Crop Improvement

We have published denovo genome of Solanum aethiopicum in conjunction with the African Orphan Crops Consortium. The data will be added in the global genomics and later used in molecular breeding programs. S. aethiopicum is an important vegetable widely cultivated and utilized in most African countries. We also assembling the transcriptome of S. aethiopicum in order to understand different functional pathways utilized by the plant during various processes. Other research interests include improving S. aethiopicum production efficiency for small holder farmers targeting drought stress and disease resistance. The latter work is in collaboration with the World Vegetable Center, National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and World Agroforestry Center and funded by BBSRC/GCRE, UK. Beyond that, we are developing S. aethiopicum varieties so far we have submitted some lines for variety registration and release in Uganda. Other areas of research interest include drought tolerance and post-harvest loss management.