Funded Projects

Existing KT Funded Research Projects:

The following research projects are either fully or partially funded by the Kirkhouse Trust. The Trust focuses its funding to projects on legumes in third world countries, particularly Africa and South Asia.

African Bean Consortium (ABC), East Africa:

The Kirkhouse Trust's objective is the development of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties through marker assisted breeding. The Trust supports plant breeders in East Africa to develop a marker assisted participatory breeding programme coordinated by Prof. Paul Gepts, University of California Davis.

Integration of Marker-Assisted Selection into African Breeding Programs of Common Bean:

P.I. Prof. Paul Gepts:
Project Start Date:01/08/2008
Project End Date: 31/07/2011
The 1x sequence of the gene space of the common bean genome is underway and should be obtained by October 2009. The UC Davis bioinformatics team are developing a database of bean markers. The University of Virginia (UVA) will collaborate with UC Davis by providing identifying markers shared between common bean and cowpea. Prof. Mike Timko is the lead scientist at UVA collaborating with the ABC programme.
The objectives of this project are to:

Use of marker-assisted selection (MAS) to improve selection efficiency in breeding resistance to major diseases of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Tanzania:

P.I. Dr Susan Nchimbi-Msolla
Project Start Date: 01/09/2008
Project End Date: 31/08/2011
Sokoine University of Agriculture refurbished a laboratory to house the KT supplied molecular biology and pathology equipment needed for the project. 1 PhD student and 2 MSc students have been recruited to the project. The crossing programme has begun.
The objectives of this project are to:

Application of gamete selection and molecular MAS in common bean varieties with improved multiple resistance to major diseases in Uganda:

P.I. Annet Namayanja
Project Start Date: 01/12/2008
Project End Date: 30/11/2011
NaCRRI has acquired parental germplasm with known resistances to the 5 pathogens and have begun documenting the agronomic traits of these parents. The crossing programme to pyramid the resistance traits into the desirable market varieties has begun. NaCRRI has recruited an MSc student who will begin coursework this year. KT has supplied the project with a molecular biology kit and provided funds for the construction of a screen house which will soon be underway. A pathology laboratory kit will shortly be dispatched. NaCRRI will soon begin the validation of available markers.
The objectives of this project are to:

Strengthening Capacity for Marker Assisted Breeding for Common Bean in Kenya:

P.I. Prof. Paul Kimani
Project Start Date: 01/02/2009
Project End Date: 31/01//2012
A PhD student and 2 MSc students have been recruited to this project. The crossing programme is ongoing. KT has supplied the project with a molecular biology and pathology laboratory kit.
The objectives of this project are to:

The third annual meeting of the African Bean Consortium, Kampala, Uganda:

Meeting Chairs Dr Robin Buruchara and Prof. Paul Gepts
The third meeting of the ABC took place in Kampala on the 17th and 18th March 2009. The meeting was attended by those PIs, students and technical staff who are supported by the KT and by a breeder, recently contacted, from Ethiopia, who may join the programme.

West African Cowpea Consortium (WACC) Research Projects:

In 2005 the Kirkhouse Trust decided to fund research on cowpea in West Africa. In 2006 a contract was signed to fund the research of the Cowpea Genomics Initiative at the University of Virginia. The West African Cowpea Consortium was formed when the first West African projects began in 2006.
The main objective of the Consortium project is to develop improved cowpea varieties for West Africa, using marker-assisted selection (MAS). Sub-objectives are to:

The WACC aim is to deliver cowpea varieties with a specific beneficial trait(s), manifested on farmers' fields as improved productivity under conditions which otherwise lead to loss in cowpea grain and/or fodder.

The Cowpea Genomics Initiative, University of Virginia:

P.I. Professor Mike Timko:
Integrated Genespace Sequencing, Comparative Genomics, and Molecular Marker Development for Cowpea Improvement in Africa.

University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria:

P.I. Lucky Omoigui:
Project Start Date: 01/01/2010
Project End Date: 31/12/2012
Genetic improvement of cowpea for Striga resistance using molecular tools in Nigeria aims to:

INERA, Ouagdougou, Burkina Faso:

P.I. Dr Jeremy Ouegdraogo:
Project Start Date: 01/04/2006
Project End Date: 31/03/2009 (extention to 2012 agreed)
Molecular breeding for Striga, Aphid and Brown Blotch resistance of cowpea in Burkina Faso aims to:

IRAD, Cameroon:

P.I. Dr Sobda Gonne:
Project Start Date: 01/01/2006
Project End Date: 31/12/2011 (project granted two year extension)
Strengthening National Capacity for the Development of DNA Markers and the Application of Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) in Cowpea Breeding for West and Central African sub-region aims to:

IER, Bamako, Mali:

P.I. Dr Mamadou Touré:
Project Start Date: 01/04/2009
Project End Date: 31/03/2012
Development of Improved Cowpea Varieties Resistant to Striga and Adapted to the Sahelian Zone:

ISRA, Togo:

P.I. Dr Béré Tchabana:
Project Start Date: 01/04/2009
Project End Date: 31/03/2012
Screening of accessions of cowpea resistance to Striga gesnerioides in Togo aims to:

ITRA, Senegal:

P.I.'s Dr Ndiaga Cissé and Dr Moctar Wade:
Project Start Date: 01/07/2009
Project End Date: 30/06/2009
National Capacity for the Development of DNA Markers and the Application of Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) in Cowpea Breeding for Senegal aims to:

University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India (UAS, B):

The KT Funded Lab - P.I. Dr A. Mohan Rao:
Project Start Date: 27/02/2002
Project End Date: 28/02/2010 (renewed yearly)
The Kirkhouse Trust set up and continues to fund a laboratory dedicated to plant molecular biology research at UAS, B. The facility is used by postgraduate students as well as by staff employed in projects funded by the Trust. Support for the laboratory is renewed on a yearly basis. Its overarching aim is to train postgraduate students in the application of molecular work and biotechnology in crop improvement. Students awarded research funding from the Trust gain priority access. The laboratory has also been used for a number of Trust-supported training courses in marker assisted selection and genetic transformation.

Dolichos (Lablab purpureus) - P.I. Dr M. Byre Gowda:
Project Start Date: 01/03/2006
Project End Date: 01/01/2014
The Trust continues to support a dolichos (Lablab purpureus) breeding programme focused on the development of determinate, photoperiod insensitive types, pioneered by the recent release of the variety "HA4". The release of a further two new lines is imminent. The Trust has recently approved a five year extension to continue the improvement of these genetic materials. In support of this activity, a seed storage facility has been constructed, and recent approval has also been given for the installation of a greenhouse. Associated with the breeding programme, the Trust has supported a PhD research programme aiming to develop a genetic map of dolichos (Lablab purpureus).

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) - P.I. Dr A. Mohan Rao:
Project Start Date: 01/03/2006
Project End Date: 01/12/2012
The initial project set out to expose the genetics of resistance to anthracnose in chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). This fruit rot disease represents an important yield and quality constraint in Southern India, and natural resistance is rare. A major aim of this project was to develop molecular markers which could be exploited for the breeding of disease resistant varieties. Two sources of resistance; one present in a related species, and the other in a Thai landrace, have been identified. The work has been facilitated by a collaboration with the AVRDC in Taiwan (The World Vegetable Center), and has largely been carried out by a PhD student funded by the Trust. The project will likely be extended into a second phase soon.

Horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.) - P.I. Dr K. P. Viswanatha:
Project Start Date: 01/07/2006
Project End Date: 27/02/2010
This project focused on the improvement of the orphan legume species horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.) (referred to as the "poor man's pulse"). Its specific aim was to generate molecular markers for resistance to yellow mosaic virus. A combination of bulk segregant analysis with AFLP genotyping has recently allowed major progress towards this aim. The Trust has recently approved a one year extension, taking the project through until February 2010.

Moth Bean (Phaseolus acontifolia Jacq) - P.I. Dr S. Gangaprasad:
Project Start Date: 20/09/2007
Project End Date: 19/09/2010
Moth bean (Phaseolus acontifolia Jacq) is a rather under-utilised pulse crop, associated with an exceptional level of tolerance of infertile and / or drought-prone soils. The project set out to collect landrace material, evaluate it for key agronomic traits and assess its level of genetic diversity using molecular markers. The rationale of these studies was to identify promising parental combinations for the initiation of a breeding programme, which would apply marker technology, where possible, to improve its efficiency.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India (SMVIT):

Velvet Bean (mucuna spp.) - P.I. Dr N. Sathyanarayana:
Project Start Date: 25/02/2009
Project End Date: 25/05/2010
The Trust has recently approved a pilot research project at SMVIT. It aims to validate a spectrophotometric method of assessing the content of the naturally occurring non-standard amino acid 'L-Dopa' in the seed of velvet bean (mucuna spp.). Velvet bean (mucuna spp.) is a productive plant, but the presence of L-Dopa in its seed is a barrier to its exploitation as a food crop. If successful, the intention is to then apply the method to estimate the degree of genetic variability for L-Dopa content among accessions of velvet bean (mucuna spp.), and if relevant, to understand the genetic basis of such variation. This information will facilitate a rational decision as to whether to invest in the initiation of a breeding programme aimed at generating varieties of velvet bean (mucuna spp.) suitable for the human food chain.




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