Fruit Research at icipe

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Fruit Research at icipe Sunday Ekesi African
fruit fly programme
Interest Group Meeting on High Value Fruits
Research, Nairobi, 06.06.07
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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

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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

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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

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• Accomplishments
• Extensive programme network established (10
  African countries)
• Food baits and traps developed for monitoring and
  suppression
• 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

African Fruit Flies Initiative IFAD 1999-2007
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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

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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

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• 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
• Link farmers to market processing information

Mango IPM BMZ 2007-2010
Top right Bactrocera invadens Top left
Sternochetus mangiferae Down Rastrococcus
iceryoides
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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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Thank you!