in the African nightshade field

– From Annual Report 2024 –

Selected highlights

• 20 demonstration plots of 3 amaranth, 1 African eggplant and 1 tomato open pollinated varieties, and 2 African eggplant hybrid varieties were established in DR Congo and Rwanda.
• 4 amaranth varieties, 3 African eggplant, and 2 tomato varieties were demonstrated in five locations and two farmer training centers in DR Congo and Rwanda to enhance adoption of improved varieties.
• 1,800 farmers in DR Congo were reached with amaranth and African eggplant varieties for farmers to grow and select those they prefer.
• 1,424 people participated in field days organized in DR Congo and Rwanda at demonstration sites for various vegetables, and in protected cultivation for tomato.
• 14,837 school children in Eswatini received nutrition education, of which 1,633 children also participated in school gardening activities.
• 229 vegetable business networks were established in Ethiopia and Kenya.
• 8,428 neem tree seedlings were distributed to farmers in Ethiopia to promote agroforestry, of which, 70% survived, with an increase of 1.4% soil organic matter in regenerative agriculture plots.
• 80 okra lines were evaluated in Ethiopia in  adaptation trials and promising lines based on market preference and agronomic traits were identified for multilocation trials.
• 434 vendors surveyed in Adama city, Ethiopia and Kisuma city, Kenya showed that product freshness and affordability are key factor while food safety plays a limited a role.
• Mulching was piloted on vegetable farms in Kenya and Tanzania, with water use reduced by 46%-86%, increasing crop water productivity by 170-200% in Tanzania.
• 1,205 households in Madagascar were  surveyed, to assess the impact of biodiversity training on farmer adoption of biodiversity technologies for vegetable production and livelihood improvement.
• 3,600 farmers in Rwanda were reached with amaranth and African eggplant varieties for farmers to grow and select those they prefer.
• 200 extension officers, researchers, seed companies and lead farmers benefited from training in Rwanda and DR Congo on vegetable seed production practices.
• A tomato line with fruit traits similar to Tanya, a popular variety in East Africa, but with resistance to Tomato yellow leaf curl disease and bacterial wilt was developed and is under registration in Tanzania.
• Improved mungbean varieties TARI Green  Gram 1 and 2 were scaled in Tanzania through the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) movement with the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI).
• 21 amaranth advanced lines were evaluated for leaf and grain yield and nutrient contents in on-station and on-farm locations in Tanzania.
• Market segments and target products profiles have been developed in Tanzania for okra in Africa in the scope of the VACS okra breeding project in collaboration with CIMMYT.

Happy harvest with cabbages