Grain Amaranth Symposium organized by Iowa State University-Uganda Program and Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement.

Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI) in Uganda and Iowa State University (ISU) (Ames, IA, and Kamuli) established the nucleus of a team on breeding, utilization, and promotion of grain Amaranth. This is an important crop for addressing nutritional security in mothers and school going children in Uganda. This team-building effort received seed funding from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at ISU for bringing together experts, stakeholders, and potential funding organizations. The aim of the symposium is to strategize, identify additional partners, and find mechanisms to sustain this intended long-term effort in addressing nutritional needs of mothers and school going children by providing protein-rich source from grain Amaranth.

This symposium will take place May 1-3, 2024, both in Kamuli (May 1) and at MaRCCI (May 2, 3). Together with this invitation letter is a tentative agenda and details of progress made in Amaranth breeding initiative, utilization and promotion.

Together with brief history is a tentative program for the symposium

Tentative agenda:

A. May 1, 2024, Kamuli

1. 12 pm Arrival & Lunch
2. 1 – 5 pm Demonstrations, Tour, Facility Visit (Grain Amaranth demonstration trial, Visit of schools, Visit of farmers, Visit Nutrition-Education Center, Visit of threshing, storage, and milling facilities
3. 6 pm Dinner, Social Gathering, Over-night stay at Kamuli

B. May 2, 2024, MaRCCI

1. 8 am Breakfast
2. 9 am Departure to MaRCCI, Demonstrations, Tour, Facility Visit, Talks
3. 11 am Visit MaRCCI Overview presentation
4. 12 pm Lunch
5. 1 pm Visit nurseries and trials, including Grain Amaranth demonstration
6. 2 pm Visit Seed Science Center (seed production, quality)
7. 3 pm Visit NaCRRI, Namulonge, Horticulture Breeding Program, presentation & tour
8. 5 pm Check-in Kampala, dinner, socialization

C. May 3, 2024, Kampala

1. 8 am Breakfast
2. 9 am Presentations (Zoom access will be available)

• • Dorothy Masinde, ISU; Dorothy , Makarere, Needs for improving nutritional quality of grain amaranth

• • David Brenner, ISU, Genetic diversity of grain amaranth in germplasm collection

• • Alfred Ozimati, MaRCCI, Needs and opportunities for grain amaranth breeding in Uganda

• • Sharon, Makarere , Seed Systems needs for grain amaranth

1. 12 pm Lunch
2. 1 pm Open Discussion about developing a grain amaranth breeding and research program benefiting human nutrition, climate, and local/regional economies
3. 5 pm Departure (for late flights)

For our planning of this event, i.e., to get a good estimate of the participant number: please let Dr. Edema know by March 15, 2024, whether you will participate: (redema14@gmail.com).