capitalizing on capsicum203.64.245.61/web_docs/media/newsletter/2013/012_nov-15_2013.pdf · 15...
TRANSCRIPT
15 November 2013 www.avrdc.org
VINESA project aims
to build hubs for
horticultural research
in Africa
pages 12-13
Capitalizing on capsicum
(...continued on page 2)
Involving farmers in crop research and selection a new direction for the Solomon Islands
Who is the mysterious
Quiet Man with a Busy Trimmer? Turn to page 4
for the answer!
(left): Jim Saelea (l) Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Solomon Islands and two officers from the Taiwan Technical Farm attended a capsicum field day on 8 October 2013 in Honiara to evaluate and select sweet peppers. The event was organized by MAL and Pitakia Tikai, AVRDC’s Liaison Officer for an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) project.
(right): Setting out capsicum samples for a taste test.
2
(...continued from page 1)
(...continued on page 3)
Pitakia Tikai, AVRDC’s Liaison
Officer for an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
(ACIAR) project to strengthen
integrated crop management
research in the Pacific Islands, has always known that when farmers
are involved, showing is much more
effective than telling.
“If they can see a crop and examine
it up close, then farmers can be
more confident about their judgments and decisions when it is
time to plant,” he said. Together
with a team from the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock (MAL), Pitakia organized
a capsicum field day on 8 October
2013 in the Solomons’ capital, Honiara, to engage farmers in the
evaluation and selection of sweet
peppers.
“Bringing farmers together to share
their opinions and observations is a new activity in the Solomons,” he
said. In the past farmers were
simply the recipients of the seed
varieties selected by the ministry. That approach has now changed,
with farmers playing a key role in
choosing new crop varieties.
Eleven lines were evaluated—one
local variety and 10 lines from AVRDC headquarters in Taiwan.
The crop was grown over a three-
month period to ensure the plants
had sufficient time to fully develop and bear fruit.
Farmers had company during the field day: MAL officials and
representatives from businesses,
including hotels and seed
distributors, joined the assessment and exchanged their opinions and
ideas with farmers. All 33
participants (22 male and 11 female) had an opportunity to
inspect the crops, which were
monitored for growth
characteristics and resistance to pests and diseases. More than 20
kg of peppers were collected in the
first harvest of the trials, providing plenty of samples for tasting during
the field day.
To sustainably intensify high-value
crop production in the Pacific,
(left): Shane Tutua (l) from Zaitina, a private farm, and Christiana, a staff member from the Heritage Hotel, took a closer look at the sweet pepper trial.
(right): Capsicum field day participants evaluated 11 lines: one local variety and 10 lines from AVRDC headquarters in Taiwan.
Participants examined plants and fruit to select the most promising lines during the capsicum field day.
(...continued from page 2)
3
farmers will need seed of well-
adapted, pest- and disease-resistant vegetable crops. The capsicum field
day was an important step in that
direction, said Jimi Saelea, Acting
Permanent Secretary of MAL. “The participation of farmers is very
important,” he said. “At the end of
the day it is the farmers who will be taking up the technology and
adopting it to their environment.”
He noted that crops should be
tested in different climatic conditions of different provinces,
and that trials also should be
conducted in rural areas to encourage more interaction with
growers in remote areas.
Can farmers capitalize on capsicum? It appears they can: a
number of hotels and restaurants
bought the first harvest, and there was a further request for another
20 kg from a restaurant, at the
price of SBD $30 per kg. “The early
indication is that there is a good market out there for capsicum,”
said Pitakia. “It’s just up to the
farmers to deliver.”
The varieties selected during the
field day will next undergo farmer
field trials followed by further assessment. “After these trials we
will evaluate with farmers on the
varieties they want to grow,” Pitakia said. “Then MAL will select the best
varieties, give them names, and
decide how to distribute seed.”
Thanks to Agrikalsa Nius, the newsletter of
the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture,
for contributing to this story.
Sampling a local recipe prepared with
sweet peppers.
(...continued on page 5)
AVRDC’s 40th Anniversary around the world
4 CORNUCOPIA
AVRDC’s Tanzania staff began their celebration of
the Center’s 40th Anniversary on 25 October 2013 with a three-hour team building session presented by
Mark Hindle, Senior Training Consultant – British
Council Tanzania. Mr. Hindle explained different
communication strategies, discussed how to deal with conflict, and explored parent/child behaviors. Staff
members enjoyed the session and learned some
helpful techniques for working with colleagues across the room and around the world. Afterwards, the team
savored a tasty lunch buffet at the Mount Meru Hotel
and spent a few relaxing hours together. The group
also marked the 40th Anniversary with another special event: presenting the “The Quiet Man with
a Busy Trimmer” award to Anael Sawe, Gardener
at the Regional Center for Africa. Mr. Sawe was recognized for his dedication and passion in keeping
AVRDC’s Arusha campus clean and beautiful. He
joined AVRDC in 2000 as a casual worker in charge
of cleaning the farm, compound, and hostel. In September 2009 he became the gardener, and ever
since, his careful attention to the RCA grounds has
made the campus an attractive and comfortable place to work. Thanks, Mr. Sawe!
In Africa…
A vision in blue: AVRDC
Tanzania staff wear the commemorative 40th
anniversary polo shirt
Tanzania
Anael Sawe (l), Gardener at AVRDC Regional Center for Africa, received the “Quiet Man with a Busy Trimmer” award from Nadine Kwazi, Executive Assistant to the Regional Director.
5 CORNUCOPIA
The Cameroon crew led by
Regine Kamga shared a celebration dinner with
Monique Tegantchouang and
Nathalie Ewane from the
International Institute for Tropical Agriculture; Esther
Pegalepo, formerly an AVRDC
Cameroon staff member; Ashu Augustine, an NGO partner;
and Selamoh Nicolas and
Cyrille Gong, two casual
workers. They send their best wishes for many more years for
AVRDC – The World Vegetable
Center and the Cameroon office!
Cameroon
The 40th Celebration at AVRDC East and
Southeast Asia in Kamphaeng Saen, Thailand brought staff (blue shirts) and
participants (grey shirts) in the 32nd
International Vegetable Training Course to the
table for a special lunch of Thai noodle soup. In Thailand, noodles are an important meal on
birthdays to celebrate long life. More years for
AVRDC!
In East and Southeast Asia…
In Bamako, Mali, Team AVRDC celebrated the 40th
anniversary on 31 October at Eden Village restaurant. Professor Mama Kinta led a brief Conference on
Communication, in which staff discussed the importance of
adopting a good communication strategy for the institution’s
daily operations and success. Ba Germain Diarra, a technician researcher who has been with the Mali office since
2004, was honored for his service.
At dinner, Vegetable Breeder Albert Rouamba highlighted
the evolution of AVRDC over the years, from an Asia-focused
research institute into a global center for agricultural
research and development. Amara Sidibe, ceremony facilitator, thanked the participants for their commitment to
serving the people of Africa.
Mali
Thailand
(...continued from page 4)
EXECOM MEETS: The AVRDC Board of Directors’ Executive Committee met for the second time in 2013 on 19 October, just after the Center’s 40th Anniversary celebrations: (back row, left to right) Yin-fu Chang, Deputy Director General - Administration & Services; Yu-tsai Huang, Board Chair; Wolfgang Kasten, Board Member, Germany; Dyno Keatinge, Director General; Jim Phelan, Board Member, Ireland; Jackie Hughes, Deputy Director General - Research; Warwick Easdown, Regional Director, AVRDC South Asia; Robert Holmer, Regional Director, AVRDC East and Southeast Asia; Emmy Simmons, Board Member, USA; Dirk Overweg, Finance Director; I.R. Nagaraj, Human Resources Director. (front row, left to right) Didit Ledesma, Board Secretary; Cathy Reade, Board Member, Australia; Sophia Kaduma, Board Member, Tanzania; Abdou Tenkouano, Director, Regional Center for Africa; David Sammons, AVRDC Board Vice-Chairman and EXECOM Chair.
6 CORNUCOPIA
Recent publications
McCreight JD, Staub JE, Wehner TC and Dhillon NPS. 2013. Gone Global: Familiar and Exotic
Cucurbits Have Asian Origins. HortScience 48 (9): 1078-1089
Taiwan Review
http://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/
7 CORNUCOPIA
The Center in the news
The Center’s 40th anniversary celebrations in October attracted
attention near and far: The event was covered by many Taiwan media outlets, including Radio Taiwan International.
SNV, a NGO based in the Netherlands, noted the participation
of Sarah Simons, SNV Kenya, as a speaker during a panel discussion on “Improving Future Horticultural Systems and
Profitability”:
Radio Taiwan International: http://rti.org.tw
SNV: http://www.snvworld.org
Director General Dyno
Keatinge and Genebank Manager
Andreas Ebert met
with Jim Hwang, a
reporter from the Taiwan Review, on 7
November 2013.
The magazine, which
publishes editions in
English, French,
Spanish and Japanese, plans to run a feature
article about AVRDC in
an upcoming issue. In a recent profile story, Danielle
Nierenberg, co-founder of Food Tank, mentioned the work of AVRDC –
The World Vegetable Center.
The new VINESA project (see pages 12-
13) was featured on the website of donor Australian International Food
Security Research Centre (AIFSRC),
and in their e-newsletter.
http://aciar.gov.au/aifsc/news/power-partnerships-and-collective-thinking
http://truetometoo.com/profiles/danielle-
nierenberg/#.UmmvJhBYWzc
Memoranda of Understanding signed
Manuel Palada, Visiting Professor of Sustainable Agriculture
at Central Philippines University (and retired head of AVRDC’s Crop and Ecosystem Management group) was
instrumental in arranging for a five-year memorandum of
understanding between CPU and AVRDC – The World
Vegetable Center, recently signed by AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge. The MoU will cover research activities and
student exchanges. Founded in 1905, CPU has grown from an
elementary school with 17 pupils into a widely known university with an enrolment of over 12,000. The 24-hectare
campus, which was originally chosen for its quiet and relative
isolation, is now a thriving community with more than 30
buildings for classrooms and support facilities.
************
Manuel Palada (r), Visiting Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Central Philippines University, signed a MoU with AVRDC Director General Dyno Keatinge.
THAILAND COMES TO TAIWAN: AVRDC East and Southeast
Asia Office Assistant Pishayapa Thongmalai (call her “Bee”)
and Information Technology and Communication Assistant
Sorawit Limsiriwat (a/k/a “Ball”) spent a week at AVRDC
headquarters in Taiwan for training in IT, Communications and
Finance. During their visit they met colleagues from around the
world and toured Kaohsiung and Tainan, southern Taiwan’s
major cities. (left to right) Bharath Krishnan, IT Manager;
Hsien-Yang Tien, Assistant Specialist - Information
Technology; Shirley Chen, Officer – Information Technology;
Ball; Bee; and Ming-che Chen , AVRDC Photographer.
To expand the Center’s work with major national partners in
South Asia, AVRDC recently signed a MoU with the FOOD 360 Foundation at the Headquarters of Nagarjuna
Fertilizers Limited in Hyderabad, India. Through the MoU,
Regional Director Warwick Easdown, representing
AVRDC, and FOOD 360 Foundation President KS Raju agreed to explore opportunities for joint research and
development work. The FOOD 360 Foundation involves
some of the leading industrial companies in India working together to ensure food and nutrition security and
sustainable growth for the farming community through
transfer of improved agricultural technologies. Under the
MoU, AVRDC will explore agribusiness activities and transfer relevant technologies initially in Andhra Pradesh
before looking at expanding into other areas of the country.
One of the first activities under this MoU was a workshop on “Cost- Effective Covered Cultivation” by Rakesh Sharda,
Principal Investigator and Extension Specialist, Department
KS Raju, President, FOOD 360 Foundation signed a MoU with AVRDC South Asia Regional Director Warwick Easdown.
of Soil and Water Engineering, Punjab Agricultural
University. Discussions are underway to start initiatives on home gardens and protected
cultivation technologies.
************
8 CORNUCOPIA
************
9 CORNUCOPIA
Seminars
Jeff Ling-Hsi Chen, Research Fellow from the Taichung District Agricultural
Research and Extension Station (DARES), Taiwan Council of Agriculture, recently set up a fertigation system in a greenhouse at AVRDC headquarters and gave a talk
to headquarters staff about his experiences on 29 October 2013. Fertigation—the
application of fertilizers, soil amendments, or other water-soluble products through
an irrigation system—allows for more precise use of nutrients and more control in crop production. Jeff and his colleagues at Taichung DARES have been working on
fertigation since 2005, and have developed pumps, pipeline configurations, and
remote sensors and monitoring tools to refine the system for farmers in Taiwan and other countries. AVRDC and COA will work together on experiments to evaluate
the newly installed system.
IT Manager Bharath Krishnan and Assistant to the Deputy Director General –
Research Iin Luther introduced vegone, the Center’s new data collection system, to colleagues on 31 October 2013. The web-based system allows staff to easily enter
and track project indicators to be counted as part of the Center’s institutional
achievements. The system will collect gender-aggregated information on the
adoption of new technologies and practices, individuals receiving training, public-private partnerships, distribution of seed kits, publications, collaborations and
more.
Caroline Drummond, Chief Executive of LEAF (Linking
Environment and Farming), an organization promoting sustainable food and farming in the UK and Europe, visited
AVRDC headquarters on 11-12 November 2013. She spoke to
staff about the organization’s initiatives to engage farmers,
consumers and the food industry in a dialogue about the vital role agriculture plays in the health of people, communities,
and the environment. One example is the LEAF Marque, a
consumer quality assurance logo used to identify produce that has been grown following particular standards for environmental safety. To build public
understanding of food and farming, LEAF annually hosts Open Farm Sunday—a
day throughout the UK when participating farmers open their fields and barns to
the public. LEAF also maintains a national network of Demonstration Farms and Innovation Centres where farmers can see how other farmers apply sustainable
crop management methods. "Farmers produce commodities, not food -- this must
change," Caroline said. “Farming can learn from science to optimize the nutrition in food.” During her stay, Caroline also visited the Tainan District Agricultural
Research and Extension Station and the Taiwan Livestock Research Institute.
http://www.leafuk.org/
10 CORNUCOPIA
Visitors
After receiving training from AVRDC about 10
years ago, Ngo Quang Vinh, Director General of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, introduced tomato grafting to
Vietnam. Largely due to his dissemination
efforts, the country today has a thriving industry in grafted tomato production. Dr.
Vinh, accompanied by Nguyen The Nhuan,
Director of the Potato, Vegetable and Flower Center, Institute for Agricultural Sciences for
Southern Vietnam (IAS), and IAS Scientist
Ngo Minh Dung visited AVRDC headquarters
on 30 September – 1 October 2013. The visitors met with AVRDC scientists, and toured the
genebank, Demonstration Garden, and
fertigation facility.
(left to right): Wen-shi Tsai, AVRDC Virology Associate Specialist; Ngo Quang Vinh, Director General, Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Robert Holmer, Regional Director, AVRDC East and Southeast Asia .
Several joint Taiwan Council of Agriculture
(COA)/AVRDC projects are underway. Ten collaborators on “Vegetable germplasm collection
and breeding – cucurbits” came to headquarters
on 30 September 2013 to discuss experiments for
developing virus-resistant cucurbits. On October 9, a group of 12 COA tomato researchers were
briefed on the research proposal for a three-
month project to develop tomato with virus resistance and other beneficial characteristics. On
October 14, researchers participating in a project
on organic vegetable production toured the
Center’s new organic farm operation set up by Jui-Chang Huang.
Study tours help expand students’ understanding of the
world. Two groups of students from National Taiwan University’s Highland Experimental Farm visited the
Center in October. Each group of 20 was greeted by Deputy
Director General – Administration & Services Yin-fu
Chang, briefed on the Center’s activities by Visitor and Seminar Coordinator Shiu-luan Lu, and guided through the
Genebank by Yung-kuang Huang and the Demonstration
Garden by Willie Chen. On 8 November 2013, a group of 46 from the College of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, National Chung Hsing University toured
the Genebank and Demo Garden.
Jim Hwang (r), a reporter from the Taiwan Review, an
English-language monthly published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, came to AVRDC HQ on 7 November to learn
about the Center’s activities. Garden Manager Willie Chen
guided Jim through the Demonstration Garden, where more
than 100 traditional and global vegetables are on display.
AVRDC with AIRCA at NUS2013 Conference
AVRDC participated in a side event
hosted by the Association of International Research and
Development Centers for
Agriculture (AIRCA) during the
Neglected and Underutilized Species 2013 (NUS2013)
Conference held from 25-27
September 2013 in Accra, Ghana. Five AIRCA member centers
participated in the session entitled
“NUS for Food and Nutrition
Security and Income Diversification in Marginal Areas”: International
Center for Biosaline Agriculture
(ICBA), represented by Kameswara Rao Nanduri, Plant
Genetic Resources Specialist;
AVRDC, Fekadu Fufa Dinssa,
Vegetable Breeder; Crops for the Future (CFF), Michael
Hermann, Director General;
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), Michael
Kuaku, West Africa Regional
Representative; and CABI —
Victor Attuquaye Clottey, Regional Coordinator, West Africa.
AVRDC Postharvest Specialist
Ngoni Nenguwo and Agricultural Economist Srinivasulu
Rajendran also participated in the
discussions.
Michael Hermann, the chairperson
of the event, welcomed participants
and briefed them on AIRCA’s mission and objectives. Each of the
five participating AIRCA centers
then gave a 10-minute presentation
on their activities.
In his talk, Fekadu presented
AVRDC’s mandate crops of traditional and global vegetables,
explained the importance of
traditional vegetables for food security, nutrition and income
diversification, especially in
economically and environmentally
marginal areas, shared AVRDC’s research and development strategy
for traditional vegetables
(participatory selection approach, conservation, utilization and
improvement of existing local
germplasm), and discussed creating
linkages and building capacity
among actors in the vegetable value chain.
Fekadu also highlighted the
Center’s achievements in improved germplasm development, which has
led to releases of a number of
improved commercial varieties in different parts of the globe.
Examples of companies involved in
commercialization of varieties
released from AVRDC lines in sub-Saharan Africa and East Africa
were noted.
Presentations were followed by a
wide-ranging panel discussion to
explore the integration of neglected species into agricultural systems.
(left): AIRCA side-event panelists (l to r): Michael Kuaku, West Africa Regional Representative, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR); Victor Attuquaye Clottey, Regional Coordinator, West Africa, CABI; Fekadu Fufa Dinssa, Vegetable Breeder, AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center; Michael Hermann, Director General, Crops for the Future (CFF); and Kameswara Rao Nanduri, Plant Genetic Resources Specialist, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).
(right): Staff from AVRDC and Crop Innovations, University of Bath get acquainted over a meal.
11 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
New project to launch hubs for horticulture in Africa
Vegetable production in peri-urban
corridors must expand to address Africa’s rapidly changing
demographics, increasing demand
from urban consumer markets, and
urgent need for a more nutritious food supply. A diverse group of
partners from Tanzania, Malawi,
Mozambique, Ethiopia and Australia gathered in Arusha,
Tanzania from 1-4 October 2013 to
plan activities that will make it
possible for more people to participate in urban horticulture
through a new project,
“Improving Income and Nutrition in Eastern and
Southern Africa by Enhancing
Vegetable-based Farming and
Food Systems in Peri-urban Corridors” (VINESA).
AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center is leading the initiative,
which will involve Africare (an
NGO headquartered in Washington
DC, with offices in 23 countries in
sub-Saharan Africa), the
International Potato Center (CIP), scientists from the four countries,
Australian consultants, and
hundreds of vegetable business
professionals in 120 communities. The five-year project is funded by
the Australian International Food
Security Research Center (AIFSRC).
Abdou Tenkouano, Director,
AVRDC Regional Center for Africa, told workshop participants that by
focusing on nutrition, income and
increasing social capital, the project will help address some of the key
challenges Africa faces, including
changing rural and urban labor
markets, youth unemployment, malnutrition, and capacity.
Mellissa Wood, Director of
AIFSRC, said the project was an “excellent example of agricultural
interventions delivering on
nutritional outcomes.”
Project partners set up operational
structures and committees, developed work plans and
milestones, and created task forces
to address cross-country themes
including production, postharvest and nutrition, and policy and
capacity building. Developing
linkages with related projects fosters the dissemination of
knowledge and builds the capacity
of project participants; to extend its
reach, the VINESA team will connect with AVRDC initiatives on
traditional vegetable
characterization, capacity building of PhD students, and horticultural
innovations for learning and
agricultural research, and to
projects supported by the Food Security Centre (“Farm Power and
Conservation Agriculture for
Sustainable Intensification” and “Increasing Irrigation Water
Productivity in Mozambique,
Tanzania, and Zimbabwe Through
12 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
(...continued on page 13)
(above): Partners from Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Australia gathered in Arusha, Tanzania from 1-4 October 2013 to plan a new project to launch hubs for horticulture in Africa.
(right): Abdou Tenkouano, Director, AVRDC Regional Center for Africa, with some of the superior vegetable seed selected for testing in the project’s Best Practice Hubs.
On-farm Monitoring, Adaptive
Management and Agricultural Innovation Platforms”) among
others.
Workshop participants visited Afrisem, a seed company that aims
to supply African vegetable growers
with affordable hybrid varieties and top quality seed. A reliable, high
quality seed supply is critical for
vegetable production, and Afrisem
and other seed producers are an important link in the vegetable
value chain. During a visit to
DARSH, a tomato processor that produces Redgold brand tinned
tomatoes, sauces and jams,
participants learned about food
safety, quality control and other issues. (AVRDC’s ‘Tanya’ tomato is
DARSH’s most preferred variety for
processing.) Collaborative relationships with the private sector
will foster improved technologies
and practices for postharvest
storage, value addition and processing.
Best Practice Hubs (BPHs), one of
the defining features of VINESA, are designed to address knowledge
gaps along the vegetable value
chain and serve as centers for
education, crop trials and experimentation. The aim is to
draw young future producers into
communities of practice, where they can learn, evaluate and adapt
vegetable production and
postharvest technologies, support
diet diversification through improved crop varieties, and
develop effective value chain
analysis skills to support income-generating activities and build
strong market relationships.
“The project will contribute to lifting people out of poverty by
improving nutrition and increasing
incomes,” said Tenkouano. The enthusiasm and commitment
demonstrated by all VINESA
partners will soon make that
statement a reality.
13 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
(...continued from page 12)
(left): Les Baxter, Research Program Manager for Horticulture, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.
(right): Ngoni Nenguwo (r), AVRDC Postharvest Specialist in Tanzania, explains how farmers benefit from access to the Postharvest Training and Services Center.
VINESA project partners AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center Australian International Food Security Research Center (AIFSRC) Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) TANZANIA Sokoine University of Agriculture Horti-Tengeru ETHIOPIA iDE Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) MALAWI Africare Bvumbe Agricultural College MOZAMBIQUE International Potato Center Mozambique Institute of Agricultural Research (IIAM) Collaborating organizations Australian Applied Horticultural Research (AHR) Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA)
Reports on VINESA by partners:
http://aciar.gov.au/aifsc/news/power-partnerships-and-collective-thinking
Seed Fair for Tanzania
A farmer’s success depends on
access to reliable sources of good quality seed that’s available at the
right time for planting. To create
awareness of the improved seed
stocks available in and around Arusha, Tanzania, AVRDC’s
Regional Center for Africa hosted a
Seed Fair from 1-2 October 2013 at the RCA campus in Arusha. The
event, supported by the HortCRSP-
African Indigenous Vegetables and
USAID Postharvest projects, showcased area seed suppliers and
low-cost postharvest technologies
to increase production of nutritious vegetable crops.
Six seed companies—Alpha Seeds,
Africasia Seed, East West Seeds, Royal Seed, Kenya Highland Seed
(which has teamed up with Mukpar
Tanzania) and Balton Tanzania—displayed their products at 3 x 3
meter stands lined with colorful
and informative posters and signs.
Farmers were able to purchase seed
directly from the suppliers. Small-
scale vegetable processors also demonstrated their products to the
crowd.
A total of 112 farmers (69 male and 43 female) participated on the first
day and another 96 (58 male and
38 female) farmers attended on the fair’s second day. The visitors came
from 10 villages around Arusha
City, Meru council, and Arumeru
district. Extension officers from Arumeru and Arusha attended, and
61 diploma students from the
Horti-Tengeru Research and Training Center visited the stands
over the two days. The Tanzania
Official Seed Certification Agency
(TOSCI)/Tengeru, Selian Agricultural Research Institute/
Northern Zone, Pest Control
Services Office in Tengeru, District Agricultural and Livestock
Development Offices from Meru
Council, Arusha Council and
Arusha City, and the International
Institute for Tropical Agriculture
(IITA) sent representatives to the fair.
Participants from an inception
workshop for the VINESA project (see page 11) also toured the fair.
VINESA, which will run in four
countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania), is
supported by the Australian Centre
for International Agricultural
Research (ACIAR).
The companies displayed seed of
traditional vegetables (Africa nightshade, cowpea, spider plant,
amaranth, Ethiopian mustard,
Africa eggplant, roselle, okra, moringa and others) and global
vegetables like tomato, pepper and
onion. AVRDC’s Postharvest
Training and Services Center demonstrated easy-to-use, low-cost
postharvest handling technologies.
The Regional Center for Africa’s research plots were open for closer
14 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
(left): Seed companies had their wares on display during a Seed Fair organized by AVRDC Regional Center for Africa in Arusha, Tanzania. Seed suppliers are a vital link in the vegetable value chain, as farmers must have access to quality seed at the right time for planting.
(above): Postharvest grading tools and sorting aids.
(...continued on page 15)
inspection. Each day of the seed fair included panel
discussions moderated by AVRDC staff that brought together farmers and representatives of seed companies
and other organizations to explore topics of common
interest. Farmers shared their concern about the quality
of seed obtained from market/seed stores (sometimes
fake seeds are sold under a good variety name), accessibility, lack/insufficiency of extension services on
agronomic practices, and fluctuation of vegetable prices
from season to season.
15 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
(left): Farmer groups displayed their processed products during the Seed Fair.
(right): The Seed Fair offered seed companies an opportunity to engage new customers.
(...continued from page 14)
POTENTIAL TREATMENT FOR A DREADED DISEASE:
A group of recent pharmaceutical graduates from San
Pedro College in Davao City, Philippines screened
kangkong (Ipomoea aquatica) for alkaloids and then
identified the active component of the plant with pharmaceutical potential responsible for preventing
acetylcholine degradation, which leads to Alzheimer's
disease. The scientists found comparable effects when
they compared the acetylcholine-increasing effects of the kangkong alkaloid extract with Rivastigmine, the current
drug of choice for treating the disease. The next step will
be to confirm the accuracy of the results with further
research, and if warranted, clinical trials. Kangkong is a
popular traditional vegetable that grows mainly in East and Southeast Asia. Known as swamp cabbage or water
spinach, it is a fast-growing and easily cultivated semi-
aquatic plant. If kangkong attracts interest from the
pharmaceutical industry, new income opportunities may
open up for poor farmers in the region.
http://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/disease/news/common-plant-could-hold-key-to-alzheimer-s-treatment.html
Another reason to eat more vegetables
16
2013 World Diabetes Day Walk
On World Diabetes Day, 14 November, AVRDC headquarters staff put on their walking shoes and headed to the research fields, where their colleagues explained the health benefits of consuming okra, Malabar spinach, high beta-carotene tomatoes and other nutritious vegetable crops.
World Diabetes Day marks the birth of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922. The event engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness.
17 CORNUCOPIA
Welcome
Ellen Iramu is AVRDC’s new Project Coordinator in the Pacific Islands. Based in Sigatoka, Fiji,
Ellen holds a PhD in Horticulture from the University of Queensland. Previously she served as Principal Research Officer (Head of Crops Section) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
(MAL) in the Solomon Islands, where she supervised and implemented research activities related
to root and vegetable crop improvement, development and production. She was seconded by MAL
to implement Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)-funded integrated crop management/pest management activities to evaluate AVRDC tomato and sweet
pepper lines in the Solomon Islands..
The South Asia region recently welcomed several new arrivals.
Swagatika Pradhan (1) has been appointed to the COFRA-funded project in Odisha on eastern India to work with women’s self-help
groups to develop home gardening. Three staff have been appointed to
the Bhoochetana Plus project funded by the Karnataka government:
Project site coordinator Nagaraj Kumar (2) will be based at Raichur along with Research Technician Amaresh Naik (3) who will work
with farmers to promote vegetable production. Research Technician
Shoban Babu (4) will be based further south in Chickmagalur to work with local farmers.
Ming-Tung Hsueh (Robert), Research Fellow from the Taitung District Agricultural Research
and Extension Station, Council of Agriculture (COA), Taiwan arrived at AVRDC headquarters on 1 October 2013 for a three-month cooperation program. Funded by the 2013 COA Project
“Strengthening the cooperation between AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center and Taiwan re-
search institutes on vegetable research and development,” Robert is working on identifying in-
digenous vegetables with tolerance to flooding in AVRDC’s Genetic Resources and Seed Unit un-der the supervision of Andreas Ebert, Genebank Manager.
Fresh, 15 November 2013
Fresh is published by
AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center
P.O. Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan 74199
Taiwan
www.avrdc.org
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Editor: Maureen Mecozzi
Graphic design: Kathy Chen
Photographic guidance: Ming-Che Chen
Contributors: Agrikalsa Nuis, Sheila de Lima, Fekadu Dinssa, Robert Holmer, Regine Kamga, Nadine Kwazi, John Macharia, Hassan Mndiga, Ngoni Nenguwo, Pitakia Tikai
Suthathip Riwthong (Oom), a Thai graduate student from Hohenheim University, Stuttgart,
Germany arrived at AVRDC headquarters for an internship from 21 October to 30 December 2013. Oom is working with the Humidtropics Project for a study entitled “The transformation of
pest management in the intensification of highland farming in Thailand” by analyzing a data set
on 240 farm households in 12 sample villages in northern Thailand. She is under the supervision
of Pepijn Schreinemachers, Agricultural Economist.
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