stories from the March 2017 issue of FRESH
VISITORS: February – March 2017
See who visited the World Vegetable Center in recent weeks!
Departures from Headquarters
WorldVeg HQ bid farewell to Plant Pathologist Rishi Burlakoti, who is pursuing new opportunities with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. His research there will focus on diseases of key high value horticultural crops including small fruits, field and greenhouse vegetables in Fraser Valley areas of British Columbia. Best of luck, Rishi!
Leonard Taylor
Leonard Taylor is an undergraduate biology student from the University of Bath, UK, currently interning at the World Vegetable Center East and Southeast Asia Research and Training Station on Kasetsart University’s Kamphaeng Saen campus, Thailand.
Thibault Nordey
Thibault Nordey joined the WorldVeg Eastern and Southern Africa team on 1 March 2017 for a two-year secondment from CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development).
A prize-winning photo
This delightful image from the World Vegetable Center took second place in the Feed the Future 2017 photo contest!
Trapping Tuta
An invasive new pest is devastating Karnataka's tomato crop, but WorldVeg staff have found a solution that has the enthusiastic support of farmers and government alike. --MORE--
Promoting traditional vegetables in Papua New Guinea
Traditional vegetables once provided a large proportion of the daily protein, vitamin and mineral intake in Papua New Guinea. As the country becomes integrated with the global economy, however, people are consuming more imported processed foods and are eating more meat. Groups in PNG are working to promote consumption of traditional crops to improve nutrition and health. --MORE--
Bangladesh genebank specialists strive to maintain seed quality
At the request of the Bangladesh seed industry and with financial support from seed companies, WorldVeg South Asia organized a three-day training course on “Maintaining Seed Quality” from 16 - 18 January 2017 at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in Gazipur. --MORE--
How to produce the best dried vegetables
Short growing seasons limit the availability of vegetables in many locations in Africa and Asia. The World Vegetable Center is tackling this problem by promoting consumption of dried vegetables when fresh vegetables are in short supply. --MORE--
A new season for Odisha onions
In Odisha in eastern India onions are usually grown during the dry winter or Rabi season. The World Vegetable Center has now created a profitable new alternative for farmers by promoting onion production during the wet summer or Kharif season, a practice that was never considered possible because of waterlogging problems. --MORE--