Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute

William Titus Suvi holds a PhD in Plant Breeding from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and both a Master's degree in Crop Science with a specialization in crop improvement and a Bachelor's degree in General Agriculture from Sokoine University of Agriculture. As a Senior Agricultural Research Officer at the Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI) Dakawa, Suvi specializes in plant breeding and crop science, particularly in population development, genetic and morphological characterization, breeding for virus resistance in rice, yield evaluations, and the maintenance of germplasm and breeder seed. Since 2022, he has served as the Centre Research Coordinator (CRI) at TARI Dakawa, focusing on improving rice crops. Suvi also mentors young scientists and students from various colleges. Previously, he coordinated the National Rice Research Program and has been involved in projects such as demonstrating improved cotton production technologies for small-scale growers in Eastern Cotton Growing Areas and breeding rice for resistance to rice yellow mottle virus. He has attended numerous workshops, conferences, and short courses across Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and the USA. His extensive research has been widely published, including the following highlights:

**Publication Highlights:**

1. Sitta B.J., et al. (2024). Genotype and genotype x environment interaction effects on the rice grain yield performance in different agro-ecologies in Tanzania. *Journal of Plant Breeding and Crop Science*, 16(2), pp. 36-45.

2. Suvi, W.T., et al. (2021). Variation among Tanzania rice germplasm collections based on agronomic traits and resistance to rice yellow mottle virus. *Agronomy*, 11, 391. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020391.

3. Suvi, W.T., et al. (2021). Determining the Combining Ability and Gene Action for Rice Yellow Mottle Virus Disease Resistance and Agronomic Traits in Rice (Oryza sativa L.). *Agronomy*, 11, 12. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010.

4. Suvi, W.T., et al. (2020). Farmers’ perceptions, production constraints and variety preferences of rice in Tanzania. *Journal of Crop Improvement*, 1-18. doi:10.1080/15427528.2020.1795771.

5. Suvi, W.T., et al. (2019). Assessment of the genetic diversity and population structure of rice genotypes using SSR markers. *Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B- Soil & Plant Science*, 70: 76–86. doi: 10.1080/09064710.2019.1670859.

6. Suvi, W.T., et al. (2018). Breeding rice for rice yellow mottle virus resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review. *Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil & Plant Science*, 69(2):1-8. doi: 10.1080/09064710.2018.1523454.