Browsing by Author "Ekobu, Moses"

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    Developing Lowland Rice Germplasm with Resistance to Multiple Biotic Stresses through Anther Culture in Uganda
    (The Korean Society of International Agriculture, 2015) Lamo, Jimmy; Gyoung-rae, Cho; Ininda, Jane; Kofi Ayirebi, Dartey Paul; Ekebu, James; Ekobu, Moses; Alibu, Simon; Okanya, Stephen; Oloka, Bonny; Otim, Michael; Asea, Godfrey; Kyung-Ho, Kang
    The lowland rice genotypes grown in Uganda were introduced in the 1970s. These genotypes (now landraces) are threatened by multiple biotic stresses namely; Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV) disease, Bacterial Leaf Streak(BLS). Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB), and Rice Blast (BL). There are currently no rice lines with multiple resistance to these stresses although attempts have been made to develop them through hybridization involving cultivated, local and introduced lines and four varieties with tolerance to RYMV have been released. The use of potential resistance donor such as the traditional African cultivated rice, Oryza glaberrima, could be an alternative approach to furnish multiple resistance to the cultivated rice. The rice germplasm developed from a cross of an Oryza glaberrima from Niger Delta and Milyang23, a high-yielding Korean rice variety were evaluated for multiple resistance in Uganda as a Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI)-Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) joint cooperative project, “Enhancement of High Yielding Rice Germplasm in African Countries through Anther Culture Breeding”. Milyang23 was back crossed 4 times with Oryza. glaberrima and fixed through anther culture in Korea. An evaluation of 50 lines generated showed that up to 98%, 92%, 88% and 88% of the test plants showed resistance to the RYMV, BLS, BLB and BL diseases, respectively. There was no symptoms of the four diseases in 74% of the genotypes tested. The plants that showed symptoms of the three diseases had scores of not more than 3 on a 1 to 9 scale. This preliminary finding demonstrates that these generations of rice lines could help solving the current problem of susceptibility to multiple diseases.
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    Farmer’s Knowledge and Perceptions on Rice Insect Pests and Their Management in Uganda
    (Agriculture, 2016) Alibu, Simon; Otim, Michael H.; Okello, Stella E. A.; Lamo, Jimmy; Ekobu, Moses; Asea, Godfrey
    Rice is a new crop in Uganda, but has quickly grown in importance. Between 2000 and 2010, total area under rice cultivation in the country grew by 94% from 140,000 ha. Changes in the agro ecosystem due to expansion in rice area may have altered the pest status of rice insect pests. However, far too little attention has been paid to assessing the prevalence and importance of rice insect-pests in Uganda. In this study, we interviewed 240 lowland-rice farming households from eight districts within the north, east and central regions of Uganda about their perceived insect-pest problems and control measures employed, if any. A semi-structured questionnaire was used. The farmers ranked rice insect pests as the most important biotic constraint in rice production, with stem borers and the African rice gall midge (AfRGM) perceived to be the 1st and 2nd most detrimental insect pests, respectively. In spite of this, only 36% of the respondents could positively identify symptoms of AfRGM damage on rice plants, while 64% were familiar with stem borer damage. Over 60% of interviewed farmers expressed confidence in the effectiveness of insecticides for controlling rice insect pests. Cultural control measures were not popular among the farmers.