Handover ceremony marks leadership transition

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Board Chairman Yu-Tsai Huang officially handed over the leadership of the World Vegetable Center from outgoing Director General Dyno Keatinge to new DG Marco Wopereis in a ceremony on 20 April 2016 at headquarters. Board members and observers, invited guests, and staff filled the auditorium to witness this transition in the Center’s history.

Human Resources Director I.R. Nagaraj opened the event with a call to remember the previous directors general and their legacies. Board Chair Yu-Tsai Huang recounted Dyno’s achievements, including decentralization to build the Center’s reputation as a global institute, and the reinvigoration of programs, especially breeding and home gardens. He then welcomed Marco and his family to their new home in

13 May 2016 avrdc.org

Science

Day 2016

Page 4

Mentoring the

next generation

of researchers in traditional

African

vegetables

Page 12

Outgoing Director General Dyno Keatinge welcomes new DG Marco Wopereis

(l to r): Board chair Yu-Tsai Huang, outgoing Director General Dyno Keatinge,

Board Vice-chair David Sammons, incoming DG Marco Wopereis.

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(...continued from page 1)

Taiwan, and pledged the board’s full support. Michael Hsu, Director General of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thanked Dyno for drawing attention to the importance of vegetables, and for supporting and speaking up for Taiwan in international fora.

Board vice-chair David Sammons spoke of his high regard for the World Vegetable Center, which evolved from the many opportunities he has had to work closely with Dyno over the years. “Dyno has sought to expand the Center, raise its visibility, and enlarge its budget,” Dr. Sammons said. “He has worked tirelessly for the Center, and we are most appreciative of his effort.”

Nominations Committee Chair Emmy Simmons, Program Committee Chair Jim Phelan, and Audit Committee Chair Jon Wilkinson also shared their experiences and interactions with Dyno, emphasizing his passion for vegetables as the best means to increase farmers’ incomes and improve nutrition for the poor, especially women and children.

Tomato breeder Peter Hanson gave remarks on behalf of the Center’s researchers and staff. He recalled how strongly Dyno advocated for scientists’ work in conferences and other fora: “It meant a lot to me to know that my DG stood side-by-side with me and my colleagues in our struggles to fund research to fight tospoviruses and other plant diseases on behalf of farmers,” he said. He noted Dyno supported new, unproven research that has since produced valuable results, such as high throughput genotyping. “Dyno invested in the future,” he said.

There was a formal handover, from Dyno to Marco, of a red silk Chinese box containing a symbolic key to the Center, flags, and a chop (a stone seal engraved with the Center’s name in Chinese characters for officially stamping documents).

Dyno then made his farewell remarks, opening with a comment about his affection and admiration for Taiwan, and an expression of his gratitude for the country’s ongoing support of the Center. He thanked the board and his management colleagues for their guidance and advice during his eight years as DG. He also praised the Center’s staff as people who work in a truly professional manner, with great dedication. “I know all Center staff will to work together with Marco to reach the ultimate goal of bringing prosperity to the poor and health for all,” he said.

Marco praised Dyno for his passion for research, and for the solid foundation he has built for the Center’s worldwide operations. “Dyno’s desire to achieve true and

lasting impact is an inspiration to me,” he said. He thanked Dyno and Mrs. Rosi Keatinge for their gracious gestures toward his family as they settle into their new home. He encouraged staff to use the Center’s many assets—especially the genebank and strong capacity in breeding research—to continue the fight against malnutrition, to stimulate production systems and demand for vegetables through urban and peri-urban agriculture, and to address climate change issues that impact vegetable production.

Dr. Tsai invited the board, guests and staff to enjoy an buffet dinner on the campus lawn, with entertainment from a string quartet from the Tainan National University of the Arts. It was Dyno’s birthday as well, which called for two renditions of “Happy Birthday”—in English and Chinese.

Director General Marco Wopereis

New World Vegetable Center Director General Marco Wopereis facilitated an Open Forum on 21 April 2016 at headquarters to exchange views, solicit ideas and spark discussion. Board members, observers and staff participated in the forum. Marco opened the discussion with some thoughts he had previously solicited from six staff members, and then used their responses as a launching point for three questions:

1. What are the biggest challenges the World Vegetable Center is facing (or will face in the near future) and why?

2. What are the most promising unexploited opportunities for growth and how can we exploit them?

3. If you were the DG of the Center, what would you focus on in the first half year or so?

Outgoing DG honored with MOFA award

3

Open Forum

(l to r) Dyno Keatinge, Mrs. Rosi Keatinge, Mrs. Lin, and HE David Lin, Minister of the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A lively hour of discussion followed, touching on topics as diverse as the quality of science, how to expand the Center’s donor base and increase links with the private sector, create a learning institution, and define our flagship activities. The discussion will inform the development of a new strategic plan later in the year.

For his outstanding contributions to global horticulture and Taiwan, outgoing Director General Dyno Keatinge received the Order of the Brilliant Star - Violet Grand Cordon from HE David Lin, Minister of the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), in a conferment ceremony on 15 April 2016 at MOFA headquarters in Taipei.

Dyno had a half-hour audience with the Minister, during which they recalled the achievements of the World Vegetable Center and the many positive interactions between Taiwan, MOFA and the Center over the eight years of Dyno's tenure. Dyno expressed his thanks and appreciation to MOFA and Taiwan on behalf of all Center staff.

Board Chairman Yu-Tsai Huang attended the ceremony, along with Mrs. Rosi Keatinge, Deputy Director General - Administration & Services Yin-fu Chang, Biometrician Didit Ledesma, Manager – Management Support & HR Services Adrienne Mak, Management Assistant Melody Ho, and Head of Communications Maureen Mecozzi. A delicious lunch followed the ceremony, attended by representatives from Australia, the United States, United Kingdom, MOFA, and the Taiwan Council of Agriculture.

4 CORNUCOPIA

Science Day 2016

Board members took to the laboratories and fields at World Vegetable Center headquarters on 19 April for an update on the Center’s research activities during Science Day 2016. The day began with a visit to a screenhouse, where 16,800 tomato seedlings are being grown for characterization and screening, as Head – Molecular Genetics Roland Schafleitner explained. In Fields #31 and 46, Tomato Breeder Peter Hanson and Pepper Breeder Sanjeet Kumar explained the field evaluation process to select the best lines. Tomato Breeding postdoc Mohamed Rakha discussed insect resistance in tomato and Plant Pathology postdoc Marti Potorff demonstrated anthracnose screening in peppers. Lead Specialist – Monitoring & Evaluation Pepijn Schreinemachers gave a brief presentation about impact studies, and the group then headed to the nutrition lab, where Nutritionist Ray-yu Yang presented the Center’s nutrition pathway for various projects. The day concluded with a visit to the newly renovated Demonstration Garden. Technology Dissemination Specialist Greg Luther spoke there about the Vegetables Go to School project, while participants enjoyed cold herbal teas, saw home and school garden designs, and enjoyed viewing more than 100 vegetable species in the garden.

35th IVTC: Registration open!

MODULE I: Seed to Harvest (5-30 September 2016) Application deadline: 31 July 2016 MODULE II: Harvest to Table (3-28 October 2016) Application deadline: 15 August 2016 MODULE III: Sustainable Development (31 October – 25 November 2016) Application deadline: 30 August 2016

Ready to bring your professional skills to the next level? Register today for the World Vegetable Center’s 35th International Vegetable Training Course (IVTC). For more than three decades, agricultural extension, research and development practitioners from around the world have turned to the IVTC to:

improve their technical knowledge in all aspects of vegetable production, including seed systems, breeding, cultivation, and integrated disease, pest, soil, water and nutrient management

analyze successful postharvest technologies and practices review the latest advances in Good Agricultural and Manufacturing

Practices explore through field trips to seed companies, commercial packing

houses and food processors, wholesale and retail markets, genebanks and more

develop and discuss the design of their vegetable research and development programs

create plans to assess the effectiveness and impact of their work build new networks that span regional and national borders

The IVTC is held in three one-month modules at the Center’s Research and Training Station in Kamphaeng Saen, Thailand. Register for one, two or all three modules.

And the award goes to…

5 CORNUCOPIA

On 21 April 2016, new World Vegetable Center Director General Marco Wopereis presented awards to six staff members for their excellent work and outstanding contributions to the Center. Congratulations to all the winners!

REGINE KAMGA, Assistant Project Manager, West and Central Africa Outstanding contributions to the Center’s research and development agenda as a project manager and team player

MANSAB ALI, Vegetable Program Leader, South Asia Outstanding project management, skillful leadership and effective team delivery of improved vegetable technologies to benefit the people of Pakistan

PHILIPO JOSEPH, Research Assistant: Postharvest & Socioeconomics, Eastern and Southern Africa Indispensable dedicated support to the Center through effective leadership in field surveys, high quality reports and crosscutting multitasking skills

MELODY HO, Management Assistant, Headquarters Being a fine exemplar of good, diligent service in the execution of her duties with the Center

SARAN REWTHONGCHUM, Field Staff, East and Southeast Asia Professional management of the field team for cucurbit breeding and the Demonstration Garden and research fields

SU-JEAN WU L., Greenhouse and Field Staff, Headquarters Ensuring high quality plants for research throughout her long career

Register today! http://ivtc.avrdc.org

Bourlaug Fellow to study Capsicum

6 CORNUCOPIA

New Mexico State University (NMSU) graduate student Derek Barchenger received a Borlaug Fellowship for 2016 and has chosen to continue his studies in race characterization of Phytophthora blight to enhance an anticipatory breeding program in Capsicum at World Vegetable Center headquarters in Taiwan with pepper breeder Sanjeet Kumar. He will arrive on May 15, and his fellowship is for a period of six months. The Borlaug Fellowship, a prestigious award named after Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug, provides United States graduate students with the opportunity to study with researchers at international agricultural centers. Derek is one of 23 fellowship awardees. He is pursuing a PhD in Plant and Environmental Sciences at NMSU. Welcome Derek!

VIDEOS: Watch, learn, enjoy!

Watch how the Center’s Postharvest Program helped the UMANGU Women's Group from Ngurdoto village, Tanzania find success with pickles.

See how the Center’s seed kits have children growing, eating and enjoying vegetables at the Baraa Primary School Garden.

View the opinion of Maimouna Saidi Abass, who is on the front lines of the battle against tomato pest Tuta absoluta.

The Center’s Eastern and Southern Africa video production team led by Rhiannon O’Sullivan, a volunteer from Australian Volunteers International, has been in the field and behind the lens to produce entertaining and informative short videos about the Center’s work. You’ll find more World Vegetable Center videos in the coming weeks on our website (avrdc.org) and YouTube channel.

CLASSROOM IN THE GARDEN: Twenty-six undergraduate and master’s students from the International Master Program of

Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, came to headquarters on

29 April 2016 with Assistant Professor

Chifumi Takagi to learn more about

the Center’s global activities. Yi-chin Wu explained the benefits of planting a diversity of crops, and introduced the students to the more than 100 vegetable species in the Demonstration Garden.

Visitors

7 CORNUCOPIA

(left): Angela Stene (r), Senior Advisor in Food Security, Nutrition and WASH from the Palladium Organization, Washington D.C. met with Center staff on 21-22 April 2016 at headquarters to explore opportunities for collaboration in Cambodia on seed systems and integrated pest management. (right): Six researchers from the Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Horticulture, People’s Republic of China, toured the Center on 25 April 2016 at the invitation of the Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI), accompanied by Chao Zhi-ping, Director of TBRI.

Jemma Martin, Director of Agriculture and Rebecca Liu, Senior Research Officer (Agriculture) from the Australian Office, Taipei visited Center headquarters on 27 April 2016. They met with Director General Marco Wopereis for a briefing and discussion about linkages to strengthen the relationship between the Center, Australia and Taiwan, toured the genebank and demonstration garden, and planted a tree in the Center’s Green Drive.

Ade Candradijaya, Deputy Director General and Mrs. Juariah, Section Chief, Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia visited the Center on 29 April 2016. They were accompanied by staff from the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office, Taipei, and the Taiwan Council of Agriculture. The visitors met with

Center staff over lunch to review previous project work in Indonesia and plan for future collaborations.

8 CORNUCOPIA

Abdou Tenkouano, Regional Director for West and Central Africa, recently concluded his duties after eight years of service to the Center to accept a posting as Executive Director of CORAF, the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development, in Senegal. Dr. Tenkouano was responsible for leading the Center’s activities in sub-Saharan Africa, first from Tanzania and later from Mali, and developing national and international partnerships to further vegetable production and consumption across the region. Among his many contributions, he led the successful establishment of Vegetable Training and Immersion Clusters—hubs for demonstrating agricultural improvements and places to host training in production, processing, nutrition and hygiene, particularly for women and youth. He has long been an advocate of dietary diversification with vegetables to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable populations while tackling issues related to insufficiently productive crop varieties, health hazards associated with the use of polluted water for vegetable production, and perishability of harvested produce. He has advised the African Seed Trade Association’s Special Interest Group on Vegetables and maintains a keen interest in harnessing the potential of the private sector to support agricultural transformation in Africa. Although this inspiring leader and valued colleague has moved on, we won’t lose touch with Abdou: CORAF currently supports the Center’s work in Cameroon, and we look forward to future productive partnerships during his tenure. We wish Abdou, and CORAF, much success ahead!

Farewell

In memoriam

Shieh Sheue-chin (Jin) 謝雪琴, Assistant Specialist in

Pepper Breeding, passed away after a prolonged illness on 16 April 2016 at the age of 49. Jin joined the breeding team on 26 February 1993, with a BS in Soil Science; she later obtained an MSc from Pingtung University in 2012. Jin’s dedication to peppers was unparalleled. In collaboration with the Council of Agriculture (COA) and other Taiwan institutions, she contributed to the development of four pepper cultivars (TSS-ASVEG No. 2, TSS AVRDC No. 4, Hsing AVRDC No. 3, and Hsing AVRDC No. 5) that have been successfully commercialized in the highly competitive Taiwanese seed market. Sylvia Green, former Center virologist, said “Jin was not just an assistant. She held the "inventory" of pepper breeding across so many breeders, each one highly individualistic and full of idiosyncrasies, while also adding her own contributions, such as ornamental peppers and the “colored bells” (sweet peppers), for which she secured funding from COA.” The Center and Taiwan have lost a highly experienced breeder. Her good humor and sprightly personality will be much missed in the labs and fields.

Jin Shieh had an abiding passion for peppers, which she shared with plant breeders, seed companies, and farmers during field days and crop demonstrations.

9 CORNUCOPIA

The Center in the news

Appropriate Technology published two articles from Center staff in its March 2016 issue (Vol. 43 No. 1): “Traditional leafy greens in Africa” by Agribusiness/Marketing Specialist Andreas Gramzow and “Traditional crops bring a new perspective to Uganda” by Ralph Roothaert, Project Manager of the Homegarden Scaling Project in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

On 27 April 2016, Ignacio Reyna (center) and Emiliano Reyna (left) from Semillas Sol Y Arena Co., San Miguel de Allende Guanajuato, Mexico, met with Center vegetable breeders Peter Hanson, Sanjeet Kumar and Mohamed Rakha to discuss the potential for germplasm exchange and collaborative research. They also presented an overview of the tomato and pepper rootstock market in Mexico in a seminar attended by Center staff. New markets are opening up for hot and sweet pepper rootstocks, and the company is seeking rootstocks resistant to nematodes, Fusarium, and bacterial leaf spot.

Erismann S, Shrestha A, Diagbouga S, Knoblauch A, Gerold J, Herz R, Sharma S, Schindler C, Odermatt P, Drescher A, Yang RY, Utzinger J, Cisse G (2016). Complementary school garden, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene interventions to improve children's nutrition and health status in Burkina Faso and Nepal: a study protocol. BMC PUBLIC HEALTH. 16:224.

Chagomoka T, Unger S, Drescher A, Glaser R, Marschner B, Schlesinger J (2016). Food coping strategies in northern Ghana: A sociospatial analysis along the urban rural continuum. AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY 5:4.

Chagomoka T, Drescher A, Glaser R, Marschner B, Schlesinger J, Nyandoro G (2016). Women’s dietary diversity scores and childhood anthropometric measurements as indices of nutrition insecurity along the urban-rural continuum in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. FOOD & NUTRITION RESEARCH. 60:29425.

Musyoki MK, Cadisch G, Zimmermann J, Wainwright H, Beed F, Rasche F (2016). Soil properties, seasonality and crop growth stage exert a stronger effect on rhizosphere prokaryotes than the fungal biocontrol agent Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae. APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY. 105:126-136.

Recent research

Seminars

Stefan Bennewitz, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Leibnitz Institute of Biochemistry, Halle, Germany spoke to Center staff about “Trichome morphology and secondary metabolism in tomato” on 13 April 2016. His research complements work being done by Center tomato breeding staff on the role of tomato trichomes in conferring resistance to whitefly.

SPEAKING TOUR IN INDIA: Pepper

breeder Sanjeet Kumar delivered a

recorded keynote presentation at the

International Symposium on Sustainable

Horticulture, 14-16 March 2016, organized

by the Department of Horticulture, Aromatic

and Medicinal Plants, Mizoram University,

Aizwal, Mizoram, India—an area bordered by Bangladesh and Myanmar. On 28 March,

Sanjeet delivered an invited lecture on vegetable breeding at the World Vegetable

Center during the National Symposium on Plant Genomics and Molecular

Breeding, organized by Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India. Both

presentations sought to make the audience aware of the opportunities for

increasing vegetable production for income, and explain why greater vegetable consumption to diversify diets and improve health is critically important in India, a

country where rates of non-communicable diseases such as type II diabetes are

on the rise. Examples of the successful use of World Vegetable Center global

pepper breeding lines and germplasm by the Indian seed sector were shared with

150 participants, including university professors and researchers, students, and

research mangers from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and CGIAR institutes. On 30 March he paid a courtesy visit to ICAR, where he met

with newly appointed Director General Trilochan Mohapatra and Deputy Director

General-Horticulture N. Krishna Kumar. To close out the month, on 31 March

Sanjeet accepted an invitation from the Botanical Society of the University of

Delhi to discuss the Center’s pepper breeding research with the faculty members

and students from the Department of Botany.

10 CORNUCOPIA

On the road and online

A consultation meeting for the Vegetables Go to School (VGtS) project was conducted on 8 April 2016 in Thimphu, Bhutan with project teams from Bhutan and Nepal. Nine delegates from the Nepal VGtS participated, along with officials from the Bhutan Policy and Planning Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, and country team members from the Department of School Health and Nutrition and Department of Agriculture. The participants shared experiences and updates on project achievements and activities implemented in last three years with support from the World Vegetable Center and funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Corporation (SDC).

The chairperson, Offtg. Director

General Ganesh Chhetri of the Department of Agriculture, highlighted the importance of school agriculture and the benefits of growing vegetables for food security and nutrition supplementation in schools. He noted that 20% of vegetables and eggs produced are contributed through the School Agriculture Program (SAP) in Bhutan schools. After the World Food Program (WFP) feeding program was phased out in the country, SAP has shouldered the responsibility of contributing vegetable produce to schools.

The team from Nepal presented information on the effect of school vegetable gardening on knowledge, preference and consumption of vegetables in schools. The team from

Bhutan presented preliminary findings of the research done for the first project phase and presented the outcomes of the project. The delegates also visited Dechentsemo Central School and Shengana Lower Secondary School in Punakha Dzongkha.

The program was initiated and organized by the Vegetables Go to School Project under the School Agriculture Program, Department of Agriculture and Forests.

Consultation meeting for Vegetables Go to School

WELCOME: Wubetu B. Legesse

(Ethiopia) joined the Center on 1 May 2016 as Plant Health

Scientist – West and Central

Africa, based in Bamako, Mali. He

holds a PhD in Plant Pathology &

Microbiology from the University

of Pretoria, South Africa. Prior to his posting with the Center, he

served as a researcher in the crop

protection division of the

Vegetable and Ornamental Plant

Institute, Agricultural Research

Council, South Africa.

More than 200 research and development partners and experts met from 12-14 April 2016 at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria in a workshop to discuss a new initiative known as “Africa Feeding Africa”, or the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program. The TAAT program is a critical strategy for transforming agriculture on the continent to ensure Africa is able to feed itself.

TAAT goals include eliminating extreme poverty, ending hunger and malnutrition, achieving food sufficiency, and turning Africa into a net food exporter, as well as setting Africa in step with global

commodity and agricultural value chains.

The African Development Bank (AfDB), working with IITA and other partners including the World Vegetable Center, has identified eight priority agricultural value chains relating to rice sufficiency, cassava intensification, Sahelian food security, savannas as breadbaskets, restoring tree plantations, expanding horticulture, increasing wheat production, and expanded fish farming.

Leading agricultural experts from Africa and beyond, together with representatives from development institutions, research agencies, the private sector, financial

institutions, academia, and civil society planned strategies during the workshop to begin developing an action plan. The major objective is to execute a bold plan to achieve rapid agricultural transformation across Africa and raise productivity.

The initiative is led by IITA, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), CGIAR, national agricultural research systems, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

New mega initiative to transform agriculture in Africa

The World Vegetable Center and the Rural Development Administration (RDA), Republic of Korea, have embarked on a technical cooperation project to identify molecular markers associated with disease and insect resistance for marker-assisted selection in tomato breeding programs. Il-Sheob Shin, an RDA scientist seconded to the Center, is the principal investigator. He is working

under the supervision of Roland Schafleitner, head of Biotechnology/Molecular Breeding. Specific goals are to map bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) and whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) resistance loci. The research aims to contribute to global knowledge about the morphological, agronomic and genetic traits of major tomato cultivars, and to enhance tomato breeding efficiency. The project runs through January 2018.

New project with long-term partner

MEET THE RESISTANCE: During an insect resistance workshop recently conducted in Tanzania, participants learned about major insect pests in tomato (whitefly, spider mite, tomato fruit borer, tomato leafminer) and their impact on tomato fruit yield and quality; resistance sources for these insects; insect resistance mechanisms; and the World Vegetable Center’s strategy for combating insect resistance. They also learned how to conduct experiments to identify insect-resistant plants based on choice and no-choice assays, and how to identify trichome types—specifically glandular trichomes—that are associated with insect resistance in tomato.

11 CORNUCOPIA

Dawn Food & Agriculture Expo, Lahore, Pakistan

Vegetables thrive with drip irrigation in Pakistan

To demonstrate and promote the use of simple drip irrigation, 23 drip systems were installed on areas of 250 m2 (0.5 Kanal) to 500 m2 (1 Kanal) under plasticulture tunnel structures: three at partner institutes the Agricultural Research Institute, Mingora-Swat; Barani Agriculture Research Institute, Chakwal; and Agriculture Research Institute, Quetta; and 20 in farmers’ fields in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan. Forty-five tunnels were selected to compare water and fertilizer use, and to

observe the differences in crop growth with and without drip irrigation. Ordinary flumes were fixed in tunnels to measure the water applied through furrow irrigation. Five ‘Peter engines’ to power water pumps were installed; these engines run on petrol and are very cost effective, as they use 1 liter of petrol for 1.5-2 hours of operation. Energy-free drip systems were installed in four locations; these operate by gravity, and can be used where a head of more than 5 meters is available.

Cucumber, tomato, bitter gourd and vegetable marrow were transplanted in Swat, Haripur, Islamabad, Bhikki, Chevanda, Noorpur Thal and DI Khan to calculate the amount of water and fertilizer applied through drip and furrow irrigation systems. During the 2015 growing season, the drip systems saved from 16 to 34% of water and 20 to 30% of fertilizer compared to conventional practices. The highest

savings of water (68%) and fertilizer (92%) were achieved in the sandy soils of Noorpur Thal. The drip system allows for more uniform distribution of water and fertilizer, and drip-irrigated crops are more vigorous than those irrigated with a furrow system.

After experiencing success with drip irrigation systems last season, several farmers, including Mr, Faisal from Pishin, Mr. Ahsan and Syed Majid from Haripur, and Mr. Javed from Sheikhupura extended their systems to larger areas. The farmers said drip irrigation uses less water and fertilizer, and reduced their pesticide usage and spending on weeding and hoeing. Plans are underway to install more systems in the coming years.

The 5th Dawn Food & Agri Expo and Conference 2016 held 5-6 April 2016 at the International Expo Centre Lahore, Pakistan, showcased agricultural equipment and services, processing and packaging methods, and irrigation systems and equipment. Participants from all business sectors directly or indirectly involved with agriculture attended to develop partnerships with key players driving the sector forward. Minister for Excise and Taxation, Mujtaba Rehman, representing the Chief Minister of Punjab; Ambassador of the European Union Jean Francis Cautain; Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson; and Dawn

Media Group Chairperson Amber Haroon opened the event. The Agriculture Innovation Program (AIP), in which the World Vegetable Center participates, presented its activities in a booth, and the Center’s booth featured a functional drip irrigation model, public and private tomato hybrids, and various production guides and other publications. Agricultural Engineer Arif Shehzad, Training Expert & Agriculture Extensionist Sheeraz Ahmad, and Research Associate Ali Raza represented the Center at the event. Numerous officials, farmers and sector specialists visited the booth and showed their interest and appreciation

for the World Vegetable Center’s work. The exhibition opened doors to future public and private partnerships and created greater awareness of the Center’s work among the public.

(above): Arif Shehzad (l), World Vegetable Center Training Expert & Agricultural Extensionist, interviewed by a TV reporter from News One. (left): AIP Pakistan staff members with Dr. Imtiaz, CIMMYT Representative, at the Dawn Expo 2016.

12 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS

Mentoring the next generation of researchers in traditional African vegetables

It’s early in the morning at the World Vegetable Center’s office in Tanzania and vegetable breeder Fekadu Dinssa is knee-deep in amaranth, hopping over neat lines of green and purple foliage on his daily walk to check the crop’s progress.

Not so long ago this leafy green was discarded by all but the rural poor in favor of global vegetables such as cabbage. Amaranth is one of several traditional African vegetables emerging as a popular choice in markets across East Africa. After years of neglect, awareness of their nutritional value and income-generating potential is growing, and production and consumption is on the rise, due in part to increased research and promotion by institutions including the World Vegetable Center.

Since its inception in 1992 the Center’s Eastern and Southern Africa office has been working on the conservation, improvement, and nutritional analysis of traditional vegetables. Fekadu leads the Center’s breeding program to develop vegetable breeding lines with improved yield and quality traits, and resistance or tolerance to diseases, pests, and extreme weather.

Growing up in Ethiopia, the only traditional vegetable Fekadu ate was Ethiopian mustard. “The breadth and potential of traditional African vegetables has been eye-opening,” he said. These days he exposes his own children to a variety of traditional leafy greens.

Fekadu’s enthusiasm is contagious, and

a walk through the fields under his guidance reveals the intricacies of each plant. He points rapidly from one to another, identifying traits, commenting on leaf shape, color, and height. He shares this passion with his students, dedicating a large amount of time to supervision. He is currently mentoring PhD candidate Oshingi Shilla, who is working on the characterization of spider plant lines for morphological and phytochemical diversity and performance under different moisture regimes.

Fekadu recently invited Professor Mary Abukutsa O. Onyango to visit the Center as she is co-supervising Oshingi’s research. Mary is professor of horticulture at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya. A leader in her field, she has dedicated much of her career to the research and promotion of traditional African vegetables. “I believe the World Vegetable Center has significantly contributed to the promotion of traditional African vegetables in Africa and globally, through germplasm collection and conservation, germplasm improvement, and technology generation,” she said. She highlighted the Center’s work in

capacity building and said it has had a “multiplier effect” across the region.

The collaboration between the World Vegetable Center and Jomo Kenyatta University is part of the Horticultural Innovation and Learning for Improved Nutrition and Livelihood in East Africa (HORTINLEA) project, a partnership between 19 East African and German research institutions and universities that aims to address food security in East Africa, especially Kenya. Fekadu also has another student, David Byrnes of Rutgers University in the US, who is working on the effect of genotype and harvesting methods on leaf nutrient content and other traits.

The rains have arrived in Tanzania and Fekadu surveys the field, gumboots squelching. Nearby, Oshingi is harvesting spider plant seeds from their gnarled branches. Beyond the pleasure of passing knowledge from one generation to the next, Fekadu said that developing the capacity of African researchers and extension agents is crucial to improving the visibility of traditional African vegetables. “This will lead to an improvement in nutrition, food security, and income generation for many people on the African continent,” he said.

(left, l to r): PhD candidate Oshingi Shilla and breeder Fekadu Dinssa measure amaranth in the field. (right): Oshingi collects spider plant.

13 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS

Although the region of Sikasso in Mali is the hub of the country’s vegetable production, malnutrition is higher there than in other parts of the country. The World Vegetable Center’s “Deploying Improved Vegetable Technologies to Overcome Malnutrition and Poverty in Mali”, a project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), links vegetable production and postharvest practices with nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities through an inclusive participatory approach.

“This method uses Best Practice Hubs (BPHs) and Vegetable Technology Immersion Clusters (VTICs) to help fast-track dissemination of market-attractive and nutrient-rich vegetable varieties and associated technologies,” said Takemore Chagomoka, who is leading the project’s production and postharvest activities. “We use these sites to hold training sessions about vegetable production and processing methods, and quality seed production. We also host demonstrations to promote household consumption of nutrient-rich and diverse food, and present simple but effective household hygiene and sanitation practices. The aim is to increase awareness of the role of vegetables for nutrition and health.”

The Center is scaling up the deployment of improved vegetable technologies in Sikasso and Mopti. On 21 April 2016, all roads led to Zangasso commune, Koutiala district in the villages of Fienso and Djitamana for a farmer field day. A total of 989 farmers attended, 41% of them women. About one-third of the participants were young people who are receiving training as future farmers. Twenty-two farmers from Mopti also attended the event on a farmer-to-farmer exchange program, which will help diffuse technologies into other target regions.

The theme of the field day, “Community engagement and commitment to improving livelihoods," was selected to encourage local ownership and sustainability.

Guest of honor the Governor of Sikasso, Bougouzanga Coulibaly, said the work of the Center in Sikasso is in line with the region’s goals to address malnutrition, poverty and health. He encouraged farmers to adopt the practices being demonstrated to improve their livelihoods and communities. Regional Directors of Agriculture in Sikasso (Felix Togo) and Mopti (Oumar Maïga) also attended, along with the Mayor of Zangasso Commune, Souleymane Sanogo; Mayor of Kouoro Barrage, Amadou Siaka Koné; Prefect of Koutiala Town Check Fantamady Bouaré; and representatives from NGOs. Participants visited two VTIC sites in Fienso and Djitamana villages, to see improved vegetable varieties of okra, tomato, African eggplant, hot pepper and onion in the field. Participants learned more about good management practices such as composting, nursery techniques and plant protection. The VTICs showcased solar water pumping facilities installed to ensure easier access to water, especially for women famers who are often tasked with drawing and carrying water for crops. Nutrition and WASH practices were also promoted, mostly by women from the targeted villages; they classified various locally available foods into food groups based on the nutrients they provide. Dietary diversity and food fortification practices were demonstrated, along with sanitary practices for food preparation.

The VTIC trains 26 beneficiaries (men and women) during one vegetable production cycle. The beneficiaries in turn each train 3 other vegetable farmers. More field days will be held this year to expand the production and adoption of improved nutrient-rich vegetables as well as to improve awareness of nutrition and sanitation. The project is being implemented by a dedicated field team of World Vegetable Center staff: Project Manager Mel Oluoch; Site Coordinators Keriba Coulibaly and Ba Germain Diarra; Nutrition Coordinator Honafing Diarra; Nutrition and WASH

Specialist Caroline Sobgui; and Takemore Chagomoka, Production and Postharvest Specialist.

14 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS

Vegetable technologies for improved livelihoods and nutrition in Mali

(top to bottom): Keriba Coulibaly (in yellow t-shirt), Site Coordinator for Sikasso, explains to the Governor of Sikasso Region, Bougouzanga Coulibaly (in tan and to his left), other dignitaries and field day participants how the solar water pumping system works. It reduces long hours of work each day, especially for women farmers.

Hawi Kanoute, Nutrition Technician (in green t-shirt) and women farmers demonstrate nutrition and WASH practices.

Field visits. to examine the crops at close range.

USAID program officials visit Homegarden Scaling Project in Tanzania

15 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS

To learn more about the implementation of the Homegarden Scaling Project, Faith Bartz from USAID in Washington D.C., and Judith Kitivo from USAID Tanzania visited the Center’s Eastern and Southern Africa office in Arusha, Tanzania from 21-25 February 2016. The project officially kicked off during a regional consultation meeting in March 2015, but implementation though seed kit distribution started in Tanzania and Uganda in September 2015, and the first demonstration plots were established in Kenya in February 2016. Regional Project Manager Ralph Roothaert and Regional Director Thomas Dubois said the visit from USAID was an opportunity to review the different approaches to scaling out home gardens in the three different countries. Site Coordinators James Mutebi (Uganda) and Charles Onyango (Kenya) also joined the visit in Tanzania, as well as several Tanzanian project partners. The three countries use different training approaches, each with

its own pros and cons. During a field visit in Babati District, the visitors saw community demonstration gardens and the farmers’ own home gardens. They also discussed directly with farmers issues such as group dynamics, women’s preferences and practices, and consumption versus home consumption. During the final day of the visit, Dr. Bartz commented that it had been very useful to observe and understand the challenging environmental conditions, particularly the drought in Tanzania. The visitors also said they were impressed with the skills and expertise of the project team, and were confident that the project was moving ahead in the right direction.

(top): Young farmer Saidi Hassan (green shirt) has been growing African traditional vegetables for a whole season and now processed his own seeds. (below): An integrated home garden with jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius).

About 40 international participants participated in the three-day Regional Coordination Meeting of the Homegarden Scaling Project from 15-17 March 2016, held at the World Vegetable Center Eastern and Southern Africa office in Arusha, Tanzania. Major implementing partners participated, as well as some colleagues from Center headquarters and Liberia: Pepijn Schreinemachers, Kartini Luther, Hsao-Pu Chen, and Hamid Toure. The objectives of the meeting were to

compare the different approaches used in the three countries, to review relevant research and scaling topics and methods, and to develop a strong monitoring and evaluation framework. Facilitator Ralph Roothaert greeted the group, and made reference to the earlier visit of the USAID team. “We discussed important strategic issues during their visit,” Ralph said. “During our meeting, we will have a chance to follow up on their recommendations,

compare experiences from the different countries, and adjust our strategy and activities accordingly.” The big themes under discussion: sensitization of farmers and group formation; gender focus; capacity building strategies; nutritional awareness; drought-coping mechanisms; private sector models for seed kit production; and local market approaches. Panels of experts commented on the deliberations of the various working groups. It became clear that large contextual differences among countries exist, and that local, low-cost innovations need to be culturally and environmentally appropriate. On the last day, one of the invited seed companies, East African Seed Ltd, generously arranged a visit to the field and home of a farmer who produced seed for the company on a contract basis.

The team from Uganda and Pepijn Schreinemachers review home garden strategies.

(l to r): Hsiao-Pu Chen from Center HQ, Grace Babirye from VEDCO, and Cornel Massawe from HORTI-Tengeru listen carefully to a presentation from another participant.

First Regional Coordination Meeting

Do household garden projects create sustainable impact?

There is growing interest in the potential of household garden interventions to address micronutrient undernutrition in low income countries, but evidence is lacking for the sustainable impact of such interventions. From 2011 to 2015, the World Vegetable Center and its local NGO partners, BRAC and Proshika, trained more than 10,000 poor rural women in southern Bangladesh in household gardening and nutrition within a USAID-funded project. A random sample of 677 women was surveyed in 2012 before they received project support and again in 2013 after 425 women of this group received training and small packets of vegetable seed. This initial study showed that beneficiary households increased their household vegetable

production by 31 kg/year, most of which was due to an increase in nutrient-dense leafy vegetables. Household vegetable consumption also increased significantly.

The World Vegetable Center has now teamed up with the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ) in Germany to analyze whether the initial impact has been sustained, and more importantly, as Tilman Brück, IGZ Team Leader – Development Economics explains, "to identify which factors are associated with relative success, or failure, in managing a household garden." The World Vegetable Center and IGZ together with local research partner the Grameen Bikash Foundation (GBF) conducted a workshop in Jessore, Bangladesh from 25-29 April 2016 to prepare for the

follow-up study and to train the team of enumerators. "The results of this study will be very important to improve household garden project designs, in Bangladesh as well as elsewhere, by addressing the specific challenges that women gardeners are facing," said Pepijn Schreinemachers, AVRDC Lead Specialist – Impact Evaluation.

The current study will provide a unique data set of the performance of household gardens at three points in time, and allow spatial analysis as the geographical coordinates will now also be recorded. First results of the study are expected in early 2017.

16 NEWS FROM THE REGIONS

(top): The international research team and GBF enumerators at the project workshop in Jessore, Bangladesh, 29 April 2016. Ghassan Baliki (IGZ, 2nd from left), Tilman Brück (IGZ, 6th from left), Nasir Uddin (Director GBF, 9th from left), Razu Ahmed (World Vegetable Center Country Representative, 3rd from right) and Pepijn Schreinemachers (Ag Economist and Lead Specialist – Monitoring & Evaluation, World Vegetable Center, 6th from right).

(right): A GBF enumerator testing the questionnaire with a woman household gardener in Jessore, Bangladesh.

Fresh, 13 May 2016

Fresh is published by:

World Vegetable Center P.O. Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan 74199 Taiwan

avrdc.org

Comments, ask a question, add a name to our mailing list: info@worldveg.org

Editor: Maureen Mecozzi Graphic design: Kathy Chen Photographic guidance: Amy Chen and Vanna Liu

Contributors: Mansab Ali, Takemore Chagomoka, Thomas Dubois, Thinley Dukpa, Sanjeet Kumar, Rhiannon O’Sullivan, Mohamed Rakha, Ralph Roothaert

Support for World Vegetable Center activities provided by core donors the Republic of China (ROC), UK Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Germany, Thailand, Philippines, Korea, and Japan.