Tusiime
Contents
Tusiime Geoffrey: Personal Background
Geoffrey Tusiime obtained a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture and a Masters from Makerere University. He carried out research both in Uganda and at the Horticultural Research International, UK that led to his PhD. in Plant Pathology. During this time, he carried out research on Solanum potato and common beans. Dr. Tusiime Geoffrey is currently employed as a lecturer of Plant Pathology in the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Makerere University Makerere University, Uganda, where he has taught plant pathology since 2000. Prior to joining Makerere University, he worked as a potato and cassava pathologist for the Uganda sites of the International Potato Centre and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Research Interests
His research interest is in mainly developing disease management packages for major through developing epidemiological information on major fungal and bacterial diseases and also understanding the pathogen variability. His research work employs both conventional and molecular technology. He has worked with among others diseases of cassava, potato, beans and banana. In his research career, he has among others been involved in research cutting across crops and pathogens, including:
- Molecular characterization of soil borne fungal pathogens associated with the root rot disease of common beans in Uganda, where techniques such as amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFPL) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDS), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were applied,
- Characterization of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum in Uganda with an aim of developing sustainable resistance to the disease in market class varieties in Uganda,
- 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 and other aspects of seed pathology in a wide range of field crops,
- Studying the epidemiology of Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum in Uganda and development molecular markers for its daignosis,
- Establishing the potential of using fluorescentPseudomonas fluorescence strains in the biological control of fungal and bacterial diseases of coffee and beans, respectively in Uganda.Details of Specific Projects.
Current Research Projects
- Use of molecular markers to introgress resistance to bean common mosaic necrosis virus and bean anthracnose in the popular varieties in Uganda and Rwanda, and
- Developing management packages for snap bean rust in central Uganda.
- In collaboration with breeders, Dr. Tusiime is involved in developing soybean varieties resistant to soybean rust (Phakospora pachyrizi), and multiplying seed for rust resitant varieties.
Other Responsibilities
Dr. Tusiime supervises a number of MSc. List of MSc. Thesis Titles Supervised or under supervision and PhD candidates and is currently coordinator of Postgraduate studies in the Department of Crop Science.
Contact
Dr. Tusiime can be contacted at the following address: Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala Uganda. e-mail: gtusiime@agric.mak.ac.ug
