Details of Specific Projects.

Some research projects where Dr. G. Tusiime has taken lead.

Marker assisted breeding for bean anthracnose resistance in Uganda (2005-2008): This project has been jointly done with the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARO) and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The major objective of the project was to evaluate the usefulness and applicability of molecular markers linked to bean anthracnose resistance in introgression of resistance into marker class common bean varieties in Uganda. The other objective was to study the level of diversity within the Ugandan population of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. The project was funded by RUFORUM.

Molecular characterization of soil borne fungal pathogens (2000-2004): Especially Fusarium solani, one of the causal agents of the bean root rot disease. Molecular techniques like amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFPL) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDS), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were applied in this research. In this research techniques of designing molecular diagnostic tools for soil borne fungal pathogens were acquired. The project was funded by the Department of for International Development (DFID) of UK and jointly implemented by NARO and CIAT.

Epidemiology and management of potato diseases (Nov 1998–Jan 2002): Integrated approaches to the management of late blight (Phytophthora infestans) and bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) of potato (Solanum tuberosum). On farm production of clean potato seed was also studied and farmers trained.

Epidemiology of cassava mosaic disease and molecular characterization of cassava mosaic viruses (Nov. 1998 – Jan 2002. 1998). This was done at IITA under Dr. James Legg. Its basis was understanding the population of the viruses associated with the cassava mosaic viruses that was responsible for the severe cassava mosaic disease epidemic in Uganda.

Adaptability of potatoes in lowland tropical environments (1994-1997): A number of potato lines were screened for their adaptability to the warm lowland environments. Other aspects of this study included the role of alternate hosts and latent tuber borne bacterial wilt inoculum on disease occurrence on potato.

Evaluation of finger millet germplasm (1993-1994): This was a collaborative research with the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT). This aimed at evaluating germplasm and document those suitable for use in millet improvement research in East Africa.