Location: Riverside, Kitwe

The mandate of the programme is to carry out research in the sustainable use of underutilised genetic resources and promote conservation of biodiversity.

The programme is currently executing three projects:

Cassava crop improvement through in-vitro mutation breeding

The overall objective of the project is to improve production of cassava in Zambia through application of tissue culture.

There is collaboration on this project with the Nuclear Energy Applications and Analytical Services Programme and The Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI)

The planned activities are clustered around screening, harvesting and selection of from 43 candidate mutants of Mweru and Bangweulu cassava; generation and irradiation of 3,000 plantlets of Mweru, Bangweulu and Nalumino Cassava varieties for field evaluation in 2011; Meal quality analysis, Multiplication and evaluation of the 2009 irradiated materials; planting of the 2009 irradiated cassava plantlets at the Centre and Mansa and the screening of the 3rd  and 4th generation cassava for resistance to Cassava Mosaic Virus Disease.

Utilisation of Zambia’s mine wastelands for Jatropha Production

The overall objective is to explore the potential of Zambia’s mine wastelands for Jatropha production for biofuel.

Permission has been granted to use wastelands belonging to Mopani Copper Mines, Zambia Consolidated copper Mines Investment Holdings and Konkola Copper Mines.

The planned project activities will deal with soil studies, introduction of Jatropha plants on trial plots; comparison of yields of Jatropha in various categories of waste lands; establishing technologies which have potential in improving yields of Jatropha on mine wastelands and documentation of pests and diseases to which Jatropha is susceptible.
(Concluded report being prepared)

Preliminary studies in micro propagation of selected Eucalyptus clones in Zambia

The overall aim of the project is to employ and adapt where necessary the techniques outlined by AFOCEL and others to micro propagate selected Eucalyptus clones in Zambia.

The Institute is collaborating with the Zambia Forest and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO).

The programme is conducting its work on Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus cloeziana species.

To achieve the desired results, activities have been designed around selection of superior trees, developing collection methods for tissue culture explants, protocol development and standardisation, in-vitro conservation of selected clones and the establishment of commercial nurseries of Eucalyptus from micro propagated clones.