Mufulira research Station

1.            INTRODUCTION

Mutanda Agricultural Research Station is located in the new Kalumbila District, 37 km due south-west of Solwezi town and along the Mutanda-Chavuma road in North Western Province of Zambia. The research station serves as an important institution for strategic research that targets the high rainfall region of Zambia, particularly the North Western Province.

• The Station sits on 324 hectares of arable land in Mumena chiefdom.

• Approximately 100 hectares is cleared land which accommodates infrastructure and experimental fields.

• Depending on resource availability, about 10-20 hectares is under cultivation for experiments, technology demonstrations, germplasm maintenance and seed multiplication during the rainy season.

2.            HISTORY

• Mutanda Research Station is one of the ten research stations in the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) of the Ministry of Agriculture. ZARI was formerly called the Soils and Crops Research Branch (SCRB) in the department of Research and specialist services (RSS) in the old ministerial structure.

• The establishment of the station was facilitated with the funding from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) during the first phase of the North Western Province Area Development Project (NWP-ADP).

• Originally, research activities for the region were conducted in Mwinilunga.

• Research activities at Mutanda commenced in 1986

3.            VISION

To be the centre of excellence in providing scientific leadership in generating and transferring improved and appropriate technologies through partnerships with stakeholders and beneficiaries.

4.            MISSION STATEMENT

To contribute to the welfare of the Zambian people through the provision of technologies and knowledge that enhance household food security and equitable income-generating opportunities for the farming community and agricultural enterprises while ensuring the maintenance of the natural resource base.

1. EXISTING PROGRAMMES

The station comprises four major technical divisions and support services as follows.

·      Soil and Water Management Division

The programmes under this division are:

• Soil testing laboratory

• Soil fertility research

• Agroforestry promotion.

• Soil and land capability assessments (in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture)

·      Crop Improvement and Agronomy Division

The programmes under this division are

• Root and Tuber research (cassava, sweet potato, yams and Irish potatoes)

• Food Legumes research (groundnuts and beans)

·      Farming Systems and Social Sciences Division

The major programmes are

• Socio-economic research

• Nutrition

• Agronomic Demonstrations and Outreach

·      Plant Protection and Quarantine Division

This mainly comprises

• Entomology (insect pest and weed management)

• Pathology (surveillance of crop diseases)

·      Basic Seed Provision

The station has great potential in the area of provision of high quality basic seed of improved crop varieties. These include

• Cassava cuttings and sweet potato vines

• Groundnut and bean basic seed.

• Agroforestry seed and seedlings.

·      Seed Certification and Control Institute (SCCI)

The station also hosts the Seed Certification and Control Institute, a sister department which offers the following services:

• Seed sellers’ registration and licensing

• Premises and field inspections

• Seed analysis laboratory

• National variety release trials

Mufulira Research Station

P.O. Box 110312

MUFULIRA