Unlocking Zambia’s Agricultural Potential: Modernizing Crop Breeding for Climate Resilience and Food Security
Zambia boasts immense agricultural potential, with over 50% of its land classified as prime for agricultural production. The nation’s staple crops—maize, sorghum, millet, cassava, and groundnuts—are predominantly cultivated by smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of the agricultural sector. However, this critical sector faces mounting challenges, particularly from climate change. Rising temperatures and declining rainfall, especially in southern and western regions, threaten crop yields, with maize production particularly vulnerable.
To address these challenges, the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) is prioritizing the development of climate-resilient crop varieties. By enhancing breeding programs, ZARI aims to introduce new varieties capable of thriving under future climate conditions, resisting emerging pests and diseases, and delivering high yields to sustain Zambia’s population of 21.9 million.
Modernizing Crop Breeding for Faster, Better Results
The Zambian Ministry of Agriculture is investing heavily in crop breeding to accelerate the development of improved varieties. A key partnership with CGIAR, the world’s largest agricultural research network, is providing critical funding and technical expertise to modernize these efforts.
Traditionally, crop breeding in Zambia relied on direct observation to select parent plants for crossbreeding—a method increasingly unreliable due to climate variability and disease pressures. With support from CGIAR’s Accelerated Breeding Initiative and its Transform work package, ZARI has adopted advanced genotyping techniques. This laboratory-based process analyzes DNA sequences to identify desired genetic traits, enabling researchers to advance the most promising crops without relying solely on costly and variable field testing (phenotyping).
Building Capacity and Embracing Innovation
Capacity development is another cornerstone of ZARI’s modernization efforts. Through CGIAR, Zambian breeders are being trained in international standards, including the development of breeding manuals and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure high-quality data collection and streamlined processes.
Training in cutting-edge techniques like marker-assisted selection is enhancing breeding efficiency, while innovative approaches such as the Triadic Comparison of Technology Options (TRICOT) are engaging farmers directly. This citizen science method allows farmers to test and validate new crop varieties, ensuring they meet real-world needs.
Additionally, ZARI has digitized its operations, migrating data to a modern breeding data management platform. This upgrade supports four key units: Crop Improvement and Agronomy, Plant Protection, Farming Systems, and Agribusiness, fostering greater collaboration and efficiency.
Aligning with National Priorities and Addressing Gaps
The modernization of ZARI’s breeding programs aligns closely with Zambia’s national priorities. To develop future-ready crop varieties, ZARI has engaged stakeholders—including seed companies, farmers, and consumers—through Product Design Team (PDT) meetings. These consultations have identified critical market segments and informed the creation of Target Product Profiles (TPPs), which outline the ideal characteristics of crop varieties needed to meet market demands.
Comprehensive assessments of ZARI’s breeding programs, conducted under the Accelerated Breeding Initiative, have identified gaps and opportunities for improvement. Using tools like the University of Queensland Breeding Costing Tool, ZARI has mapped out the financial requirements for scaling up operations.
Armed with insights from PDT meetings, program assessments, and detailed improvement plans, ZARI successfully secured sub-grants from the Accelerated Breeding Initiative. These funds are being used to address gaps, enhance breeding operations, and ensure Zambia’s agricultural sector remains resilient in the face of climate change.
A Path to Sustainable Agriculture
By modernizing its crop breeding programs, Zambia is taking proactive steps to safeguard its agricultural future. Through strategic partnerships, innovative technologies, and stakeholder engagement, ZARI is developing climate-resilient crops that will not only boost food security but also empower smallholder farmers—the lifeblood of the nation’s agriculture. As climate challenges intensify, these efforts underscore Zambia’s commitment to building a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector for generations to come.
