CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Maize Improvement Project
The project aims are to develop and produce maize varieties, which are drought tolerant and resistant to pests through the use of molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS). Superior quality inbred drought tolerant lines have been developed. Currently several hybrids have been developed and are undergoing multi-locational tests around the country.

Mushroom Project
The project aims at the development, production and selling of high quality oyster, button and chanterelle mushroom spawn. In addition to spawn production, BRI also grows and sells quality oyster mushroom as a commercial activity.

Indigenous Crops Initiatives
The project aims are to carry out research and develop products from under-utilized indigenous crops. Zimbabwe is endowed with a range of indigenous cereal, tuber, vegetable and legume crops and other plants that are adapted to the region. The potential in this crop diversity may be used to reduce the vulnerability of people at risk to food shortages and poor nutrition through the production, processing and marketing of under-utilized nutritious indigenous crop products, whilst improving the food security situation in Zimbabwe and the region. This project seeks to identify indigenous crop and plant resources that can be converted into high value nutritious food products for local and regional marketing.

Herbs
The project aims at growing and propagating herbs organically, and to process herbs into medicinal and culinary products.

Original Herbs Garden at SIRDC

Hatchery
Project aims at developing an incubation system for producing the indigenous breeds with desired traits such as increased size, early maturity, unique flavour of the indigenous road-runner, and low mortality rate.