Introductions
The Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (IQQO) aims to adopt, generate, and transfer agricultural technologies to boost agricultural production and productivity, thereby maintaining food security and reducing poverty. The Agricultural Biotechnology Research Directorate and Biotechnology Research Laboratory of IQQO were established in 2024 to advance and support conventional Agricultural Research involving Plants, Livestock, and Microbes. In 2017, the Adami Tullu Agricultural Research center established a Plant Tissue Culture laboratory to multiply and distribute banana seedlings through tissue culture technology to enhance food security and reduce import reliance.
Biotechnology is a rapidly emerging field often called the "technology of hope" due to its potential applications in food security, health, industrial uses, and environmental sustainability. Modern biotechnological tools can address agricultural challenges and ensure food and nutrition security in Oromia. Recognizing the importance of this field, Agricultural Biotechnology, which includes scientific techniques such as Genetic Engineering, Molecular Breeding, and Tissue Culture, was officially established as the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Directorate at IQQO as a new directorate aiming to enhance the productivity and marketability of crops, livestock, and microorganisms. As a result, innovative agricultural biotechnology is expected to play a significant role in developing crops that can withstand extreme weather conditions such as drought, frost, and heat stress caused by climate change, as well as animals and microbes that are highly important for humans. Furthermore, advanced biotechnology is being utilized to create improved crop varieties that require fewer inputs, such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides, while being more resilient to climate change. An Agricultural Biotechnology Research Directorate and its Associated Laboratories (at IQQO and ATARC) have been established to support these efforts. By utilizing biotechnological tools, teams under this directorate will focus on addressing longstanding agricultural challenges essential for unlocking the sector's full potential.
Mandate Area
The Agricultural Biotechnology Research Directorate and associated laboratories are committed to improving food security and addressing agricultural challenges through innovative biotechnology to improve crop yields, resilience, and sustainability in Oromia.
Goal
- To contribute significantly to improved food security and enhanced livelihoods in Oromia.
- To address agricultural challenges through cutting-edge biotechnology innovations.
Research Focus Area
The Agricultural Biotechnology Research Directorate at IQQO was established under three dedicated research focus teams:-
- Plant Biotechnology Research Team
- Animal Biotechnology Research Team
- Microbial Biotechnology Research Team
Therefore, every research team was formed with at least four or more research focus components, each with skilled researchers who conduct relevant cutting-edge biotechnology activities. The teams and the focus areas for agricultural biotechnology are described below.
Plant Biotechnology Team
This research group will focus entirely on four key research areas to enhance and solve plant-related challenges. These areas are vital for future research using biotechnological tools to feed the growing population.
- Conventional Genetics and Molecular Plant Breeding
- Molecular Plant Pathology (Plant Health)
- Plant Cell and Tissue Culture (Tissue Culture and Micropropagations)
- Genetic engineering and genome editing
Animal Biotechnology Team
This research group will focus on six key priority areas to enhance the allocation and workflow of the Animal Biotechnology team, which are vital for future research.
- Animal genetics and breeding
- Reproductive biotechnology
- Animal feeds and nutrition
- Animal Health
- Apiculture
- Fish and aquaculture
Microbial Biotechnology Research Team
Research and innovation activities in soil-microbial biotechnology and mechanisms for bridging research and industry interfaces are provided to improve these developments. The identified microbial biotechnology programmatic area focuses on growth promotion using improved microorganisms with nitrogen fixation, transformation, and phosphorus solubilisation to increase agricultural productivity. Therefore, this research group will focus on four key priority areas to enhance the allocation and workflow of the microbial biotechnology team, which are crucial for future research initiatives.
- Microbial Food Biotechnology
- Biofertilizers
- Bio pesticides
- Bioremediations
