Brief Description 

MaRCCI is an African Regional Centre of Excellence for Crop Improvement supported by a grant from World Bank (2017-2022). MaRCCI builds upon Makerere University’s highly respected PhD and MSc training in plant breeding that was initiated as a regional programme by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) in 2008. The recent grant from World Bank has enabled Makerere’s regional plant breeding program to be established as a Centre of Excellence for training plant breeders for Eastern and Southern Africa. Students of Seventeen (17) different African Nationalities currently study in MaRCCI-supported training and research programs at Makerere University. 

ANGLOPHONE: FRANCOPHONE, PORTUGESE

1. Mozambique, 2. Rwanda, 3. Kenya, 4. Sudan, 5. South Sudan, 6. Tanzania, 7. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 8. Eriteria, 9. Somalia, 10. Nambia, 11. Cameron, 12. Liberia, 13. Senegal, 14. Benin, 15. Nigeria, 16. ⁠Ghana, 17. and host Uganda.

Disaggregated  Data of Students at MaRCCI

MSc (Plant Breeding and Seed Systems) 1. Cameroon, 2. Liberia, 3. Kenya, 4. Tanzania, 5. DRC, 6. Eritrea, 7. Somalia, and 8. Uganda

PhD (Plant Breeding and Biotechnology) 1. Mozambique, 2. Kenya, 3. Nigeria, 4. Rwanda, 5. Benin, 6. Senegal, 7. Sudan, 8. Nambia, 9. South Sudan, 10. Ethiopia, 11. Burundi, 12. Zimbabwe, 13. Zambia, 14. Tanzania, 15. DRC, and 16. Uganda

Postdoctoral fellowship supported by RUFORUM through Carnegie Corporation 1. Benin, 2. Kenya, 3. Ethiopia, and 4. Uganda
 

Key Objectives

  1. Excellence in educating professional plant breeders and seed scientists who are well equipped to develop and disseminate crop varieties that have improved resistance to disease and insects and better tolerance for dry periods;

  2. Research to support such training and contribute to improved crop varieties for all regions of Uganda and its neighbors;

  3. Services to strengthen the nation’s agricultural industry, including scientists, technicians, extension personnel, seed producers, and farmers.

Outcomes

  1. Delivery of high-quality training in plant breeding, seed systems, and biotechnology through the Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology (PBB) and the MSc in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems (PBSS).
  2. The Center provides industry-ready plant breeders who can use cutting-edge science to develop and deliver new food crop varieties to the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) nations, and beyond. 
  3. The cowpea and sorghum research programmes on the farm at Kabanyolo give the students experience in modern methods of data collection and assessment. Univ. of Calif. at Riverside, Purdue University, ICRISAT, and IITA cooperate by sending their materials to these efforts. 
  4. The up-to-date biotechnology lab provides training for the students in molecular breeding methods.

Publications & Projects

Partners

Local Partners

International Partners

Major Accomplishments

  1. Strengthened instruction through in-service pedagogical training and visiting lecturers in cooperation with Kwazulu Natal Univ. (S. Africa), Africa University (Zimbabwe), Kwame Nkrumah University and WACCI (both in Ghana), as well as with Iowa State, North Carolina State, and Purdue universities in the USA.
  2. MaRCCI’s trainees have produced a number of new varieties in their own countries, and MaRCCI’s research programs have developed sorghum and cowpea varieties nearing official registration.
  3. Students and staff related to MaRCCI published over 60 peer-reviewed scientific articles, some in globally first-tier journals.  MaRCCI also is working toward value-added products and is providing specialized services to public and private crop improvement institutes.
  4. The students’ research projects have dealt over 17 food crops and trees that are important to both Uganda and her neighbors.  For example, sorghum, finger millet (kalo), cowpea and common beans have been bred for tolerance to the drier climates of Karamoja and northern Uganda, while potato and rice were assessed for the highland regions of Kabale, and sorghum, maize, and cassava for the cooler climate in Zombo. 
  5. 127 master’s level and 57 doctoral level students from 20 African countries have passed through this program. Except for those who are upgrading to Ph.D. level, almost all students from this program have returned to their home area in Africa. Many have been put into positions of research leadership for improving food crops in their own country, for example in Rwanda and South Sudan.

 

Personnel

Full Name Role/Designation Link to Bio
Dr. Richard Edema Director & Secretary to the Advisory Board View Profile
Dr. Isaac Dramadri Research Team Leader View Profile
Dr. Sharon Mbabazi Tusiime Seed Systems Expert View Profile
Jordan Akoragye Seed / Gene bank / Biotechnology Technician View Profile
Habibah Nalule Laboratory Technologist View Profile
Moses Ebong Field Technician View Profile
Herbert Badara Field Technician View Profile
Cathy Kabagambe Accountant View Profile
Doreen Nambi Kizito Program Assistant - Administration View Profile
Alice Candia Program Assistant- Academic Affairs View Profile