Need for Institutionalizing DNA Fingerprinting for Variety Identification of Crops Stressed

March 19/2021(ENA)  International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has proposed the institutionalizing of DNA fingerprinting for variety identification of crops.

DNA fingerprinting carried out by using chemical testing showed that the genetic makeup of  crops undertaken by CIMMYT from 2014 to 2018/19 provide reliable data than previously applied farmers recall survey.

Findings of studies on maize and wheat were discussed today at the half-day policy workshop on DNA fingerprinting for variety identification in Ethiopia.

According to the findings, durum wheat coverage in Ethiopia has, for instance, fallen to less than 10 percent from 80 percent in the 1980s.

During the workshop, a researcher at CIMMYT Kindie Tesfaye said the macaroni and pasta factories will be endangered unless major work is done to popularize the durum wheat and make the farmers use it.

The accuracy of adoption using farmers recall survey is unreliable. However DNA fingerprinting is accurate and has paramount contribution towards setting policy implications, he added.

Furthermore, the researcher emphasized that “hereafter decision will not be made based on farmers recall survey as they are not reliable. We are suggesting that DNA fingerprinting has to be institutionalized under the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR).”

Agricultural Transformation Agency CEO, Mandefro Nigussie said on his part that farmers in Ethiopia usually fail to obtain benefits from the appropriate crop varieties for lack of  knowledge to identify the characteristics of the crops.

Thus, he noted that “DNA fingerprinting gives reliable data and can really transform the way of collecting, analyzing data as well as using it for policy and decision making.”

Ethiopia has the biotechnology laboratory and the necessary workforce. So “what is needed is providing the reagent so that the researchers can do the sequencing.”

The CEO underscored that applying DNA fingerprinting will enable the country to make evidence based decision-making which in turn results in transforming the agricultural sector.