission lists for Government-sponsored  talented Sportsmen and Sportswomen in all Public Universities for the Academic Year 2025/2026.

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