Promoting vegetable diversity and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean, with more tolerant varieties

Cahabonero chili pepper in Alta Verapaz now being improved for resistance to viruses, phythophtora blight and fusarium wilt

Since 2021, WorldVeg expanded its work in Latin America and the Caribbean with a new project to sustainably improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in seven countries. This aim is to increase vegetable production by introducing and evaluating new varieties for domestic and export markets, conserve available vegetable biodiversity for future use, and develop a regional vegetable network. This reports experiences from three of these countries – Guatemala, Haiti, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

In Guatemala, it is estimated that each year, tomato is grown on some 7,000 hectares, with pepper on more than 3,200 hectares. In 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock recommended that efforts should be made to improved yields and the quality of these crops to maintain high market prices. Among the main causes that limit production are diseases caused by Fusarium sp., Phythophthora infestans, P. capsici, Ralstonia spp., phytoplasmas and viruses. The agrochemicals used to control these diseases add to production costs and affect the health of farmers and the environment.

World Veg and ICTA (Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Agrícolas) responded to this challenge. Two higher yielding tomato lines were identified from trials at ICTA’s Chimaltenango station, a round-type (AVTO1954) and a saladette-type (AVTO1915). A disease resistance F₂ population has also been produced for future testing. WorldVeg chili pepper and sweet pepper have been evaluated, with more to test in 2024 for resistance to phytophthora and begomoviruses. ICTA is also developing new cahabonero chili varieties in crossing blocks using disease resistant lines from WorldVeg. In the future, it is expected that tens of thousands of smallholder producers will benefit from new tomato and peppers resistant to common crop diseases in Guatemala, and that are also tolerant to heat and drought.

In Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Ministry of Agriculture earmarked several key areas for immediate intervention in 2022, that included the need to increase the production of broccoli, carrot, cucumber, tomato and sweet pepper among other crops. The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) in Saint Kitts and Nevis was specifically tasked with introducing and evaluating new lines of these commodities to identify and select suitable ones for local cultivation. WorldVeg became a critical partner for CARDI and the wider sector in this endeavor, having made years of progress in breeding and evaluating vegetable crops of interest for the country. The Ministry of Agriculture has expressed great satisfaction with the results from the collaboration, that has evaluated WorldVeg-developed lines of tomato, sweet pepper and broccoli on the islands. Based on the early successes, they have asked for trials to be extended to three additional sites, and have committed to providing additional resources to support this expansion.

In Haiti, the iF Foundation has been evaluating WorldVeg vegetable varieties since 2022, including tomato (14 lines), chili pepper (5), sweet pepper (5), habanero pepper (5), and pumpkin (10). Of these, based on good yields, adaptability and acceptance by local consumers, four tomato lines (AVTO1903, AVTO1915, AVTO2101 AVTO2132) and three pepper lines (AVPP0417, AVPP0701, AVPP0913) were selected for seed multiplication. Other crops are still undergoing evaluation.

Seed systems in Caribbean countries, especially for vegetable seed, are typically weak and largely neglected by the private seed sector. Initiatives such as these that evaluate and release locally developed and highly adapted vegetable varieties are thus very welcome, and will have a significant impact in the lives of smallholder famers in the region.

The reports work from the project ‘Promoting vegetable diversity for more resilient livelihoods and healthier diets in the Latin America and Caribbean Region’, funded by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Implementation is led by the World Vegetable Center with partners in Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, Paraguay, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Thanks to Carlos Raúl Maldonado Mota for news from Guatemala, Kistian Flemming in St Kitts-Nevis, and Edlyne Cange in Haiti.

This article can also be found in the World Vegetable Center Annual Report 2023

WorldVeg Annual Report 2023 ! – World Vegetable Center (avrdc.org)