Perceptions on Liking and Disliking Public Agricultural Research Institutes in Uganda: A Case of Abi, Bulindi, Ngetta, Mbarara and Mukono ZARDIs

The development of an agro-industrial complex under present-day conditions is impossible to imagine without the development of agro-biotechnology, which in turn requires specialists with profound knowledge of biology, chemistry and related sciences. In this regard, training of personnel is needed to ensure active implementation of modern technologies in agricultural sciences. Until recently, such specialists have not been trained at classical universities, to which St. Petersburg State University belongs. To deal with this challenge, a Masters Program «Molecular Biology and Agrobiotechnology of Plants» has been developed and is being implemented in SPbSU. Teaching staff from eight departments of the Biological Faculty of SPbSU is involved in the creation and implementation of the Program. The Program in question is focused on familiarizing students with the modern problems, achievements, methodology of agro-biotechnology of plants, as well as on practical application of the obtained knowledge. Special attention is paid to the formation of trainees’ perceptions of the possibility and necessity of bringing plant breeding to the level of requirements and possibilities of the «post-genome era» to achieve high productivity and sustainability of agricultural production with minimal environmental risks. The Program seamlessly integrates practical exercises and students’ research work in the SPbSU facilities, as well as that performed at St. Petersburg research institutes. Much attention is paid to the development of students’ skills in conducting scientific discussions and in presenting their scientific data in different formats, for instance in English, which is very important for monitoring current scientific trends and integrating own research into world science. The Program is popular with students and many of its graduates have been employed by the leading biological and agricultural research institutes.

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How Strategic Human Resource Planning Influence Performance of Agricultural Research Institutes in Kenya

Journal of Management and Sustainability ◽

10.5539/jms.v9n1p48 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 48

Author(s):

Yusuf W. Musi ◽

E. Mukulu ◽

M. Oloko

Keyword(s):

Human Resource ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Research Performance ◽

Resource Planning ◽

Strategic Human Resource Management ◽

Test Reliability ◽

Primary Data ◽

Human Resource Planning ◽

Research Institutes ◽

Research Organisations

Strategic planning is a tool that determines the destiny of an individual, institution or organization. Globally, competition defines strategies encompassed by institutions due to industrial economy that had been experienced to pass toward knowledge resource. Efficiency is achieved by successful utilization of resources. Organisations seek a more competitive edge at all costs and turn to more innovations in information technology. Effective measures provide decision makers with feedback on the effect of deliberate actions and influence critical decisions such as resources allocations, as well as appropriate action as may be necessary. This study was carried out in Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) to determine how strategic human resource influence the performance of agricultural research organisations. It was anchored on the theory of transformational leadership theory. Information on whether research organisations apply strategic human resource planning in management was scarce. This was partly due to the little attention that was drawn on quality of services offered and feedback. Although there had been previous international studies in this field, no similar work had been conducted in agricultural-based research organisations in Kenya. This study therefore sought to establish whether strategic human resource planning could influence performance in agricultural research organizations. Survey research design was used. The study comprised of four agricultural research institutes. The Institutes had a total of 2922 employees in 2016. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect primary data. A pilot test was conducted on 10% of the total respondents to test reliability and validity. Reliability of the instrument was determined by use of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The Pearson’s product moment correlation was used to establish test for linearity using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, (SPSS 2018), while Analysis of Variance was used to test hypothesis. Results showed that strategic human resource management contributes to increased agricultural research performance in KALRO institutes. It is recommended that the findings of this study be embraced by other agricultural research institutions in Kenya.

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Technical Change and Agricultural Productivity

African Economic Development ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198832331.003.0009 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 219-238

Author(s):

Christopher Cramer ◽

John Sender ◽

Arkebe Oqubay

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Green Revolution ◽

Environmental Crisis ◽

High Yield ◽

African Countries ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Agricultural Research And Development ◽

Public Agricultural Research

The evidence does not support gloomy generalizations about an irreversible African environmental crisis or pessimistic arguments that barriers to adopting Green Revolution technologies are insuperable. Although evidence on agricultural technology in Africa is often unreliable, food output and grain yields do appear to have risen strongly in some African economies.. Huge variations in crop yields, including within similar agro-ecological zones, suggest massive potential for policies to promote a rapid increase in yields. Agricultural research and development (R&D) within African countries—and production on many large-scale farms—has shown that dramatically higher yields are possible. Crop yield improvements—with the aid of suitable high-yield varieties (HYVs), public agricultural research spending, and especially investment in irrigation—are possible without draconian resettlement schemes, without wasteful extension service spending, and without recourse to micro-finance schemes. The methods underpinning commonly produced estimates of yields are unreliable, calling into question conventional wisdom that small farms are more efficient than larger farms.

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