17 April 2015 Best postharvest practices demonstrated in Thailand avrdc.org VINESA graduates call upon Maasai men in their communities to eat more vegetables Page 18 Page 11 Door opens to Myanmar With solid support from the highest levels of government and new projects soon to start, AVRDC is ready to extend its expertise to a nation emerging from isolation (left): Myanmar women hand-harvesting black gram. (right, l to r): AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge, Deputy Director General Research Jackie Hughes, and Myanmar Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation His Excellency U Myint Hlaing in the shade of a bottle gourd arbor. For decades, Myanmar has been cut off from much of the world, and travel there has been difficult. AVRDC’s germplasm could get in, but not its senior management. Then, from 16-20 March 2015, AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge, Deputy Director General Research Jackie Hughes, Regional Director for South Asia Warwick Easdown and Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia Fen Beed were finally able to visit Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar’s new capital, to explore opportunities for new projects and staff placements in the country. Despite their isolation, Myanmar scientists have (...continued on page 2) 2 (...continued from page 1) produced eight new tomato varieties and hybrids based on AVRDC germplasm. However, their greatest success has been with mungbean, which is now a major cash crop. Myanmar is one of the world’s largest exporters of the legume, but this success is threatened by the spread of Mungbean yellow mosaic virus. AVRDC will soon start a five-year project to improve mungbean breeding and seed production in Myanmar, Bangladesh and India with funding from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The AVRDC team spent a morning in detailed discussions with the Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation, His Excellency U Myint Hlaing, after visiting a government demonstration vegetable farm. “There is a new window for collaboration especially at the technical level,” the minister said. He emphasized Myanmar’s abundant natural resources, the importance of expanding vegetable production, and the government’s strong commitment to encouraging private sector investment. He was extremely supportive of AVRDC’s involvement in strengthening the vegetable sector, and later put this in writing with the endorsement of the Vice President. The visit also received national TV coverage. “We could not have asked for a more (...continued on page 3) (Clockwise from top left): AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge and Deputy DG for Research Jackie Hughes viewing vegetable displays in DAR genebank with Dr. Ye Tint Tun, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Research. AVRDC team and Myanmar hosts from the Department of Agricultural Research. Dyno Keatinge and Jackie Hughes discussing MYMV trials with DAR Mungbean Breeder Dr. Kyaw Swar Win. AVRDC Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia Fen Beed, Regional Director for South Asia Warwick Easdown, and mungbean seed growers in Yamethin District, north of Nay Pyi Taw. 3 (...continued from page 2) (l): Water boys at model vegetable farm. (r): Dr Thant Lwin Oo, Director of the Food Legumes Crop Section, explaining symptoms of MYMV in black gram. positive start to our relationship with Myanmar,” said Dyno Keatinge. “Our hosts could not have been more helpful.” While the ACIAR mungbean project will lay the foundation, Dyno said, “we are also seeking additional projects and are committed to having a permanent AVRDC staff presence in Myanmar in the very near future.” Hosted by Dr. Tun Shwe, Head of the Food Legumes Crop Section, and Director Thant Lwin Oo, the AVRDC team visited black gram and melon farmers around Nay Pyi Taw. They also travelled north to Yamethin district in the central dry zone of Myanmar to visit mungbean seed production fields run by the Department of Agricultural Research. Dr. Shwe emphasized the importance of mungbean as a cash crop for farmers, “particularly in this year, as many rice crops have failed due to drought, and farmers have changed their cropping pattern.” Myanmar vegetable production is severely constrained by a lack of skilled government horticulturalists, with only 24 scientific staff to service the needs of the whole country. The new Director General of the Department of Agricultural Research, Dr. Ye Tint Tun, strongly endorsed the growing relationship between AVRDC and Myanmar, and opportunities for both capacity building of his staff as well as technical collaboration. A GLOBAL SYSTEM for SYSTEMS RESEARCH: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) hosted the global systems research and development community at the International Conference on Integrated Systems Research for Sustainable Intensification in Smallholder Agriculture, 9-13 March 2015 in Ibadan, Nigeria. Social and agricultural scientists participating in the conference stressed the importance of agricultural research to be done with a holistic systems perspective, and for better links between research on improvements in specific commodities and natural resources management. Participants advocated for strong partnerships and stakeholder involvement through mechanisms such as Innovation Platforms, which are viewed as essential ingredients for enabling the scaling out of systems approaches to benefit millions of farmers. The conference was organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics (Humidtropics, in which AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center participates), in partnership with the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) and the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems (Drylands). http://humidtropics.cgiar.org/international-conference-integrated-systems/ 4 CORNUCOPIA Chilies go for the burn A new study has found that capsaicin (the compound that makes chili peppers spicy) might help prevent obesity by stimulating thermogenesis and energy burning. Author Baskaran Thyagarajan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutics and Neuroscience at the University of Wyoming (USA) School of Pharmacy, decided to research the benefits of chili pepper extract based on existing research that ties spicy foods to an increased metabolism. When lab mice ate pure capsaicincontaining foods, they were protected from high fat dietinduced obesity, Thyagarajan says. The capsaicin compound turned fat -storers into fat-burners—and has the same effect on humans. “In our body, white adipocytes store energy as fat and brown adipocytes expend energy by burning fat. We have discovered a novel mechanism by which capsaicin-stimulated cellular signaling triggers the conversion of white to brown adipocytes,” thus burning energy that would otherwise be stored as fat, Thyagarajan explains. “This is associated with an increased metabolism and energy expenditure.” preventing and treating metabolic diseases like obesity, hypertension, type II diabetes, etc.,” said Thyagarajan. While the study helps shed new light on the benefits of spicy food, the researchers also see it as the first step toward developing an antiobesity drug. “Capsaicin is an ingredient from natural chili peppers and is easily amenable for development as a new drug for New book from an old friend AVRDC alumnus David Midmore, Foundation Professor of Plant Sciences, Central Queensland University, Australia and Visiting Professor, University of Reading, UK, recently published Principles of Tropical Horticulture, a book that leads the reader through a background of environmental influences and plant physiology to an understanding of production and postharvest systems, environmental adaptation techniques and marketing strategies. Focusing on the principles behind production practices and their scientific basis, rather than detailed biological traits of each crop, this text outlines successes and failures in practices to date and sets out how the quantity and quality of horticultural produce can improve in the future. Case studies are frequently used and chapters cover the production of vegetables, fruit and ornamental crops, including temperate zone crops adapted to grow in the tropics. David was the Center’s Crop Physiologist and Director Production Systems Program from August 1990 to August 1995. To order a copy: http://www.cabi.org/bookshop/ book/9781845935153 5 CORNUCOPIA The Center in the news Seed Quest, the global portal for the seed industry, highlighted a story from Fresh, “Tanzania holds first course on plant breeders’ rights” on 30 January 2015 http://www.seedquest.com/news.php? type=news&id_article=58596&id_region=11&id_category=&id_crop= Reporter Rachel Cernansky interviewed Postharvest Specialist Ngoni Nenguwo for a report on combating food waste in sub-Saharan Africa, published on the Mongabay website: http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0409-sri-rcernansky-food-wastesubsaharan-africa.html and the Epoch Times website: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1318414-combating-wasting-foodresources-in-africa/ Resource Magazine published an essay by Director General Dyno Keatinge and Head of Communications Maureen Mecozzi titled “Feed the World in 2015…and Nourish it, too” in a special March/April 2015 issue: http://bt.e-ditionsbyfry.com/ publication/?i=247419 Legume breeder Ram Nair reported on AVRDC’s effort to disseminate improved vegetable soybean in India in the February 2015 issue of Sustainable Soy News. Farewell Joko Mariyono, who served as Project Site Coordinator for the USAID Vegetables for Indonesia project for nearly four years, bid farewell to his AVRDC colleagues on 28 February 2015. Joko helped to establish field trials in East Java and Bali, conducted farmer training in grafting and nursery management, and co-authored several papers on the research. He plans to disseminate vegetable-related technologies to the broader community through other projects, and through publications in conference proceedings and journals. He is also lecturing at universities to share his experiences. All the best, Joko! CORNUCOPIA 6 Seminars On 24 March 2015, Marie Antoinette Patalagsa, Consultant, AVRDC Impact Evaluation, presented her findings from a survey on gender and home gardens in Bangladesh. Socially constructed gender roles strongly influence household food consumption. Most home garden programs that aim to increase household vegetable consumption typically target women, but few studies have analyzed how these programs affect gender roles. Results indicate the home garden training raised women’s social stature in their communities, gave them control over the food consumed by the household, and provided a small but significant source of cash income. When converted to nutrient yields, the garden supply of plant proteins was higher by 271%, vitamin A by 289%, and iron by 272%. Family diets were diversified, as money previously spent to purchase vegetables could be used to buy fish or meat. The research is being used to refine AVRDC’s home garden training approaches. The status of vegetable production in Cambodia was the topic when Sereyrith Ly, Horticulturalist of the CHAIN (Cambodian Horticulture Advancing Income and Nutrition) project, spoke to AVRDC staff on 13 March 2015. Agriculture employs about 70% of Cambodia’s population, yet the country imports about 70% of its daily vegetable requirement from neighbors Vietnam and Thailand. Most farmers save their own seed. Pesticide misuse is common among large-scale farmers. CHAIN aims to improve the income and food security of smallholder households in targeted rural areas by building capacity of farmers and processors to sustainably increase production; strengthen farmers’ and processors’ groups for improved services and market access; and facilitate delivery of services from the public and private sectors. CHAIN is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Saima Rani Bakhodir Kuziyev On 13 April 2015, Saima Rani, Scientific Officer, Social Science Research Institute, Pakistan, and Bakhodir Kuziyev, Site Coordinator, Uzbekistan discussed plans for a baseline study on mungbean to be conducted with 300 households in each country for the “Beans with Benefits” project. Part of the survey will examine the role of men and women in crop production systems, and explore how the introduction of improved mungbean varieties as a catch crop may change these roles. Learning alliances among NGOs, public institutions and private seed companies will be established to disseminate and scale-up the research results. Saima and Bakhodir spent two weeks at AVRDC headquarters to meet colleagues and plan the survey schedule. Field surveys are expected to begin in December 2015. CORNUCOPIA 7 Visitors (l): Familiar faces returned to the Center on 17 March 2015, when a delegation from the University of Idaho USA stopped by headquarters for a visit. Drs. Robert Tripepi (Horticulture) and Matt Powell (Fish Genetics) annually bring groups of plant science and agricultural economics students to Taiwan for exchanges with National Chiayi University (NCYU) and other institutions organized by Yo-chi Tsai of NCYU’s Office of International Affairs. Bob, Matt, Yo-chi, U of I Nutritionist Dr. Samantha Ramsay and five students received a briefing from Maureen Mecozzi, Head of Communications, and enjoyed a lively tour of the Demonstration Garden with Yi-Chin Wu. (r): A group of 40 visitors from Tainan Airport, Civil Aviation Authority/Ministry of Transportation toured the AVRDC campus on 18 March 2015 to learn about the center’s research activities and facilities. A delegation from Ilocos Norte Province, the Philippines, visited the Center on 20 March 2015 to discuss areas for potential collaboration. Governor Maria Imelda Romualdez Marcos; Provincial Board Members Da Vinci Manuel Crisostomo and James Paul Nalupta; Agriculturalist Edwin Carlito Carino; Tourism Officer Ianree Raquel; and Mark Moh Chye Chua, Governor Marcos’ spouse, met with members of the AVRDC management team and Board Secretary Didit Ledesma. The visitors were briefed on AVRDC’s activities in the Philippines and around the world, then toured the Demonstration Garden and Genebank. Nathaniel Williams, Permanent Secretary, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Commerce and Information Technology; Raymond Ryan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation; and Bernadette Ambrose-Black, Chief Executive Officer of Invest St. Vincent were introduced to the Center’s global initiatives on 19 March 2015 in discussions with Yin-fu Chang, AVRDC Deputy Director General Administration & Services, HR Director Nagaraj Inukonda, and Finance Director Dirk Overweg. C.H. Lin, Deputy Chief of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the group. 8 CORNUCOPIA AARNET Expert Consultation on climate change vegetable value chains in the region. Ensuring safe and nutritious food is available, accessible and affordable year-round is one of the most pressing concerns facing the ASEAN region. Risks are exacerbated by both gradual and drastic changes in climate change. A report from the Asian Development Bank (2009) warned that Southeast Asian countries were particularly vulnerable to losses in food security due to observed and predicted climate changes combined with rapidly growing populations. The AVRDC- ASEAN Regional Network for Vegetable Research and Development (AARNET) tackled some of these prominent issues at an expert Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, AVRDC Deputy Director General - Research. consultation on “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Vegetables in Southeast Asia” on 26 March 2015 at Pakse City, Champasak Provice, Lao PDR. This consultation followed the 10th AARNET Steering Committee meeting, which was held on 24-25 March. More than 30 delegates were welcomed by Bounthong Bouhom, Director General of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, who expressed his appreciation to AARNET for selecting Lao PDR as the venue to discuss the critical climatic challenges threatening sustainable Bounthong Bouhom, Director General, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR. Viengxai Siphaphone, Director, Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office, Champasak Province, Lao PDR. Fenton Beed, AVRDC Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia, set the scene by highlighting the structure and objectives of the workshop: to share and develop practical strategies to address climate change related issues. Background presentations included a keynote address “On minimizing climatic change in vegetable production” from Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, AVRDC’s Deputy Director General for Research, who emphasized the need for efficient utilization of resources such as land, water, nutrients and genetic resources to ensure more productive and resilient vegetable production. Grisana Linwattana, Senior Agriculture Scientist of Horticulture Research Institute of the Department of Agriculture, Thailand presented “Lessons learned by Thailand in research and development for vegetable based Bouasone Vongsonglone, Deputy Governor, Champasak Province, Lao PDR Fenton Beed, Regional Director, AVRDC East and Southeast Asia (...continued on page 9) CORNUCOPIA (...continued from page 8) AARNET members from 10 countries discussed their respective policy frameworks for vegetable research, reviewed and prioritized strategies to combat climate change, and visited vegetable production field locations in the host country, Lao PDR. A critical issue each country must face is the need to conserve and harness vegetable genetic resources. Future AVRDC training courses for AARNET will address management of vegetable germplasm. mitigation and adaptation to climate change.” Andreas Ebert, AVRDC Genebank Manager; Narinder Dhillon, global cucurbit breeder; and Sopana Yule, Entomologist and Biological Control Specialist, presented AVRDC research findings on how germplasm, breeding and production practices, respectively, can be used to mitigate and adapt to climate change. AARNET members from 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) shared their respective countries’ policy frameworks, research and development programs and strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change and their relevance to vegetable value chains. Working groups were then established to prioritize risks and opportunities to mitigate and adapt to gradual and drastic climate changes. Following plenary presentations and questions and answer sessions, the AARNET Steering Committee group then identified common challenges and approaches pertinent to all ASEAN countries. After an animated discussion and voting process, capacity building on how to harness the diversity of vegetable genetic resources was identified as the collective critical priority. This training will encapsulate germplasm collection, characterization, conservation, and screening for resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, as well as the sharing of standard protocols for wider use and adoption by ASEAN countries. Viengxai Siphaphone, Director of the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office, Champasak province, officially closed the meeting. “This has been a truly unique meeting as the quality of information provided was illuminating and the participatory discussions frank and productive,” he said. “It was a privilege for Lao PDR to host this AARNET meeting, and I welcome all participants to return.” 9 10 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS Songkran celebration in Kamphaeng Saen (l): AVRDC East and Southeast Asia and Kasetsart University Tropical Vegetable Research Center staff pay tribute to monks during the official Songkran celebration. (r): AVRDC East and Southeast Asia Regional Director Fenton Beed and TVRC Director Sirikul Wasee. Kasetsart University's Tropical Vegetable Research Center (TVRC) (Horticulture Department, Kamphaeng Saen campus, Thailand) invited AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center staff to their official Songkran celebration to welcome the New Year and to bless future collaborations between TVRC and AVRDC for the forthcoming year. At the Seed Processing Building, everyone joined in the traditional Buddhist rituals of offering prayers, listening to monks praying, and serving food to the monks. After a delicious Thai lunch, all poured fragrant water over statues of Buddha and the hands of elders to show respect. “It was an honor to participate in this poignant ceremony with Dr. Sirikul Wasee (Director of TVRC) and her team,” said Fenton “Fen” Beed, Regional Director, AVRDC East and Southeast Asia, who was experiencing his first Songkran. “It was a very emotional event for many, and wonderful to see AVRDC staffers Sunant Larplai and Porntip Ratanpong at the forefront of the dancing.” Then the sanuk (fun) part of observing Songkran began: devotees and visitors alike doused each other with water from bowls, hoses, bottles, cups and any other suitable implement at hand. Cameras were excluded for their own safety. As Fen discovered, Songkran is a celebration to refresh the body as well as the spirit: “What was random was if the water was warm or full of ice!” he said. (left): Songkran in flower: Beautiful blooming trees line the roads at Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen campus. (right): Staff share their wishes for a Happy New Year with elders and colleagues. 11 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS Learning to reduce postharvest losses in Nepal Postharvest losses in Nepal reduce the total vegetable supply in the country by 15-40%. Poor harvesting practices, and lack of knowledge and technologies in sorting, grading, packing, cooling and storage reduce incomes for smallholder farmers and food for consumers. The AVRDC Postharvest Asia Team recently organized a customized training workshop in Thailand for 15 specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture Development, Nepal working for the High Value Agriculture Project in Hill and Mountain Areas (HVAP). The workshop was funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The ‘Training cum Exposure on Postharvest Management of Vegetables and Market Linkage’ was held in collaboration with the Postharvest Technology Center at Kasetsart University (KU), Thailand, from 16-21 February 2015. Topics covered included the role of value chain actors; packaging; interactions between consumers, traders and producers; maintaining produce quality through contract farming; and the role of the private sector for quality assurance and Participants enjoyed a visit to Chachawan Orchid Farm in Thailand. market management of agricultural products. Participants were also trained on precooling, sorting and grading with marketing groups; ecofriendly and healthy production; packing systems; postharvest loss reduction; and ways to increase shelf life of vegetables. Fenton Beed, AVRDC’s Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia, and Sirikul Wasee, Director, Tropical Vegetable Research Centre of KU, opened the workshop. Shri Gautam, Narinder Dhillon, Jun Acedo and Yoonpyo Hong of AVRDC gave presentations on the importance of a value chain approach to agricultural development; the need to use clean (l): AVRDC Postharvest Specialist Yoonpyo Hong (in red shirt) explains the benefits of plastic packaging. (r): Participants tour the Horticulture Nursery at Kasetsart University, KPS. and adapted seed varieties; and handling and processing technologies, respectively. Critical postharvest steps were detailed by Apita Bunsiri of the Postharvest Technology Center of Kasetsart University and Songsin Photonachai of King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi. An overview of food safety and trade was provided by Anil Anal of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). On-site demonstrations and training in good agricultural practices (GAP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP) included visits to pack houses, central consolidation centers, and many wholesale and retail markets. After their exposure to GAP and GMP in practice, participants identified several areas for additional training. Tara Kumar Shrestha, group leader and Joint Secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Agricultural Development, and Mina Kandel, Agricultural Economist, thanked the organizers for sharing their knowledge and experience. NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 12 Where did all the tomatoes go? (l): Group presentation in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (r): Presenting the survey findings. Cambodia faces a major deficit in vegetable supplies, but about a quarter of the tomatoes its farmers produce never reach consumers. The situation in Nepal is no better. Postharvest losses are real and must be cut: This was the combined conclusion of a series of stakeholders’ workshops held in Cambodia in Battambang and Siem Reap provinces on 24-26 February 2015 and in Nepal in Kapilvastu and Banke Districts from 3-5 March. Led by Shri Gautam, AVRDC Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, with assistance from Postharvest Specialists Jun Acedo and Yoonpyo Hong, the workshops validated the findings of national value chain surveys, identified suitable interventions, introduced appropriate postharvest technologies and fostered cooperation among value chain actors. Farmers, processors, traders, input suppliers, technical officers, administrators and policymakers from the Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture Research Center, Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB-Nepal) and the International Development Enterprise (IDE-Nepal) took part in the workshops. Postharvest losses vary by crop, location and value chain actors. In Cambodia, 26% of the total production of tomatoes and 23% of leaf mustard are lost. In addition, about 12% of tomatoes and 18% of leaf mustard had reduced prices due to quality loss after harvest. Tomato farmers, wholesalers and retailers incurred higher losses than collectors or commission agents, while leaf mustard farmers had higher loss than collectors, wholesalers and retailers. In Nepal, 25% of tomatoes and 19% of cauliflower are lost, but farmers incurred lower losses than collectors, wholesalers and retailers. In both countries, farmers’ largest postharvest losses were from preharvest disease and insect pest damage. Losses of collectors, wholesalers and retailers were related mainly to poor transportation and storage. Losses along the chain were partly passed on to farmers, as farmgate prices are half the retail price.1 Cambodia, Nepal and Bangladesh are the focus of AVRDC’s Postharvest Project in Asia funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Participants agreed that to reduce losses, improved high yielding varieties with good quality, resistance to handling hazards, and long shelf life were needed, along with better packaging, transport and storage techniques. “Most of the participants have had scant exposure to postharvest technologies,” said Shri. “The capacity building programs initiated by these workshops are sorely needed.” NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 13 AVRDC at Agri Expo in Pakistan The USAID Agriculture Innovation Program booth at the Dawn Sarsabz Pakistan Agri Expo 2015 attracted plenty of interest from attendees. AVRDC staff were on hand to answer questions, explain program activities, and discuss the Center’s work. Pakistan’s largest agricultural exposition, Dawn Sarsabz Pakistan Agri Expo 2015, attracted visitors from around the region to the Expo Centre in Lahore on 19-20 March 2015. All business sectors directly or indirectly involved with agriculture participated in the event, which presented a rare opportunity to assess the potential of Pakistan’s agricultural market and enabled participants to develop partnerships with the key players driving the sector forward. Pakistan is in search of cuttingedge technology and the latest methodologies that will enable it to become one of the leading agricultural economies of South Asia. Exhibitors presented agricultural equipment, agroprocessing methods and packaging, irrigation systems and more. At a booth for the USAID Agricultural Innovation Program, AVRDC –The World Vegetable Center and project partner the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) showcased technologies such as drip irrigation and improved varieties. A working model of a drip installation was on display, which attracted considerable attention from visitors. The AVRDC team distributed flyers, booklets and copies of Fresh. Numerous officials, farmers and sector specialists visited the booth and showed interest in AVRDC’s work. The exhibition opened doors to potential partnerships and created greater awareness of the Center in Pakistan. Demonstrating the drip irrigation system to a reporter. 14 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS Net houses cross the border Department of Vegetable Crops, and AVRDC Regional Director Warwick Easdown recently spent five days visiting Pakistan farmers to assess protected cultivation practices and the opportunities for transferring Indian experience to Pakistan. (l to r): AVRDC Vegetable Program Leader Mansab Ali, Extensionist from Punjab Agricultural University Rakesh Sharda and Head of PAU’s Department of Vegetable Crops Major Dhaliwal with a cucumber and pepper farmer near Sheikhupura. There is a huge opportunity to expand protected cultivation of vegetables in South Asia to improve supplies to consumers and returns to farmers. A new cross-border collaborative project involving Indian and Pakistan scientists will expand AVRDC’s current work to improve plastic tunnel production of vegetables in Pakistan and will introduce new ways of growing vegetables under cover. Just across the border in India, vegetables are available for a longer season than in Pakistan because of the use of polynet houses, which allow for year-round production of crops such as tomato, cucumber, and capsicum. Rakesh Sharda, Extensionist from Punjab Agricultural University, Major Dhaliwal, Head of the university’s They were guided by USAID Agricultural Innovation Program Team Leader Mansab Ali, Horticulturalist Asrar Sarwar, Agricultural Engineer Arif Shahzad and AVRDC research associates working directly with farmers to improve their practices. A key part of the AIP project in Pakistan is the promotion of improved protected cultivation practices. While Pakistan produces tomato, cucumber and peppers under low and high tunnels to protect crops during the three months of winter, the use of polynet houses is unknown. The team found ample opportunities to work with Pakistan farmers to improve existing plastic tunnel practices. Steel framing instead of bamboo, and stronger plastic can help withstand weather damage. Better fertigation can improve the efficiency of fertilizer use practices, and the introduction of better varieties can improve yields. AVRDC research associates including Anam Fatima are currently working with plastic tunnel farmers to trial new varieties and to introduce trickle irrigation practices. The project will build polynet houses and providing extensive training on pest and disease management. Farmers on both sides of the border are realizing the benefits of new forms of protected cultivation to increase farmer incomes as well as the availability of high quality vegetables to consumers over longer seasons. AVRDC has worked with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in India for more than six years to develop and promote improved and low cost polynet houses. Indian farmers that adopted this technology are now progressing to larger, more sophisticated structures. AVRDC field trials near Faisalbad. 15 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS African nightshade impresses farmers in Burkina Faso Amy, a woman involved in an evaluation trial of AVRDC traditional African vegetable varieties at the Center’s Best Practice Hub in Gampéla, Burkina Faso, wondered what African nightshade (Solanum spp.) plants would look like when they grew to full size, and was particularly curious about the taste and texture of this unfamiliar vegetable. She agreed to try growing African nightshade, but was uncertain about its yield potential. She thought she might experience economic losses while her friends cultivating other wellknown crops such as amaranth would gain more. Two months after planting African nightshade, Amy was the picture of confidence, teasing everyone at the hub as she watched her plots turn greener and greener every day. Amy expected that she would harvest the fruit from her lush, thriving plants; when she learned it was the leaves that are eaten, not the fruit, disappointment set in. At the first harvest on 3 January 2015, she took large bundles of nightshade leaves home to share with friends. But none of her friends wanted to try cooking the leafy greens; they were unsure how to prepare the vegetable and feared a failure in the kitchen. Then she met a friend who looked into her basket and exclaimed with surprise: “Loudo! Where did you get it?” (loudo is the local name for African nightshade). Amy’s disappointment turned into joy and anticipation: Although African nightshade is not popular in Burkina Faso, particularly in the Gampéla area where global vegetable species like tomato and green beans are predominant, the strong interest of her friend indicated there could be a market for the crop. Amy’s friend showed her how to cook the leaves into a tasty African nightshade sauce, and Amy returned the favor by giving her friend five large bunches of African nightshade. “My friend said: ‘Now, listen to me: when you cook it, don’t use too much or too little peanut, neither too much nor too little salt; don’t eat the sauce while it is hot, for, you will miss the full flavor. Serve it warm, not cool, and then find a hidden corner to avoid being disturbed. In any case, do not react to greetings from visitors: You will know what African nightshade is all about!’” Amy said. She told the story to her fellow farmers at the Best Practice Hub, making them laugh to tears. Now, when Amy harvests her African nightshade plot at the hub, women come from nearby villages to purchase the leaves and learn how to cook the special sauce. Amy from Gampéla, Burkina Faso, harvests African nightshade leaves for her neighbors interested in trying the crop. 16 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS Traditional African vegetables project steering in the right direction (left) Traditional African Vegetables Project Steering Committee members with scientists from AVRDC’s Cameroon Liaison office. (right) Field visit. The Steering Committee of the Traditional African Vegetables project funded by the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon on 10 February 2015. All members of the committee were present, along with scientists from AVRDC’s Cameroon Liaison office. The committee meets twice a year to oversee and provide guidance to implementing partners and ensure that the regional relevance of the project is maintained. The committee discussed publishing various reports; training the project team to set up an Innovation Platform; collecting traditional African vegetable germplasm (the issue of where to keep the seed was raised, as CORAF does not have a gene bank). The project exit strategy also was discussed, as the project has one year remaining; it is thus important to plan for renewal or to find other sources to extend project activities. CORAF Program Manager Dr. Ndoye said the CORAF thematic area on Food, Nutrition and Health could be explored to extend the lifetime of the project. Prior to the meeting, the committee members visited two fields in Ebolowa in the South region: the demonstration field of the Center for Assistance to Sustainable Development (CASD) and a field of a beneficiary. Members were impressed by the project’s work in the area. They held discussions with 11 stakeholders (4 females and 7 males), during which the farmers revealed that the main challenge they face is the variation in prices for traditional African vegetables due to lack of farmer cooperatives. The committee noted there is a need to intensify farmers’ education on the importance of forming cooperatives, as well as helping them come together to speak with one voice. Dr. Ndoye said the traditional African vegetables project is one of the best he is supervising, and encouraged partner institutions to keep up the good work. 17 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS Seed multiplication of traditional African vegetables AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center organized a seed multiplication training session from 23-24 March 2015 at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nkolbisson to ensure vegetable producers are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to save quality seed for future planting. The training falls under the project “Enhancing Productivity, Competitiveness and Marketing of Traditional African Vegetables (TAV) for Improved Income and Nutrition in West and Central Africa” commissioned by West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD). It was attended by 37 participants (23 men, 14 women) from the Southwest and South regions of Cameroon. The beneficiaries of the training were nominated by Cameroon-based project partners Institut de Recherche Agricole pour le Développement (IRAD) and the Center for Assistance to Sustainable Development (CASD). Farmers’ access to quality seed is fundamental to the development of traditional African vegetable production. The workshop trained participants on the recommended methods and techniques of producing quality seeds; exposed participants to the processes of seed quality certification; and demonstrated how traditional African vegetable seed production can be a profitable business. A SWOT (strengths-weaknessesopportunities-threats) analysis for community-based seed production pointed to the availability of improved seed from AVRDC, engaged trained producers, and land as strengths, while good local and regional market availability was the best opportunity. But seed policy certification was identified as a threat; poor producers’ organization and lack of storage facilities are the weaknesses. At the end of the training, participants were well-equipped with up-to-date knowledge and enhanced skills to produce and market quality seed of traditional African vegetables to increase their productivity and incomes, and provide a steady supply of nutritious vegetables to local markets. NEWS FROM THE REGIONS 18 Young farmers spark behavior changes in their communities (left): A young graduate receives her certificate from Arumeru’s District Commissioner, Ms Hasna Mwilima. (right): Farmers, community leaders, and business representatives from Arumeru District, Tanzania gathered at the Horticultural Research and Training Institute (HORTI-Tengeru) to celebrate the graduation of the second group of VINESA farmers. On 26 March 2015, farmers, institutions and communities in Arumeru District, Tanzania gathered at the Horticultural Research and Training Institute (HORTI) Tengeru to celebrate the graduation of the second group of farmers and mark the admission of the third group of trainees for the project “Improving Income and Nutrition in Eastern and Southern Africa by Enhancing Vegetable-based Farming and Food Systems in Peri-urban Corridors” (VINESA). The project is funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). AVRDC –The World Vegetable Center coordinates VINESA activities in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, and HORTI-Tengeru spearheads VINESA’s activities in Tanzania. Besides honoring the hard work of the second group and introducing the third group to what lies ahead, the ceremony provided a platform to lobby for technical, business and financial support for the graduates, to help them engage in high value vegetable markets. Representatives from government, private, non-government and farmer organizations attended the event, which was officiated by Hasna Mwilima, Arumeru’s District Commissioner, who also presented certificates to the graduates. Thomas Dubois, AVRDC Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said: “Stakeholders should seriously promote consumption of more vegetables in their communities, and thus help these young farmers have more money in their pockets.” In Tanzania, VINESA has trained a total 45 young male and female farmers and hopes to train another 75 farmers by 31 December 2017. Training covers a variety of topics, ranging from identifying viable vegetable markets; maximizing value and minimizing wastes; and selecting the right partners and relationships. After graduation, trainees are obligated to train 10-12 peer farmers from their community on how to produce, market and consume nutritious, safe and profitable vegetables. “Post-training support is a major challenge facing the young graduates,” said Agatha Aloyce, VINESA’s Tanzania coordinator. A call was sent out to service providers and communities to support the young graduates if they are to benefit from their training in VINESA’s Best Practice Hubs in a sustainable way. The young graduates performed skits, songs and dances in which they encouraged their communities to eat more vegetables for better health, and to engage in vegetable market opportunities to earn more income. Graduates and guests also were treated to mouth-watering vegetable recipes prepared by AVRDC staff. An emphasis was made on the need to prepare good-looking, tempting vegetable dishes if Maasai men are to be motivated to stop looking down upon vegetables as a “poor man’s food.” Various stakeholders promised their support to the trainees, especially by increasing access to affordable credit and land for joint vegetable farming. It is only through concerted efforts from service providers that smallholder farmers will be able to exploit opportunities to improve employment, income and livelihoods in their communities. CORNUCOPIA 19 Welcome Ndeye Bouba Mbengue, Research Intern from Montpellier SupAgro, France, arrived at AVRDC headquarters for a six-month internship from 3 April to 30 September 2015. Ndeye is on a fellowship sponsored by the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program Scholarship program (Montpellier SupAGro). She will work on insect resistance with the Tomato Breeding group at AVRDC headquarters in Taiwan under the supervision of Plant Breeder Peter Hanson and Mohamed Rakha, Postdoctoral Fellow, in collaboration with Entomologist Srinivasan Ramasamy. Annika Hoffmann, Research Intern from Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, arrived at AVRDC headquarters for a four-month internship from 16 April to 15 August 2015. Annika will conduct research on tomato late blight resistance, which is part of the GIZ-funded project “Wild Relatives to Fight Blight”. She will be supervised by Peter Hanson in collaboration with Jaw-fen Wang, Plant Pathologist and Roland Schafleitner, Head, Molecular Genetics. IT Support Engineer Felix Malisa joined AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa on 1 March 2015. He holds various certificates in information technology, and has five years of experience with a good background in network operating systems as well as hardware and software maintenance. Sophia Bongole will be joining the team at AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa as the Project Site Coordinator for the USAID-funded project “Deploying Vegetable Seed Kits to Tackle Malnutrition in Tanzania.” Sophia is an agribusiness specialist with a MBA in Agribusiness from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania. Before joining AVRDC, she worked as a part-time research assistant in various agricultural projects at the university. She has knowledge and skills in project management, agricultural value chains, agribusiness and fundamental business topics. Phathana Sengounkeo and Sengdala Mounnalath, Research Interns from the Horticulture Research Center, National Agriculture & Forestry Research Institute, Lao PDR, spent three weeks (14 March to 4 April 2015) at AVRDC headquarters to work on “Germplasm regeneration and characterization of cucumber and other cucurbit crops for use in breeding” under the supervision of Andreas Ebert, Genebank Manager, and other staff in the Genetic Resources and Seed Unit. Fresh, 17 April 2015 Fresh is published by : AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center P.O. Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan 74199 Taiwan avrdc.org Editor: Maureen Mecozzi Graphic design: Kathy Chen Photographic guidance: Amy Chen and Vanna Liu Comments, ask a question, add a name to our mailing list: [email protected] Contributors: Jun Acedo, Mansab Ali, Fenton Beed, Sheila de Lima, Warwick Easdown, Shri Gautam, Peter Hanson, Regine Kamga, Sanjeet Kumar, Nadine Kwazi, Letty Lin, John Macharia
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