Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute

Julius Peter Mbiu is a Research Officer and Common Bean Breeder at the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), based at TARI Selian in Arusha. He holds a Master’s in Crop Science (Plant Breeding) from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Plant Molecular Breeding at Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST). He has been in the Agricultural research discipline since 2014.

In his role as a Common Bean Breeder, Julius is responsible for conducting common bean improvement activities and research. His work focuses on evaluating promising lines for adaptability and yield performances of targeted bean market classes in Tanzania, such as Red Mottled, Yellow, and Red Kidney beans, for resistance to climate change-related stresses (both biotic and abiotic). He also prioritizes the development of consumer-preferred common bean varieties, including high mineral content (iron and zinc), protein content, seed coat darkening, fast cooking to enhance the nutritional value of common beans, He has facilitated the release of five new common bean varieties, three among them are bio-fortified, two heat and drought tolerant varieties.

His work exemplifies his dedication to improving agricultural productivity, resilience, and nutrition in Tanzania. Through his research, training, and collaborative efforts, he continues to make significant contributions to the field of agricultural science and the livelihoods of farmers across the country.

Julius involved in Conduct gender based PVS on promising bean lines to evaluate farmer and consumer preferences (including organoleptic tests) and identify farmer and market preferred climate smart varieties and conduct demonstrations/evaluations for best bet varieties in target agro-ecologies with ICM; Training farmers and extension officers on seed production and good agronomic practices; Project proposals and Report writing of different projects in collaboration with partners; Maintenance and production of breeder and basic seeds of improved common bean varieties in collaboration with partners; Design and development of agricultural extension materials, research paper writing and publication.

Julius has also colloborated and supervised different research projects, among them are 1. Rapid breeding for reduced cooking time and enhanced nutritional quality in common bean (RCBP) Project CROP/2018/132   To improve beans for fast CT and improved Fe and Zn content through annual cycles of pedigree and genomic selection with optimised mating designs based on OCS, reduce CT in common bean by at least 30%, and increase Fe content by 15% and Zn by 10% over current varieties in 5 years https://www.aciar.gov.au/project/crop-2018-132  2. Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) PROJECT ID NUMBER OPP1198373- to modernize breeding programs and strengthen seed production and delivery systems and increasing incomes for smallholders in seven countries of Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda). The crops involved in the project are sorghum, millet (West Africa), finger millet (East Africa) groundnut and Cowpea (West Africa) and common beans (East Africa). https://www.cimmyt.org/projects/avisa/. 3. Bean enhance P-101987 - Sustainable enhancement of common bean productivity in Eastern and Central Africa through exploitation of established Angular Leaf spot pathogen monitoring, plant breeding and seed distribution networks; 4. Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) High Iron Bean Compact P-Z1-A00-016 - to achieve rapid agricultural transformation across Africa by raising agricultural productivity to eliminate extreme poverty, end hunger and malnutrition, turn Africa into a net food exporter, and position Africa at the top of agricultural value chains where it has a comparative advantage; 5. Agricultural transformation for increased incomes improved food security and livelihood among Small holder farmers in Kagera Region Western Tanzania (TIJA) - Increased staple crop productivity for smallholder farmers, Strengthen and expand access to output market, Increased capacity of smallholder farming households and agricultural system to better prepare for and adopt to shocks and stress https://agra.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/How-Integration-Enhances-the-Competitiveness-of-Agribusinesses-Tanzania-case-study.pdf. 6. Enhancing Climate Change Resilience in East Africa  ECREA(C23NBO302) – is a collaborative initiative focused on strengthening climate resilience through innovative research, policy interventions, and community-driven solutions https://alliancebioversityciat.org/projects/enhancing-climate-change-resilience-east-africa-ecrea

More information of research activities for Julius’ visit:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8AhPm70AAAAJ&hl=en

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5851-8898

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julius-Mbiu?ev=hdr_xprf