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Crop Improvement and Agronomy, which deals with the development and adaptation of appropriate crop varieties (food and cash crops) and agronomic technologies for all categories of farmers in different agro-ecological regions of Zambia.

CROP IMPROVEMENT AND AGRONOMY

Crop Improvement and Agronomy, which deals with the development and adaptation of appropriate crop varieties (food and cash crops) and agronomic technologies for all categories of farmers in different agro-ecological regions of Zambia

SECTIONS

  • Oil Seeds
  • Oilseed crops are generally grown for the oil in their seeds and vary considerably in oil content, quality, and composition of two types of oil crops. These are edible and non-edible: factors that rely heavily on the crop species or cultivar and upon the environmental conditions in which the crop is grown.
  • WHEAT RESEARCH TEAM

 Wheat is an important cereal crop, second after maize in terms of production and consumption. As a country, we are not yet self-sufficient hence in 2021, wheat shortage of about 50, 000 MT was recorded. Therefore, 100, 000 MT of wheat was imported to cover the deficit.

  • SORGHUM & MILLETS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME (SMIP)

Sorghum is an important traditional cereal for the resource poor farmers in Zambia. It is grown in areas usually not suitable for Maize production. It is an important cereal crop for food at household level in marginal areas.

  • National Plant Genetic Resources Center Team

    Introduction

    The NPGRC programme was initiated for the purpose of ensuring the maintenance of genetic diversity that occurs in our indigenous and locally adapted agricultural and horticultural crops, their wild relatives as well as entire range of wild plant species which are utilized in one way or the other. The plant genetic diversity now available is a common natural heritage which must be conserved for both present and future use.

Tree Crops

Trees and Plantation Research Team has the potential of improving the economy of Zambia by exporting horticultural fruits such as Avocados, Oranges and Bananas

  • MAIZE RESEARCH TEAM

Maize is the most important staple food in Zambia, accounting for more than 70% of the carbohydrates in the diets of many Zambians. Now maize can be used to provide Pro-vitamin A, lysine and tryptophan besides calories. In Zambia, productivity, production and area cultivated for Maize fluctuates due biotic and abiotic stresses.

The Farming System team deals with the entire complex of development, management and allocation of resources as well as all decisions and activities that fall within an operational farm unit that result in agriculture production

The farming system approach has been used by the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) since 1980. The Farming System team deals with the entire

complex of development, management and allocation of resources as well as all decisions and activities that fall within an operational farm unit that result in agriculture production. The Farming System division works closely with commodity Specialist Research Teams (CSRTs) in other sections as well as with field services and in whole, ensures social-economic suitability of technologies generated for adoption by the CSRTs for small holder farmers.

 Plant Protection Division deals with the development and adaptation of appropriate pre and post-harvest technologies aimed at prevention and/or minimizing crop losses due to pests, conserving nutritional value and prolonging shelf-life of food crops, provision of pest and disease diagnostics

SECTIONS

PLANT PATHOLOGY

The mandate of the team is to generate and adapt disease management technologies and provide disease identification and advisory service to the farming community and other stakeholders for increased crop productivity.

ENTOMOLOGY RESEARCH TEAM

The main focus of the team is on Cereals, bio-control, root and tuber, and weeds

FOOD STORAGE AND CONSERVATION

The mandate is to generate and adapt appropriate technologies which facilitate reduction of post-harvest losses and enhancing broad utilization of food crops

 

 

THE SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT DIVISION

Soils and Water management, which deals with development, adaptation and promotion of appropriate soil and water management options that are aimed at improving and sustaining crop production and provision of soil advisory services to farmers.

SECTIONS

  • Soil chemistry
  • SOIL MICROBIOLOGY

The mandate of the team is to exploit plant-microbe interactions to improve soil health, plant nutrition and boost crop productivity in Regions I & II of Zambia.

Objective

  • Exploit indigenous & exotic soil biota, isolate, characterize and multiply beneficial soil microorganisms.
  • Response trials, efficacy testing, plant responses, nutrient cycling and monitoring.
  • Develop inoculation and agronomic techniques to support crop production.
  • Bio-fertilizer production and advisory services.
  • Soil survey
  • The unit facilitates the transfer of soils information, especially on soil fertility conditions from one place to another, and
  • contribute to the knowledge, understanding and proper use of our land resources.
  • SOIL PHYSICS
  • The Section is responsible for taking inventory of the soil resources of Zambia and their physical properties. Soil Physics is a branch of Soil Science dealing with the physical properties of the soil, as well as the measurement and prediction of physical processes taking place in the soil. The practice of soil physics aims at the proper management of the soil by means of irrigation, drainage, soil & water conservation, tillage, aeration and regulation of soil heat, and the use of soil material for engineering purposes. It is involved in research activities aimed at developing soil management techniques that enhance soil and water conservation, improve soil productivity by manipulating the physical properties of the soil and provide sound advice to irrigation related problems

Services offered include:

  • Infiltration Tests:  to determine the infiltration rates of soils which are important in irrigation. This information is used in designing of irrigation systems as it helps to determine the application rates and selection of type of irrigation equipments. It can also be used in monitoring degradation.
  • Design of Irrigation Systems & evaluation of Irrigation Efficiency: irrigation design for overhead and surface systems. An irrigation system should be efficient in its water application to increase uniform application and minimize water losses.
  • Soil Texture Analysis: is fundamental to agricultural land development. This will affect the decisions about what type of development can be done on a given piece of land such as what kind of irrigation system is suitable, how frequent to irrigate and the kind of crop to be grown. Soil texture also affects the water holding capacity of the soil.
  • Bulk Density: Bulk densities are generally used as indicators of field conditions. High bulk densities indicate soil structure deterioration and as such high traction power is required to plough such and vice versa
  • Soil Moisture Monitoring: Application of water at the right time and in right quantities is very critical in irrigated farming.
  • Irrigation scheduling thus becomes important to achieve maximum yields for the utilised resources. It is done using the neutron probe and Diviner 2000.
  • Water Holding Capacity: affects the frequency of irrigation. It also understand the moisture release of different soils.
  • Aggregate Stability: used to determine the stability of the soil aggregates as they are subjected to different soil manipulating processes, both natural and artificial such as tillage, wind and water erosion and rain-drop impact. It is used to monitor physical soil degradation.
  • Herbage chemistry

Improving soil fertility management through Integrated Soil Fertility management

Services: soil, plant, water chemistry analyses.

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