Transcript Document

Fruit Research at icipe
Sunday Ekesi
African fruit fly programme
Interest Group Meeting on High Value Fruits Research, Nairobi, 06.06.07
Fruit Research at icipe – Presentation outline
 Background to on-going research activity on fruit
 One relevant research activity and gaps to be filled
 Relevance to CGIAR System Priorities
 Critical need for new collaboration
 Potential for funding and strategy
Fruit Research at icipe
 Target crops: mango, citrus, banana, papaya & passion fruit
 Constraints:

Production system – Insect pests & disease diagnosis, IPM, technology
transfer, Natural Resource Management

Germplasm conservation/ evaluation/ exchange (collection & compilation)

Breeding for preferred end user traits: markers for biotic and abiotic stress

Post harvest handling, storage and processing

Invasion and problems of phytosanitary management

Marketing

Databasing/ information exchange
Fruit Research at icipe
 1999-2007: African Fruit Flies Initiative (AFFI) – Donor (IFAD)
- Target crop: Mango, limited activities on citrus, banana, papaya
- Target countries (Core operations: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)
 2007-2010: Mango IPM project – Donor (BMZ)
- Target countries (Benin, Kenya & Tanzania)
 Relevant to CGIAR system priority 3A:
- Increasing income from fruits and vegetables
African Fruit Flies Initiative 
IFAD: 1999-2007
Accomplishments
Extensive programme network
established (10 African countries)
 Food baits and traps developed
for monitoring and suppression
African
Fruit
Fly
Initiative
(Reseau Africain de la Mouche de Fruits)
 Entomopathogenic fungi
developed (undergoing
registration)
 Exotic parasitoids introduced &
native ones shipped to partners
 IPM package (bait, fungus and
orchard sanitation) field tested
 Quarantine sensitive tools
developed and disseminated to
NPPOs
 Capacity building – training of
PhDs & MScs
Major Research Gaps – AFFI IFAD mango
 Other insect pests (outside fruit flies) and disease problems - need for an
IPM approach targeting all pests & diseases
 Post harvest treatment, storage, processing technologies and value
addition
 Classical biological control targeting invasive pest species
 Pilot production facility for bio-pesticides and attractants/baits to meet
large scale application by farmers
 Monitoring tools and phytosanitary systems to guard against invasive
pest species, e.g. expanding invasive pest complex on major fruits
Major Research Gaps – AFFI IFAD mango
 NRM practices – water and nutrient management requirements, low
cost irrigation technologies
 Low supply of improved mango varieties with preferred end use traits
(pest/disease resistance, high yield, non-fibrous, post harvest quality etc)
 Linking farmers to market and information systems
 Regulatory framework, certification, policy dialogue
 Capacity building at various levels of competencies
 Awareness campaigns on nutritional values of fruits
Mango IPM
BMZ: 2007-2010
Activities
 Elucidate the biology and
ecology of target pests
 Assess the role of indigenous
and exotic natural enemies
 Develop new technologies
suitable for smallholder
 Identified and tested exotic
natural enemies
 Assemble, validate and
implement IPM package
Top right: Bactrocera invadens
Top left: Sternochetus mangiferae
Down: Rastrococcus iceryoides
 Link farmers to market &
processing information
Critical needs for new collaborative research
 Post harvest
 Develop parameters, best-bet innovations
 Low cost processing, packaging, storing and shipment
 Bio-pesticides and attractants/baits for pests
 Formulation techniques,
 Cost-effective production methods, registration/commercialization
 Diseases management
 Collaborate with experts in other institutions
 Integration of fruits into farming system
 Systems agronomists in specialist CGIAR centres
Critical needs for new collaborative research
 Market efficiency and entrepreneurial development
 Market intelligence & information systems
 Smallholder linkages to market
 Germplasm conservation/ availability/ exchange/ propagation
 Conservation
 Priority crops for propagation, stress reaction
 Seed/ planting material sanitation and micro-propagation
 Irrigation
 Low cost technologies, micro-irrigation, fertigation
 Need to expand research to citrus, banana, papaya & passion fruit
Funding needs & strategy
 Relates largely to research gaps listed earlier
 Current traditional donors of icipe:
 IFAD, BMZ, USAID
 GlobalHort
 FAO/WHO Fruits and Vegetable Initiative
 USAID Horticulture CRSP
 Alignment with CP on HVC
 Need to expand operations to other countries
Lessons from the various research activities
 There is the need for understanding the synergy between different
development partners – limit undue research fragmentation
 Single bullet management approach is inefficient
 Interventions should be geared towards compliance with export market
(also help boost domestic urban market)
 Standards required for export market increase adoption of new
technologies
 Stringent market requirements (certification) threatens smallholders
 Certain management packages are expensive for smallholder (need for
local product development)
Lessons from the various research activities
 Need to link farmers to marketing channels
 Access to improve varieties
 Organise farmers into functional working group to help technology diffusion
 Poor phytosanitary management skill threatens invasion by alien pests
 Need for tools and extension materials to support technology dissemination
 Promote awareness on nutritional value of fruits
Thank you!