Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute

As the Deputy Platform Leader for Rice Breeding Innovations, Product Development and Varietal Replacement from the Headquarters of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Dr Sankalp U. Bhosale, and his colleagues,  visits the TARI Dakawa centre on 28th April 2022, avenues and opportunities are opening up for more collaborative research and dissemination projects in future.

Recognizing long-lasting and outstanding cooperation between TARI Dakawa and IRRI through hosting the IRRI Satellite Station in Tanzania, he added that one CGIAR, which is forthcoming, brings hopes for strengthening partnerships in research and innovations, and dissemination of technologies among implementing partners. He highlighted the idea to foster working together of diverse partners to speed up transformations in agriculture in Sub Sahara African countries including Tanzania. In that line, he emphasized frequently visiting the centre from now in order that the ambition to strengthen partnerships is realized.

His trip stops over at rain-fed and irrigated trials carried out in collaboration with TARI Dakawa. Being attracted to promising lines under rain-fed ecology that prove to be tolerant to drought, Dr Sankalp suggested devising means to shorten the legal procedure for varietal registration and release to make sure farmers facing erratic rainfalls and prolonged drought periods timely access rice seeds suitable in their farming contexts.

Rice researchers from IRRI Headquarters together with those based at TARI Dakawa observe the development of the rice crop in on-station rain-fed set trials. Source: Ngabo

Despite the fact that shortcuts in the release of variety may be impossible, Dr Jerome Mghase, the TARI Dakawa centre Manager responding to the suggestion by Dr Sankalp, said that farmers are always encouraged to report their concerns to the centre and progressive ones source seeds they like to plant from the Institute.

 Mr Barnabas Sitta, a rice plant breeder, explains to the delegation the development of trials set in irrigated ecology. Source: Ngabo