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Proposed
Activities
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Development
of joint proposals between Private-Public sectors.
Joint activities will have greater impact if initiated before
variety release
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The
use of germplasm from the network to enhance certain traits into
already adapted and locally developed materials.
The traits of interest would be disease resitance and QPM.
This germplasm will be sourced from CIMMYT or any other source. This
will increase ownership and seed companies will be more willing to
take up new varieties.
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Backstopping:
e.g. Incorporate resistance in another country where facilities
exist
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Target
finished products and market these products in the region
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Ownership
of materials that can be exchanged within and between countries,
shared expertise, infrastructure.
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Marketing
can be adopted on a wider scale within the region
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Source
funding as a network
Short
Term Activities
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Evaluation
(common) of trials.
The common trials will target finished products, semi-finished
products, such as hybrids, OPVS released or pre-released varieties.
Common trials will be done across the six countries
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On-farm
trials across the six countries.
The trials will be for hybrids, OPVs (released/pre-released
(Mother/Baby trials).
Seed companies will be involved at this stage.
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Development
of stress tolerant quality protein maize (QPM) germplasm (pools-both
biotic and abiotic).
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Development
of narrow based synthetics which can be used to extract lines or as
variety.
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Determine
heterotic groupings of existing lines which are of good
GCA and SCA
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Assessing
the marker assisted selection technology already in
place in the region
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Screening
for other traits using marker assisted selection (streak virus, TLB,
GLS, Stem borers etc.) especially when conversion of superior
materials
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Access
and utilize germplasm from the other networks.
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The
collection of germplasm and improvement of germplasm with specific
traits and maintained in collections reserved by maize breeders within
the region. The specific
traits may be disease resistance; Downy Mildew, TLB, Ear Rots, MSV,
GLS. This germplasm can also be exchanged
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Administrative
Process of how Network
will function. The
network will require a secretariat, Information on other networks,
consolidation of Information that can be shared and agreements may
need to be made
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A
functional homegrown network for breeders that cuts across Eastern and
Central and Southern Africa
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Independent
Network that has a breeders database
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The
network will help us cultivate IPR issues and therefore ownership
(Innovations/Inventions)
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Information
dissemination mechanism
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Linkages
within and between Networks
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Funding:
Issues that cut across such as incidences of pests and diseases,
stress management, common trials, Variety dissemination, seminars and
workshops
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