Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
IN the rapidly evolving agriculture landscape where technology and innovation are shaping and redefining the future of the sector, the fusion of research and cutting-edge artificial insemination stands as an imperative and Lupane State University (LSU) is swimming in that tide effortlessly.
An LSU graduate’s free range chicken artificial insemination (AI) project could just be one of the world class projects which was deservedly awarded the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Award for the most innovative and promising research at the university’s 14th graduation ceremony on Friday.
Undertaken by 25-year old Jessica Pullen who graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Breeding and Biotechnology, the research evaluated the efficacy of using artificial insemination reproductive technique to improve production and productivity in chickens.
Presenting Pullen to President Mnangagwa for conferment of her degree, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Dr Mlamuleli Mhlanga said Pullen studied the possibility of using different diluents on free-range chicken semen and the efficacy of natural mating versus artificial insemination in free range chickens targeting use of the technology by smallholder farmers.
“The project showed how smallholder farmers can use artificial insemination to increase chances of fertility in poultry production thereby significantly improving income of the communities. Her research showed that artificial insemination in poultry and cost- effective semen extenders have the potential to sustainably improve the profitability, food and nutritional security of smallholder farmers,” said Dr Mhlanga.
In an interview with Sunday News on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony, Pullen said what inspired her dissertation was that LSU was a community based institution, as such all efforts in research, innovation and technology must first benefit the rural communities.
“My project targeted the Lupane community especially women. Three quarters of the women are into farming especially domestic chicken farming on subsistence scale. So what we are doing as an institution is to bring the technologies that we are learning which is part of the education 5.0 that emphasises on industrialisation and modernisation. So, we are bringing biotechnology into the reproductive system of indigenous chickens which are road runners, necked necks and so forth. These chickens have a slow growth rate and their genetics are depleting over time. So what biotechnology does is to improve the genetics of these chickens.
We are not talking about genetically modified, but we are optimising their genetics through employing artificial insemination to these chickens which will benefit the community as a whole,” said Ms Pullen.
She said as a new graduate armed with a strong foundation in animal breeding, she plans to establish collaborations with other stakeholders in the breeding industry through establishing a livestock breeding consultancy business that offers breeding services, and also develops and markets innovative breeding technologies and practices.
“Already that company is under way. We are still carrying out the logistics with my fellow supervisors. This consultancy business will focus mostly on genetics consulting, animal breeding to enhance breeding programmes in Zimbabwe as well as to improve the selection strategies and optimise livestock production as a whole. This is because livestock breeding plays a pivotal role in conserving and preserving our indigenous genetic resources as a country.
“So far I have managed to carry out a couple of outreach programmes to help develop commercial partnerships through networking to ensure sustainability of these technologies.
Most of the time we develop technologies, introduce them to the society and it is never followed up. When it is not followed up, it dissolves and we go back to square one and bring in other new technologies,” said Pullen.
She said her main goal was to reduce poverty by increasing food security in Zimbabwe’s livestock sector saying the easiest way was to start by infiltrating the free range chicken industry.
“I have worked with goat rearing and pig production but now I had focused on free range chickens for small holder farmers. I have been teaching them how best they can adopt bio-technological innovations such as artificial insemination. This being said, one of my long term goal is to open a state-of the art, bio-banking facility that allows us as a nation to restore the genetic resources. This will modify, conserve, preserve and improve the genetic resources of Zimbabwe’s livestock. This in turn can enhance the value of our livestock and contribute towards getting Zimbabwe integrated in the global food chain. The mantra is doing that in one community at a time,” said Ms Pullen.
She said as for her academic career, she has set sight on studying towards a PhD and further specialise in animal breeding and biotechnology, a dream that can come to pass once she gets a scholarship. — @nyeve14
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