UNIMA to support development of improved cotton variety

As one of the leading institutions of higher education in Malawi, the University of Malawi is known for outstanding facilities, which include well-equipped science laboratories. Additionally, the institution boasts highly qualified, experienced and innovative staff who are able to manage expansive research projects within the country and beyond. It is in this regard that, on April, 13th, the University of Malawi’s School of Natural and Applied Sciences in collaboration with National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) held a significant meeting to discuss a new project called Open Forum for Agriculture and Biotechnology which will be implemented with the University’s assistance. The discussion, was led by the Dean of Science, Professor Cosmo Ngongondo. Also present were Dr Dalitso Kafumbata (Senior lecturer in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), Dr Catherine Chaweza (Chief Information Officer of NCST), as well as journalists from Zodiak Radio and Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).

During the meeting, the Dean of Science appreciated the NCST for recognising the University of Malawi as a part of the project. He further stated that the School of Natural and Applied Sciences offers excellent science research skills related to fields including genetics and molecular sciences, chemistry and clinical psychology. The School further possesses unique equipment and laboratories that no any other institution in the country has, making it superior to others.

In the discussion, the Chief Officer from NCST, Dr Catherine Chaweza mentioned that the Open Forum for Agriculture was launched in 2022. “We are raising awareness for Biotechnology by interviewing farmers who have grown cotton, as well as interviewing Bio-scientists to elaborate more on the new variety of cotton and how it can improve the economy and the lives of farmers through increased profits,” she said.

Dr Dalitso Kafumbata, a bio-scientist at UNIMA, clarified that the University of Malawi had been working on biotechnology and biodiversity even before the cotton trials began. The School of Natural and Applied Sciences has been providing diverse training opportunities in science-relation fields.

“Based on the results of the few trials we have conducted so far on the modified cotton, the outcomes have been interesting. The idea behind modified cotton is to enable the plant to defend itself from bollworms. The trials of the modified cotton aim to reduce the need for excessive spraying with pesticides. The trials of the modified cotton variety have shown that the plant is able to defend itself against bollworms by becoming toxic to them when they feed on the cotton, ultimately leading to their death,” Dr. Kafumbata said. He added that this will reduce workload for farmers as they will be required to spray fewer times, resulting in lower costs compared to what they used to spend, and they can also expect better cotton harvest.

In the past, UNIMA has participated in various research projects targeting improved yields and disease resistance in different varieties of food and cash crops. These include past projects such as the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA) Project and the Malawi Farmer to Farmer Agroecology Project (MAFFA).