Development of vegetable (pepper and tomato) varieties in Asia with AFACI country members

Strengthening the pepper and tomato public sector breeding programs throughout Asia

Start date: November 2019
End date: October 2022

Tomato and pepper are among the most important vegetables grown by smallholder farmers. Productivity of tomato and pepper is often reduced by both biotic and abiotic stresses, the types of which can vary among regions. In Asia, the private vegetable seed sector has seen a shift from many small local or regional seed companies towards fewer large national and multinational companies. These multinational companies rely heavily on seed distributors based in the countries they operate, while research and development activities often occur in a different country with potentially different environmental conditions, pathogens, and consumer preferences. Therefore, relatively few locally preferred cultivars are available, and available cultivars are often old or poorly adapted to the local conditions and are susceptible to major pests and diseases.

The objective of this project is to strengthen the pepper and tomato public sector breeding programs throughout Asia. We will accomplish this through focusing on improvement of technical skills in breeding for disease resistance, including standardized inoculation and screening techniques, pathogen identification, the use of molecular markers for improved selection and genetic resources for breeding and monitoring/guiding the breeding process. Ultimately, we will make it possible for PIs of Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) country members to generate fixed lines and/or independent cultivars in each AFACI member country.

The main purpose for this project is capacity development of public sector tomato and pepper breeders, focusing on disease resistance through education and germplasm (including WorldVeg lines) sharing among AFACI country members [as Official development assistance (ODA) from Rural Development Administration, Korea]. The overall goal is to foster independence in vegetable sustainability through the development of vegetable cultivars to meet their local farmer and consumer preferences.

Project countries

Return to the Project List