ACIAR

The strong collaborative effort to support the recovery of the Samoan taro industry after devastation by taro leaf blight was showcased during a recent visit by Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Brett Mason.

When the leaf blight arrived in 1993, taro exports provided over half of Samoa’s foreign exchange earnings and taro was clearly the country’s preferred staple food. Within a year of the disease’s arrival both exports and the local market for taro collapsed. It has taken two decades of concerted international effort to get to the stage where taro is again in surplus on the local market and Samoa can re-enter international export markets.

Senator Mason’s visit to the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS) was hosted by the Samoan Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Fa’amoetauloa Dr Faale Tumalii, and the SROS Chief Executive, Tilafono David Hunter.

Senator Brett Mason and Fa’amoetauloa Dr Faale Tumalii
in Samoa

International collaboration
The fightback began with a region-wide effort, supported by Australian aid and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, to collect traditional taro varieties from other Pacific islands and South-East Asia, to find ones resistant to the destructive disease. This vital source of resistance was found quite quickly, but in taro that looked and tasted quite different to the varieties preferred in Samoa. So for more than ten years, taro breeder Tolo Iosefa (at that time with the University of the South Pacific) made repeated crosses and tested the results until he had blight-resistant taro that was acceptable to Samoan farmers and consumers.

ACIAR joined the effort in 2008, just as Samoa began to consider resuming exports. ACIAR projects focused on product quality by improving soil health and fertility, and developing cleaner export pathways, to deliver taro free of pests and diseases. David Hunter, then at the University of the South Pacific, was among the soil scientists involved in this effort.

The Taro team - David, Kirifi, Richard (Markham), Tolo
and Kuinimeri

Most recently, ACIAR’s Pacific agribusiness research-for-development initiative (PARDI) has worked with SROS, and especially researcher Kuinimeri Finau, to test the acceptability of the latest varieties to consumers in New Zealand (Samoa’s key export market) and with Tolo Iosefa (now with Samoa’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) to develop a clean seed system for these market-preferred varieties.

As the export drive has evolved towards a fully commercial operation, the Australian Government-funded Pacific horticulture and agriculture market access (PHAMA) program has worked with a range of partners, in Samoa and in the importing countries, to address market access issues. PHAMA’s National Market Access Coordinator, Kirifi Puono, has coordinated this inter-sectoral effort.

Soil health researchers discuss taro's future prospects
(see Partners article)

An evolving partnership
ACIAR’s partnership model has allowed us to help all along the way, bringing in from Australia and elsewhere the various skills needed to tackle a series of issues – from disease resistance, through production and post-harvest handling, to consumer- and market-acceptance. It was gratifying that all these representatives of the Samoan team were able to meet Senator Mason and explain their part of the story.

ACIAR and its research-for-development partners look forward to being on hand for a while longer, to continue providing technical support as Samoa’s private sector takes the lead in competing in the international market and building export volumes.

By Dr Richard Markham (ACIAR’s Pacific Crops research program manager) and Mandy Gyles (ACIAR Communications)

More information:
ACIAR projects
PC/2007/118 Developing cleaner export pathways for Pacific agriculture commodities, and PC/2009/003 Improving soil health in support of sustainable development in the Pacific are both led by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Fiji.

Partners articles: Lesson in diversity from Samoa’s taro blight and Rebuilding the Pacific taro industry (p.10-11)

ACIAR research on tunnel greenhouses offers smallholder farmers in Fiji and Samoa opportunities to grow produce and supply markets, come rain, hail or shine. Our Pacific Crops research program manager, Dr Richard Markham,explains how...

The trouble with growing tomatoes in most Pacific islands – at least the ‘high islands’, with mountains down the middle – is that it’s too wet on one side (facing the trade winds) and too dry on the other (in the ‘rain shadow’ of the mountains). Protected cropping, using a greenhouse in combination with irrigation, can in principle offer a neat solution for smallholder farmers, protecting their tomatoes and other high-value vegetables from the extremes of climate, and allowing production all year round. The challenge in practice is to get the right balance between cost and quality for the greenhouse structure, while managing heat and moisture, pests and diseases in the crop, and the demands of the marketplace.

Edwin Tamasese (far right) and Elio Jovicich (centre right) discuss
the pros and cons of greenhouse structures currently available in
Samoa with Queensland researchers

Finding solutions
Two ACIAR projects are helping farmers in Fiji and Samoa to tackle these interlocking problems. First, the structures themselves: a project (see 1 below) is working with an importer in Fiji, Mr Wah Sing Yee, to source models from China that are cheap enough for growers to afford but strong enough to stand up to normal tropical storms.

As a former vegetable producer himself, Mr Yee understands what the growers need and can negotiate the exact specifications with the manufacturers. For example, one useful feature is a design that enables the farmer to strip off the polythene roof and netting walls in the event of a cyclone, sacrificing the crop but saving the structure for re-use.

Dealing with heat
The next problem to deal with is excessive heat. The cheapest plastic tunnels are only 2 to 3 metres high and hot air accumulates under the roof. Low-growing plants like lettuces will usually do quite well in this environment. But taller, more valuable crops like tomato, cucumber and capsicum will only grow for a metre or so and then get too hot to set fertile seed and produce fruit.

Pests such as broad mites can seriously
affect plant growth (as with this tomato)

The project’s innovative greenhouses (see photo below) are much taller and have a netting-covered vent at the ridge. “This design keeps rain and insects out but lets the heat escape”, explains the project’s lead researcher, Elio Jovicich. Crops can be grown on trellises or wires right up to the roof, letting them grow and fruit over a long season. The new tunnels cost three times as much as the lower, unvented ones – but they should offer much higher returns, if properly managed.

Fighting pests and diseases
Then there are pests to cope with. The greenhouse’s plastic roof keeps out the excessive rain that promotes fungal and bacterial diseases. Our greenhouses with netting walls ensure good ventilation, again reducing the risk of disease and keeping out some insect pests. However, if pests do get in, they can run riot in the warm, dry conditions of the tunnel and destroy the crop.

Entomologists and pathologists from another ACIAR project are working with the team to figure out how to cope with pests such as broad mites that are unfamiliar to farmers in the Pacific. Elio says: “These are the same pests that we have to deal with in Queensland – so this research helps Australian growers as well as those in the Pacific islands”.

The project's new, improved structures have strong footings
and metal frames - essential for surviving tropical storms

Skills for market
Farmers investing money and time in new technology and more-intensive crop management will need to get a better price for their crop, if all this effort is to be worthwhile. Other ACIAR research (see 2 below) is helping smallholder farmers in Fiji and Solomon Islands to understand what demanding markets such as tourist hotels require, and to equip them with the skills they’ll need to supply them.

These include technical skills in production and post-harvest handling, and business skills in investment planning and negotiating with hotel buyers and traders. So far, this project is working only with farmers producing field-grown tomatoes, but the business skills will be all the more important as farmers start to make the larger and riskier investment in protective structures and more-demanding crops.

The final product - polythene and shade cloth keep out the rain
and moderate the sun's heat, and netting on the side walls and
roof-vent help exclude insects, while maximising ventilation

New options, new opportunities
Bringing in these various options is beginning to segment the market and offer farmers a business development pathway to follow. Less skilled or more cautious farmers may begin by producing less-demanding crops, like lettuce and Chinese cabbage, using the most basic technology. As they gain skills and confidence, they can graduate to larger structures, more complex production techniques and higher value crops – which then offer better returns on investment.

“Perhaps this will help to bring a new generation of young people back into horticulture”, reflects Edwin Tamasese, a leading horticulturist and vegetable supplier in Samoa. “There is less drudgery, more technology and more of an intellectual challenge in this kind of agribusiness – and more attractive profits.”

If Edwin and the project teams are right, these innovations could transform the prospects for horticulture and smallholders in the Pacific islands.

By Dr Richard Markham, ACIAR'sPacific Crops research program manager

More information:
This research is part of the Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative (PARDI), led by the University of Queensland.

PARDI's website hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
ACIAR's PARDI website

1. PARDI project PRA 2012.01 Developing protective production systems for vegetable growers in Fiji and Samoa
2. PARDI project PRA 2011.003 Developing an integrated participatory guarantee system in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable production of high-value vegetable crops

Supporting ACIAR project PC/2010/090Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production

ACIAR Graduate Research Officer Emma Zalcman recently traveled to Africa for meetings with village elders and researchers involved in an ACIAR project to improve childhood nutrition though poultry...

I was recently privileged to travel to Tanzania with Dr Robyn Alders AO, an ACIAR project leader with more than 20 years experience working and living in Africa. Dr Alders is leading the ACIAR project ‘Strengthening food and nutrition security through family poultry and crop integration in Tanzania and Zambia’. The project aims to reduce childhood undernutrition by analysing and testing opportunities to enhance the key role that women play in improving poultry and crop integration and efficiency to strengthen household nutrition.

Tanzanian children

The project’s strength is its multidisciplinary team, which includes veterinarians, medical nutritionists, crop scientists and social scientists (Tanzanian and Zambian nationals and Australians). It is quite unique in its quest to not only enhance agricultural productivity, but also to link this to human nutrition, perhaps uncovering and addressing some of the more complex social and gender issues that might create barriers between improved productivity and improved nutrition.

By focusing on poultry and minor crops, the project aims to draw on the strength of women as major agents of change and natural champions for childhood health and nutrition. The first step in 2014, the opening year of this project, is to collect baseline information about the health of children, women and chickens along with social information within the villages of interest. The range of information collected will be extensive, from iron levels in children to locals’ knowledge regarding appropriate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation.

Village leaders and project team at Sanza Ward
headquarters, Tanzania (Emma front row, right)

Along with this data collection, Newcastle disease vaccination programs for chickens will be implemented. The success of these programs in other regions is well documented: a new ACIAR report estimates total net benefits to Africa of around $479 million - amounting to about $60 return on every dollar spent.

Village chickens could provide a path to better nutrition

On my trip, it was terrific to see the enthusiasm of the villages chosen to take part in such a program. Given the nature of the nutritional research, it’s important to select some villages that have not previously received any major interventions in animal health or human nutrition. For this reason, amongst others, several village leaders expressed significant gratitude for the promise of this well overdue assistance. In addition, it was obvious that the project objectives are very much in line with what the village leaders identified as priorities.

In small ward headquarters, elected representatives gathered, many having walked long distances from their village in their best clothes to discuss the project with Dr Alders and her team. Many had thought intensely about the project since the last meetings were held and had prepared profound questions regarding the project’s aims and methods. Several leaders urged the project team to begin Newcastle Disease vaccination earlier than intended as they were well aware of the disease as a major problem in their area during particular seasons, knew of the efficacy of the vaccination and were anxious to secure vaccination programs for their particular village before the major risk period.

The project is complex and challenging, but it will change lives. Its results will have significant impacts on the way we view agricultural productivity and its link to nutrition.

By Emma Zalcman, ACIAR Graduate Research Officer

More information:
ACIAR project FSC/2012/023Strengthening food and nutrition security through family poultry and crop integration in Tanzania and Zambia, led by University of Sydney

ACIAR Impact Assessment report- Newcastle disease control in Africa

ACIAR blog: Chickens changing lives in Tanzania

Success stories are arriving thick and fast from the Australia-Pakistan Agriculture Sector Linkages Program (ASLP), where farmers are putting training into practice to grow productive, disease-free plants.

Mr Afzaal in his greenhouse at Sultan nursery

Mr Afzaal from Punjab province and Dr Daud-Ur-Rehman from Khyber are two keen mango growers who visited Australia to receive training in how to set up and run a successful nursery.

Thanks to the ASLP, these men learnt valuable skills in many aspects of commercial mango production—including building protective sheds, using improved potting media, adopting better pruning practices and managing disease. On returning home and applying these skills, they are now reaping the benefits.

Dr Daud-Ur-Rehman inspecting mango
saplings at Awan nursery

The farmers said the training was very worthwhile and will go a long way to improving the nursery sector and livelihoods of mango growers in Pakistan.

Citrus growers have also gained new skills and changed their ways to improve production. Mr Warriach from Sargodha-Punjab learnt how to best use available water to irrigate his citrus trees. As a result, he has stopped using the traditional method of flooding his 15-hectare orchard, and has switched to the more efficient method of furrow (trench) irrigation.

Mr Warriach digging furrows in his orchard

Mr Warriach has found the furrow technique uses only a fraction of the water: about 70-80% less than flooding. The time and cost of labour are also greatly reduced, since it takes less time to directly fill the furrows. He is delighted his trees are now much healthier; largely because the trunks are no longer in direct contact with water and citrus scab attacks have declined.

Through this type of training, the ASLP is helping build the capacity of many citrus, mango and dairy smallholder farmers so they can achieve better returns for their families and communities.

More information:
The Australia-Pakistan Agriculture Sector Linkages Program is a collaboration between many Australian and Pakistan institutions, funded by the Australian Government.

Thane Militz of James Cook University must have one of the prettiest subjects in the world to study for his PhD: clownfish (of ‘Finding Nemo’ fame) from the crystal-clear tropical waters of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Spectacular clownfish in Papua New Guinea

His thesis is on enhancing culture techniques for marine ornamental fishes to sustainably supply the aquarium trade. It forms part of a larger ACIAR project on mariculture development in New Ireland Province within PNG.

While Thane’s work is largely focused on clownfish, other components of the project are looking at coral propagation and giant clam culture. The research aims to improve the livelihoods of PNG communities by promoting a long-term, sustainable aquarium industry.

Thane has created a fantastic Facebook page for the project, full of spectacular photos of vividly colourful, wild and wonderful reef species involved in the research. He has invited fellow reef aquarium hobbyists, scientists and others to follow this page as the research unfolds. It’s well worth a look.

Thane in his element!

June 8 is World Oceans Day. This year’s theme is “Together we have the power to protect the ocean!”

Through contributing to sustainable marine aquarium exports, this research is certainly doing its bit to protect and preserve our precious ocean resources.

By Dr Wendy Henderson, ACIAR Communications
(Photos provided by Thane Militz)

More information:
ACIAR project FIS/2010/054 Mariculture development in New Ireland, Papua New Guinea is being led by James Cook University. Collaborating institutions are: National Fisheries Authority (Papua New Guinea), University of Natural Resources and Environment (Papua New Guinea) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (Fiji).

ACIAR Fisheries Program
ACIAR fisheries blog - Mabe, baby: Commemorating World Oceans Day (2013)

ACIAR is also sponsoring the current World Aquaculture Conference in Adelaide (7-11 June)

Another story of sweet success from the Australia-Pakistan Agriculture Sector Linkages Program (ASLP)..

Ms Aasia Akbar is a woman on a mango mission. A food technologist researcher from the Institute of Food Management Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam-Pakistan, she has worked out how to use the whole mango to make a swathe of delicious products such as mango pickle, jam, jelly, slices and squash.

Women at the training workshop

Under the ASLP, Ms Akbar's know-how is being passed on to rural women in Sindh province to give them opportunities to improve their livelihoods. 30 rural women including housewives and smallholder farmers from different districts were selected for this activity.

The women were trained in the preparation of various products from fallen, unripe, semi-ripe and ripe mangoes. Many products were made from fruit or fruit parts that would otherwise be wasted.

This project has also assisted the women in product packaging and labeling, and marketing techniques.

Market research has indicated that the mango products have great selling potential. Now that the women can produce top-quality goods, the next step will be to offer the products to local rural and semi-urban markets. Mmmm mangoes...

By Dr Wendy Henderson (ACIAR Communications)

More information:
The Australia-Pakistan Agriculture Sector Linkages Program is a collaboration between many Australian and Pakistan institutions, funded by the Australian Government.

Each year a small group of agricultural research leaders collaborating in ACIAR projects has the opportunity to take part in a six-week program in Australia to help them make the transition from being researchers to research managers.

"John Dillon Fellowships give mid-career researchers a great opportunity to build their skills in research management, agricultural policy and communication. They're exposed to Australian agriculture across a range of best-practice organisations and make valuable links with research leaders," said ACIAR's CEO Dr Nick Austin.

The Fellowships, part of the Australian Government’s Australia Awards program, are named after Professor John Dillon, one of Australia’s leading agricultural economists who was a strong advocate of international agricultural research. By all accounts, the program is resulting in long-lasting benefits.

ACIAR recently produced a short film about the Fellowships featuring the Fellows of 2014, along with a number of short films about individual Fellows (links included in text below).

Making the transition to research manager
While in Australia, the Fellows took part in leadership training at Mt Eliza Business School, along with a program on research communication. They also visited agricultural research agencies in either South Australia or Western Australia, and travelled to other states to meet with research collaborators and others with similar research interests.

In Canberra the Fellows were honoured to meet with Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Julie Bishop MP at Parliament House (pictured above, centre), and also visited key research agencies.

"We learnt many things, but the most important thing for me was my stay at Mt Eliza to learn about leadership skills," said Dr Nguyen Viet Hung, Deputy Head of the Centre for Public Health and Ecosystem Research, Hanoi School of Public Health in Vietnam, and a researcher with the International Livestock Research Institute. "We gained a systematic view on how to lead a research group in the context of developing countries, but also working with the agricultural sector."

Dillons meet the Dillons
The 2014 Fellows were the first group to meet with the family of the late John Dillon. This happened as a result of a serendipitous conversation where a group of ACIAR’s cyclists discovered that their favourite barista is in fact Dillon’s grandson, Patrick Dillon.

The Fellows met with Patrick and his father Mike early one morning at ‘Sly-Fox’ Coffee, which sits aside a Canberra bike path. Ms Matilda Hamago from the Coffee Industry Cooperation PNG provided Patrick with an appropriate gift of coffee, grown by smallholder women farmers. The meeting was captured in a TV story run on ABC TV.

Lasting benefits
The Fellowship program is producing long-lasting benefits not only for the individuals involved, but also for their agencies.

Gideon (centre) with Lilis and Malavanh on the Murrimbidgee
River, NSW.

"The John Dillon Fellowship has changed my perception of who I am and I know myself better through this course. This will help me face my challenges and work with other people to achieve my objectives," said Mr Gideon Pama, Manager of Freshwater Aquaculture, National Fisheries Authority, Papua New Guinea.

There are now 93 John Dillon Fellows from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Botswana, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Africa, Vanuatu and Vietnam. The bond formed within the group of like-minded professionals from different countries is both strong and enduring.

“We’ve come from different developing countries which have different experiences and different cultures with high diversity; for the future I can hopefully have a good collaboration with the other Fellows,” said Dr Lilis Sadiyah, Research Group Leader, Research Centre for Fisheries Management and Conservation, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Hassan (2nd from right) during a visit to an Australian dairy

with Fellows Hung and Zhang, and researcher Dr David McGill.

Many of the Fellows plan to pass on what they've learned to their team members on their return. "Mostly in developing countries we are targeting the technical side, there’s no system that talks about communication skills and leadership skills. This is really a tremendous and amazing program. Once I go back I will train my whole team who work alongside me," said Dr Hassan Warriach, Project Manager, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.

The other 2014 Fellows are Dr Malavanh Chittavong of Lao PDR, Dr Rina Laksmi Hendrati of Indonesia, Ms Maria Lilia Vega of the Philippines, and Dr Yingjun Zhang of China.

Applications sought for 2015 scholarship
Applications are now being sought for the 2015 John Dillon Fellowship Program. Each year ACIAR funds 10 Fellows to visit Australia for a period of 5-6 weeks in February/March 2015. Applicants, who must be associated with ACIAR bilateral projects that are either active or have been completed in the last two years, are encouraged to read the Fellowship guidelines. Applications close 31 August 2014.

Film links
2014 John Dillon Fellowship
Matilda Hamago, PNG
Dr Nguyen Viet Hung, Vietnam
Gideon Pama, PNG
Dr Lilis Sadiyah, Indonesia
Pakistan dairy project (Dr Hassan Warriach)
Lao fish ways project (Dr Malavanh Chittavong)

More information:
Blog about Lilis:Australia Awards: Ensuring there are plenty more fish in the sea
Blog about Matilda: Celebrating International Women's Day 2014
By Mandy Gyles (ACIAR Communications). Films produced by Richard Snashall

Indian and Australian scientists are working together to fast track the development of better wheat, including varieties that use water more efficiently and are resistant to disease...

Farming wheat productively into the future will be essential for food security. The search is on for better plant material and genetic tools to enable wheat breeders to come up with varieties that will do the job.

Australian and Indian deep-roots scientists inspecting trial wheat

The Indo-Australian Program on Marker Assisted Wheat Breeding (IAP MAWB) has been running since 2007 and is co-funded between India (Indian Council of Agricultural Research, ICAR) and Australia (ACIAR). It is being led by the University of Sydney and CSIRO in Australia, and the Directorate of Wheat Research in India.

Important wheat characteristics, such as resistance to devastating rust diseases,water-use efficiency for dry climates and tolerance to water-logging are being analysed simultaneously in both countries. The researchers are also on the lookout for improved grain-processing qualities to enable production of superior products like bread and Indian chapatis.

Dr Swapan Kumar Datta, Deputy Director General (Crop Science) of ICAR says: "This joint research project has made significant contributions to built-in plant protection by using marker-assisted selection with rust resistance genes pyramided combining yield improvement."

Researchers from India and Australia at the IAP MAWB
Phase 2 Inception Workshop

It’s a unique collaboration going from strength to strength with a second, 4-year phase of research just begun. Last month a workshop in Karnal, India brought together about 70 wheat scientists from both countries to share ideas on how to build on the IAP MAWB's successes. No less than eight new wheat Indian research institutions have signed up to be involved in this next phase.

"I am confident the second phase will address the sustainable and durable rust resistance along with quality and yield improvement, which will benefit Australia and India and the global wheat-improvement program. Importantly, farmers will benefit the most," said Dr Datta.

Tools of the trade
The research is producing invaluable tools for wheat breeders in both countries. These include elite germplasm and selectable genetic markers for key traits.

Project team discusses colour codes for genes identified through markers
at the Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal

A number of characteristics show promise for the development of wheats with improved water-use efficiency and drought tolerance. These include high vigour, where young seedlings grow quickly to produce a leaf canopy that shades the earth, slowing down soil evaporation and weed growth.

Also, plants producing long coleoptiles (the protective sheath covering the emerging shoot) offer potential for seeds to be planted deeper in the ground, where they can access deeper soil moisture. Genetic sources of deep-rooted wheat have also been identified, again providing new potential for tapping into deeper soil moisture and producing more stable and secure crops.

Coring for wheat roots in India (left) and an Australian soil core with roots (right)

The IAP MAWB team is also providing breeders with material resistant to all-important rust diseases. ACIAR has a strong history in building rust resistance in wheat in India, dating back to 1989.

The power of information
Extensive information is being collated and analysed on the growth patterns of numerous wheat varieties under different trial conditions, including biotic stresses (attack by pests and disease agents), waterlogged soils and high salinity.

The wheat rust research team (left) and wheat root field trials (right)

The program will use the Integrated Breeding Platform (a state-of-the-art database developed by the Generation Challenge Program of the CGIAR) to manage and analyse data covering all the varieties’ agronomic performance, pedigree and their genetic composition. Having access to these data and analyses will give wheat breeders the upper hand to rapidly develop useful wheat varieties for a range of conditions.

Building capacity
The IAP MAWB has also played a major role in building capacity of young scientists. One such scientist is Rikita Chowdhary, awarded a John Allwright Fellowship in 2013 for a PhD project between the University of Sydney and CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra, Australia. Her PhD research is on “Adaptation of wheat to earlier sowing in India to increase water-use efficiency and yield”.

Rikita in action at CSIRO

Rikita says this opportunity to work with the renowned group of wheat root specialists in CSIRO has provided excellent guidance, increasing her confidence and the clarity of her research.

"Most importantly, I have learned about the value of my research which is important for farmers' fields, not only for India or Australia. It will help all those wheat-growing parts of the world, mainly those facing heat stress and water limitations at important stages of the wheat life cycle from germination to grain yield," said Rikita.

Senior scientists in the program developed a mentoring session to guide research fellows, including Rikita, in their research methodology and career pathways. A large number of Indian scientists have also been trained to identify molecular markers for rust resistance.

Strong collaboration
“The enthusiasm and engagement of the people involved has been a real feature of this program,” says Dr Eric Huttner, manager of ACIAR's Crop Improvement and Management program.

“There is no doubt this collaboration will bring huge benefits to both the Indian and Australian wheat industry in years to come. Australian and Indian breeders are certainly showing keen interest in the work,” Dr Huttner said.

Dr Indu Sharma (right) with members of the wheat rust team

Dr Indu Sharma, Project Director, Directorate of Wheat Research- Karnal, totally agrees.

"I am pleased to see the first phase of Indo-Australian partnership has culminated in an extended collaboration. The IAP MAWB program will ensure profitability for wheat farmers in India and Australia," Dr Indu said.

The future looks bright for wheat research.

By Dr Wendy Henderson (ACIAR Communications) and Simrat Labana (Assistant Manager, South Asia office)

More information:
ACIAR projects
CIM/2013/009 Molecular marker technologies for faster wheat breeding in India 2.
CIM/2013/011 Indo-Australian project on root and establishment traits for greater water use efficiency in wheat 2.
CIM/2007/084 Molecular markers for broadening the genetic base of stem rust resistance genes effective against strain Ug99.

Newspaper article (The Tribune, India): India, Oz join forces to produce rust-free wheat

A brand new guidebook to processing sea cucumbers is already making a splash internationally. Thanks to ACIAR-funded research aiming to improve livelihoods of village fishers in the Pacific, the booklet has been developed by project partners Southern Cross University and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

Fisher in Kiribati collecting a leopardfish (photo S. Purcell)

Sea cucumbers have been hand-collected and exported from the Pacific Islands since the 1840s. Once processed to a dried product known as ‘beche-de-mer’ in the food world, they are particularly popular in China, used as a key luxury ingredient of festive dishes.

They can fetch high prices IF processed correctly – and there’s the crunch (so to speak). Up till now, many Pacific fishers lacked the know-how to properly prepare their harvest, and not surprisingly, poor quality products resulted in poor and variable returns. This is where the research has been targeting its main efforts, working with Pacific fishers to teach them the best ways to cut, salt, dry and store sea cucumbers using their own village resources.

Project researcher Watisoni Lalavanua of PCDF, Fiji
with two species of sea cucumber (photo: S. Purcell)

Project leader Dr Steven Purcell says ‘Pacific artisanal fisheries have waited 170 years for a comprehensive guide for producing high-quality beche-de-mer. The wait is over.’

And Dr Purcell is already receiving terrific feedback on the booklet, from around the world.

‘This booklet was long due and fishers that can access it will learn how best to process their catch and hopefully make a better living out of this trade,’ says Alessandro Lovatelli, Aquaculture Officer of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

‘Nicely done and very useful,' agrees Timothy Skewes of CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research. 'I was just in Torres Strait last week and they are crying out for this kind of material there,’ he says.

Woman drying sea cucumbers in the sun, Kiribati
(photo: S. Purcell)

More than 4000 copies have been printed in local languages for fishers in Fiji, Tonga and Kiribati and will soon be distributed through village-based workshops in the ACIAR project.

Consideration is being given to translating the guide into other languages as well, to extend the reach of its practical step-by-step methods to other countries.

The next step for the research team is to investigate the impacts of their interventions on the livelihoods of the fisher folk. 'Before-and-after' socio-economic surveys will test whether the new improved methods and teachings have benefited fishers and their families.

The research is also hoping to have benefits to fishery sustainability, as sea cucumber numbers are threatened by overfishing. By encouraging more time spent in value-adding of their product, and higher sale prices, fishers may have less need, or less time, to go fishing. Whether or not that happens will be determined through analyses of the survey data.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community is supporting Pacific fisheries agencies to improve their management plans for harvesting of sea cucumbers.

Dr Purcell says ‘Initiatives to improve fisheries management need to progress alongside initiatives to improve processing methods, to ensure that fishers earn a substantially higher income from a smaller harvest.’

By Dr Wendy Henderson, ACIAR Communications

More information:
ACIAR project FIS/2010/096Evaluating the impacts of improving postharvest processing of sea cucumbers in the western Pacific region is being led by Southern Cross University.

The guidebookProcessing sea cucumbers into beche-de-mer— A manual for Pacific Island fishers, by Steven Purcell, is available in English, Fijian, Kiribati and Tongan.

YouTube videoSea cucumber processing in the Pacific : a PARDI scoping study

Articles:
Value, Market Preferences and Trade of Beche-De-Mer from Pacific Island Sea Cucumbers.
S. W. Purcell (2014) PLoS ONE 9(4): e95075.

The cost of being valuable: predictors of extinction risk in marine invertebrates exploited as luxury seafood S. Purcell, B. A. Polidoro, J-F Hame, R. U. Gamboa and A. Mercier (2014), Proceedings of the Royal Society (Biological Sciences) 281(1781).

ACIAR has just partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundationon a new sorghum-breeding project in Ethiopia - last month Dr Eric Huttner, ACIAR’s Crop Improvement and Management program manager, visited the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR) at Melkassa, southwest of Addis Ababa, to check out the project's progress...

Sorghum is the third largest crop in Ethiopia and a key crop for food security there. ACIAR has provided co-funding to a grant with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on a project aimed primarily at building Ethiopia’s capacity in sorghum breeding. The project will enable Ethiopian researchers to apply the most modern breeding methods to improve sorghum for use in their country. It will include identification of genetic components for tolerance to drought, to accelerate the breeding of sorghum varieties that use water more efficiently.

Mr Alemu Tirfessa (2nd from left), team leader of EIAR sorghum improvement program,
with colleagues measuring plant development parameters. The data will be used to parameter
the crop simulation model APSIM for Ethiopian sorghum. The Ethiopian team is recording
the data on a mobile phone, using electronic data capture software developed by the Australian partners.

On this trip, I met with the Ethiopian sorghum-breeding team for the first time, visited their research facility and saw some of their ongoing field work. The team is working with sorghum breeders, plant physiologists, plant molecular biologists and experts in data analysis and management from the University of Queensland and the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

We are only in the first year of this project, but the Ethiopian team is clearly very pleased about their interactions with Australian colleagues. I was impressed by the calibre of the Ethiopian scientists involved and have high hopes that the project’s capacity-building aspects will be successful.

Ms Zenabech Demseh, a casual labourer at the Melkassa research station,
emasculating sorghum flowers so that breeders can perform the crosses
to recombine wide genetic diversity and desirable traits.

The EIAR is already regularly running sessions for the team to communicate information on new breeding methods to teams breeding other crops, so the word is definitely spreading. Through this project, the plant-breeding programs in Ethiopia (on sorghum first and then on other crops), should evolve and improve significantly.

By Dr Eric Huttner, ACIAR’s Crop Improvement and Management program manager
More information:
CIM/2013/005A targeted approach to sorghum improvement in Ethiopia is being led by the University of Queensland.

An enthusiastic group of 22 young agribusiness researchers are planning to use their newly acquired skills in market and consumer research to improve their work, thanks to a successful master class run in Hanoi, Vietnam.

(L-R) Pham Thi Thuy (Vietnam), Souphalack Inphonephong (Lao PDR),
Le Nhu Thinh (Vietnam) and Idha Widi Arsanti (Indonesia)
on their way to run a focus group with women consumers

The first Agribusiness Master Class, funded by ACIAR and the Crawford Fund, benefited 16 enthusiastic and talented researchers from Vietnam, along with others from Indonesia, Cambodia, Lao PDR and the Philippines. Participants were from a variety of backgrounds including government, research and the private sector.

Nguyen Thi Lien (far right), checking the quality of
leafy green vegetables during a visit to the wet market

Agribusiness research helps improve the income and livelihoods of poor farmers and rural communities. It is really important for young researchers to have the latest skills to better understand consumer needs, identify market opportunities and develop more inclusive, efficient and competitive agricultural value chains that benefit the poor.

Learning by doing
The Agribusiness Master Class was a fantastic opportunity for energetic mid-career researchers working in the agri-food sector in South-East Asia, to network with each other and update their knowledge about market and value chain research methods.

In this first market research module, participants spent five challenging but fun-packed days focused on real-world examples. It was ‘learning by doing’ through a combination of lectures, reflection sessions, team-building exercises, panel discussions, market visits, running focus groups and consumer surveys, and also mini-projects addressing key issues in local fruit and vegetable value chains.

Nguyen Thi Sau and Le Nhu Thinh (Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables
Research Institute), running a focus group with women consumers

Sharing expertise
The enthusiasm of the trainees was matched by the presenters:
• Dr Suzie Newman, ACIAR project leader, University of Adelaide
• Dr Wendy Umberger, Director, Global Food Studies, University of Adelaide
• Dr Tiago Wandschneider, a value chain research specialist, Portugal, Tiago
• Dr Denis Sautier, CIRAD-Malica, Vietnam.

Interesting perspectives were also provided by Prakash Jhanwer, OLAM South-East Asia Regional Manager, Sigrid Wertheim-Heck, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Fresh Studio and Dale Yi, University of Adelaide.

Graduates of the Crawford Fund Agribusiness Master Class
in market and consumer research

Building skills and networks
The training not only provided the group with technical and practical skills, but also promoted mentoring networks for support. This is vital to build the pool of experienced agribusiness specialist researchers in Australia, South-East Asia and the Pacific.

"The master class gave me the chance to share and to enhance my academic and practical knowledge of agribusiness,"said Pham Qoc Hung, School of Business Administration, Can Tho University, Vietnam.

A big thanks goes to Dr Suzie Newman for overseeing and coordinating the first Agribusiness Master Class. A second one, this time on value chain research, will be held in September 2014.

By Dr Rodd Dyer, Agribusiness Research Program Manager and Mandy Gyles, ACIAR Communications

'Healthy Farm' branded eggs being market tested in a supermarket

Is there demand in Indonesia for niche branded poultry products that can ensure they were produced on biosecure smallholder farms?

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research has released a new report about a research project that developed such a niche market in Indonesia for eggs and chicken meat.

The poultry industry is a major supplier of protein to the people of Indonesia. Biosecurity on smallholder poultry farms and a safe and hygienic value chain are becoming increasingly important to consumers and government because of the risks of avian influenza and other diseases.

Clean value chain
ACIAR supported research into strengthening the biosecurity systems of Indonesia’s smallholder commercial poultry. The University of New England-led research tested whether the development of a clean value chain would reward smallholders and others in the value chain who implement improved biosecure and hygienic practices.

The trial in three Indonesian provinces (West Java, Bali and South Sulawesi) developed a niche market for poultry products produced on farms that implemented appropriate biosecurity. As part of the project, a number of films were produced, including a short film in English and Bahasa on appropriate biosecurity to produce ‘Healthy Farm’ poultry products.

Market testing
The farmers who used these practices could sell their ‘Healthy Farm’ branded product through approved slaughterhouses and egg suppliers to selected supermarkets. The project tested whether the market chains could provide incentives for all chain participants to produce and market ‘Healthy Farm’ products.

The 'Healthy Farm' brand that was tested

A consumer survey was undertaken in 11 supermarkets in the three provinces. The results showed that supermarket consumers were prepared to pay a premium price for meat and eggs produced on approved biosecure farms. In the egg industry, all stakeholders—from the farmer to the supermarket—benefited financially.

However, the nature of contract production in the broiler (meat-chicken) industry meant that a significant proportion of the premium price did not flow back to smallholders, although supermarkets and slaughterhouses benefited.

Nonetheless, ‘Healthy Farm’ meat and eggs are still selling in a Bali supermarket and eggs are still being sold in two supermarkets in Makassar.

Better understanding
Broiler producers in Bali now also have a better understanding of disease movement and risk factors, and continue to invest in improving the biosecurity of their farms even if significant price benefits are not flowing back to them.

They see benefits to production and feed efficiency, and they understand that improved biosecurity can reduce the risk of disease outbreaks. It appears that these benefits are sufficient incentive for producers to adopt improved and effective biosecurity practices.

The project developed institutions such as the Pusat Biosekuriti Unggas Indonesia (Indonesian Poultry Biosecurity Centre) to implement stakeholder training programs and assist with farm biosecurity planning, implementation and auditing.

Conclusions
ACIAR project Cost-effective biosecurity for non-industrial commercial poultry operations in Indonesia showed that the existing market chain for poultry products can be used to improve biosecurity in smallholder poultry farms in Indonesia.

Industry now has the opportunity to facilitate the sale of products originating from approved farms. The hope is that eggs and chicken meat produced in a cleaner and more biosecure way will become the norm demanded by consumers in Indonesia rather than being niche products.

By Mandy Gyles, ACIAR Communications

More information:

ACIAR Publication TR082Developing a clean market chain for poultry products in Indonesia

ACIAR project AH/2006/169Cost-effective biosecurity for non-industrial commercial poultry operations in Indonesia, led by University of New England with project partners:

•    Directorate General of Livestock Services, Indonesia
•    Indonesia Poultry Industry Forum
•    Indonesian Centre for Agriculture Socio Economic and Policy Studies
•    Bogor Agricultural University
•    Udayana University
•    University of Sydney
•    Livestock Health Systems Australia

Supporting poultry biosecurity in Indonesia film in Bahasa

ACIAR's Forestry research program manager, Tony Bartlett, recently visited Uganda where a new agroforestry project is beginning...

On a recent visit to Uganda, I visited the small village of Butta, which lies in the foothills of Mt Elgon, to talk about the villagers' participation in a new agroforestry project: ‘Trees for Food Security’. The aim of this project is to encourage and support farmers to grow trees on farms for improved food and nutritional security. Previous research has indicated that crop yields can be doubled by incorporating the right trees and management practices into agricultural systems.

In the shadow of the mountain, Manafwa district

There was a very strong recognition among the farmers of the need to change their land management practices, and they are very eager to become involved in the project.

They explained that this project would bring them prosperity ‘like the rains’. They were honoured that someone from Australia would visit their village and provide funding to help them improve their farming systems.

As part of the culture of the Luhya people who inhabit this region and neighbouring parts of Kenya, they gave me with a local name, ‘Wafula’, which is traditionally given to males born in the rainy season.

This project, funded through ACIAR’s Australian International Food Security Research Centre, is about to begin its research activities in Uganda after focusing initial efforts in Rwanda and Uganda during its first two years. Partner staff from the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the Uganda National Forestry Research Institute (NaFORRI) have selected sites suitable for running participatory trials with farmers to explore the scaling out of evergreen agroforestry systems.

Tony speaking with villagers at Namabya

Following the official launch of the project in Uganda, we travelled for 5 hours to the town of Mbale to look at the selected trial sites and to meet some of the villagers. When we explained the project to the villagers of Namabya and Butta, they were very interested in the concept of using trees to improve soil fertility and to reduce soil erosion, which they said greatly affected the productivity of their agricultural crops.

The proposed sites are in Manafwa District, located in eastern Uganda near Mt Elgon and the border with Kenya. This area was selected because it has a wide range of elevation zones (1100–4200 metres above sea level) in which we can trial different systems. It also has some significant environmental issues, such as prevalent landslides and soil erosion, which we are keen to address through appropriate agroforestry planting.

Farming landscapes around Butta

The area is densely populated, with over 1000 people per square kilometre, and about a third of these are living in poverty. The area is intensely cultivated, with very little remnant vegetation in the lower and middle elevations. Subsistence farmers are growing maize, millet, cassava, sweet potato, rice and vegetables. Bananas and coffee are planted in the higher elevation zones and some trees, including eucalypts, are also planted by farmers.

There is a history and culture of tree planting in the communities in this region, arising from previous agroforestry and Landcare projects. I was delighted to see how enthusiastic the farmers are about being involved in this new project. The research should bring them both environmental and livelihood benefits.

Farming systems near Namabya

By Tony Bartlett, ACIAR's Forestry research program manager

More information:
ACIAR Project FSC/2012/014 ‘Trees for Food Security’ - Improving sustainable productivity in farming systems and evergreen agriculture in eastern Africa is being led by the World Agroforestry Centre.

ACIAR research is helping smallholder pig farmers in northern Lao PDR improve their livelihoods, through reducing pig mortality and lifting productivity.

Livestock are one of the main sources of income for rural farmers in Laos; for example, smallholders in Sophoun village in Phongsalay province make almost 35% of their cash from pigs. Thanks to this project, these farmers are now aware of the importance of better breeds, feed and disease management to help their animals prosper and grow.

Mixed-bred pig in well-constructed pen (photo: Emma Zalcman)

The project team has worked with farmers to trial interventions such as growing improved-breed pigs, vaccinating against classical swine fever, deworming, providing supplementary forage and improving housing (e.g. well ventilated with an ad lib water supply).

Results show that such interventions can achieve over double the average daily weight gain when compared with indigenous breeds raised in traditional free-range systems. In addition, the pigs’ mortality rate dropped and the number of pigs sold increased. Farmers noticed that although making these changes didn’t substantially change their workload, the income generated improved, and they are now enthusiastic to grow more pigs this way.

This research is also addressing issues of human health. As in many developing countries, free-ranging animals in Laos living closely with people results in some villagers contracting zoonotic diseases (diseases that can affect both humans and animals). This project found that zoonotic worms in pigs are particularly common in some Lao villages. These include Taenia solium, a tapeworm that can cause significant brain damage in people, and several gastrointestinal worms. When present in people, gastrointestinal worms consume vital nutrients and contribute to a range of nutritional deficiencies, which can be especially detrimental to children.

Animals and people living close together presents a
zoonotic disease risk (photo: Emma Zalcman)

The project team, which includes staff from the Lao Ministry of Health and the Department of Livestock, embarked on a mass drug administration to treat the worms in pigs and people in one village, Om Phalong. Two rounds of treatment have been completed and early monitoring suggests that the number of worms present amongst villagers and pigs has significantly decreased. Several villagers that were interviewed have reported feeling much better.

Ongoing monitoring will further assess health and nutrition benefits. The team is also investigating other risk factors that may contribute to the high levels of worm infection, including the cultural practice of consuming raw pork.

A feature of this project has been the strong collaboration between people from multiple disciplines in Australia and Laos, including veterinary scientists, agricultural scientists, medical doctors/public health professionals, microbiologists and laboratory technicians, anthropologists, economists, field staff and extension staff.

Improving pig production will not only help many smallholder farmers, but also provide better opportunities for Laos to meet domestic market and export demands.

By Dr Wendy Henderson (ACIAR Communications) and Emma Zalcman (Graduate Officer)

More information:
ACIAR project AH/2009/001Increased productivity and reduced risk in pig production and market. Component 1: animal and human health, led by CSIRO AAHL. Collaborating institutions include Murdoch University (Australia), the Ministry of Health (Laos), the Wellcome Trust Fund Research Unit at Mahosot Hospital (Laos) and the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (Laos).

The news is good for breadfruit farmers in the South Pacific interested in small-scale commercial production. They can now have ready access to high-performing breadfruit seedlings, thanks to new technology and training on how to transplant and establish seedlings generated using a locally-perfected tissue culture system.

Course participants learn how to transplant seedlings at the
breadfruit training, CePaCT Fiji

The training was conducted at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) at Narere, Fiji, and involved local Ministry of Agriculture staff, and representatives from private nurseries and Nature’s Way Cooperative. They gained hands-on experience transplanting the sought-after breadfruit seedlings, and also learnt techniques to help ensure transplants successfully establish in the field.

Funded by ACIAR’s PARDI (Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative) project and conducted by CePaCT research technician Arshni Shandil, the training is part of a larger endeavour, known as the Pacific Breadfruit Project, which aims to develop commercial breadfruit production systems for the Pacific Islands.

Trainees view potted breadfruit seedlings prepared for the
Pacific Breadfruit Project

According to Valerie Saena Tuia, Coordinator of CePaCT’s Genetic Resources, improvements in seed production and the quality of plant material at CePaCT are largely due to the use of a new bioreactor system. The optimised tissue culture methodology produces plantlets that are more vigorous, sturdier, taller and more easily acclimatised in a screen house than plantlets grown under the previous system.

“For the first time in local history, CePaCT is able to produce large volumes of quality breadfruit plantlets for commercial farming,” said Ms Tuia.

“The regional breadfruit industry will benefit from this local service. The quality and production level is comparable to high-performing plant crop industries in more established economies.

“For farmers interested in establishing and managing small-scale commercial breadfruit orchards, this is great news.” said Ms Tuia.

The course included a visit to CePaCT’s regional breadfruit
field collection based in Suva, Fiji

The recent skills training also included a visit to CePaCT’s regional breadfruit genebank collection established with varieties from Samoa, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Fiji and Vanuatu. This collection is crucial to expansion of the local breadfruit industry and is growing with funding support from the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Australian International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative project.

This latest training helping the industry develop a productive plant-breeding process complements other activities in the Pacific Breadfruit Project, such as increasing farmers’ business awareness.

By Julie Lloyd, PARDI communications

More information:

ACIAR’s Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative (PARDI)

ACIAR blog Boosting breadfruit in Fiji

YouTube clip: Fiji breadfruit - from home gardens to productive orchards

Contacts:
Valerie S. Tuia, Coordinator – Genetic Resources (email: Valeriet@spc.int)

Julie Lloyd (ph: 0415 799 890)

The topic of ‘Biosecurity: international dimensions, threats and strategies’ was addressed by ACIAR’s CEO Dr Nick Austin at a panel discussion hosted by the Rural Press Club of Victoria on 18 July 2014. In his presentation Dr Austin spoke about some of the significant contributions ACIAR-funded research has made to address issues of biosecurity internationally and in Australia. He also announced the funding of a new initiative to build plant biosecurity skills in eastern Africa. ACIAR produced a brochure highlighting the contribution of ACIAR partnerships with Victorian research agencies for the event.

A farmer field school in Fiji

Plant, animal and aquatic pests and diseases have a significant impact on agricultural production in Australia and in our partner countries. ACIAR’s work in biosecurity over the past 30 years has contributed to addressing both existing biosecurity issues and threats to biosecurity, which are growing in importance as international travel and trade expands.

ACIAR research is helping to improve biosecurity capacity in two main ways. First, by reducing risks of exotic pests and diseases entering countries, including Australia, through improving biosecurity practices. Secondly, it is improving capacity for responding to incursion, through providing researchers with enhanced knowledge of, and hands-on experience with, exotic pests and diseases. Here is a snapshot of some of ACIAR’s work in biosecurity:

ANIMAL BIOSECURITY

Livestock

Testing ducks for the highly pathogenic bird flu H5N1 in Indonesia

ACIAR-funded research in animal biosecurity is improving our understanding and management of risks associated with livestock movement, and the biology and behaviour of pest and disease organisms (pathogens). It is also enabling strategies for effective pest/disease surveillance, prevention and control to be developed and implemented. ACIAR is a long-term supporter of research partnerships that address both endemic and epidemic diseases, including exotic diseases of high importance to Australia, such as foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever and highly pathogenic avian influenza (‘bird flu’).

Vaccinating for foot and mouth disease Lao PDR

In the Mekong, animals are frequently traded across borders and this movement of livestock (and potentially pests and pathogens they carry) poses a significant challenge to biosecurity. To build regional capacity to improve animal biosecurity, ACIAR brought together researchers from six Mekong countries to examine research achievements, identify future research priorities, and to strengthen biosecurity linkages within the region. Read more in Animal biosecurity in the Mekong: future directions for research and development and Cattle health, production and trade in Cambodia.

In Indonesia, an recent ACIAR research project developed a niche market for ‘healthy farm’ eggs and chicken meat produced on farms that implemented appropriate biosecurity activities. The aim of this project was to test whether developing market opportunities could provide incentives for all chain participants to produce and market these healthy farm products. If taken up on a larger scale, improving poultry health and on-farm biosecurity will likely bring broader biosecurity benefits, reducing disease risks in Indonesia and also its near neighbours. Read more on our blog and view a short film.

Fisheries
In fisheries research, ACIAR has supported studies in PNG on invasive fish species that pose a threat to aquatic biodiversity and also the livelihoods of people who rely on fishing native species. Species of particular concern to Australia include walking catfish, climbing perch and snakeheads, which originate from South-East Asia and have air-breathing organs that allow them to survive out of water for several days. There is a risk that invasive species such as these could spread from southern PNG across Torres Strait and become established in northern Australia.

Other examples of animal biosecurity research:
• foot-and-mouth disease and haemorrhagic septicaemia research in Lao PDR and Cambodia (projects AH/2005/086, AH/2006/159)
• rabies surveillance, prevention and control in Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea (PNG) (AH/2006/166)
• classical swine fever in Indonesia (AH/2006/156)
• avian influenza in Indonesia (AH/2010/039, AH/2010/039).

PLANT BIOSECURITY

Horticulture/crops
ACIAR has been funding fruit-fly research in horticulture for several decades. A 2008 study reviewed 17 fruit-fly projects estimated the net present value of all benefits at $208 million, a return on investment of over 5:1.

Biosecurity testing systems in Thailand

In Lao PDR, Cambodia and Thailand ACIAR projects have been building research capacity, diagnostic frameworks and organisational structures required to identify and manage plant health issues. This work includes development of a remote microscopy diagnostic network, and a pest/disease survey system based on smartphone technologies. Australia is providing access to plant pathology specialists and online databases for accessing and uploading information, enabling sharing of information about pests and diseases of regional importance.

In Pacific Island countries, an ACIAR project has been looking at trade-friendly alternative methods for disinfesting a broad range of commodities, including taro and ornamental plants, for example using hot-water treatment in place of chemicals to enable more trade opportunities to be fulfilled.

In eastern Africa, ACIAR has just announced a new initiative of the Australian International Food Security Research Centre to help strengthen skills in plant biosecurity. The training initiative will encompass short-term placements of African biosecurity specialists in relevant Australian agencies, plant biosecurity workshops in Africa, a mentoring system for African participants and funding assistance for developing biosecurity action plans at national and regional level. It will help address significant regional plant pest and disease issues and facilitate intra-regional trade.

Forestry
With over seven million hectares of eucalypt and acacia plantations in South-East Asia, pests such as eucalyptus gall wasp are causing major problems. A new ACIAR project in Mekong countries is researching biocontrol options for gall wasp, utilising natural parasitoids from Australia to address this pest.

Australian and Indonesia scientists working on cocoa

Other examples of plant biosecurity research:
• cocoa pests & diseases Indonesia& PNG
• citrus greening in Bhutan
• citrus pests & diseases in Indonesia (e.g. citrus greening& fruit fly)
• mangoes in Pakistan (e.g. mango malformation & mango sudden death HORT/2010/006,
• wheat stem rust in India CIM/2007/084,
• lentils and pea in Bangladesh (rust and Stemphylium foliar diseases CIM/2009/038
• ginger in Fiji and Australia (soil pathogens, PC/2009/049)
• pests and diseases of Solonaceae vegetables in Cambodia and Australia

• sugarcane in Indonesia HORT/2006/147.

ACIAR's Dr Richard Markham describes researchers' efforts to conquer a mysterious disease destroying coconut trees in Papua New Guinea (PNG)...

The coconut has been called the 'Tree of Life' in recognition of the many products and services that it provides to support the lives and livelihoods of coastal and island people around the Tropics. Traditionally, people have drunk the ‘water’ and eaten the flesh from coconuts as part of their staple diet; they have used the fronds to thatch their huts and the ‘wood’ for construction and utensils. Since time immemorial, groves of palms have protected coasts against erosion and shaded other crops and livestock against the tropical sun. Now, those iconic silhouettes of palms against a blue sky are being reduced to bare poles by an unfamiliar disease – Bogia coconut syndrome.

Trouble in paradise - trees at various stages of decline from Bogia coconut syndrome

Although copra and coconut oil, facing competition from other, cheaper-to-produce edible oils, are no longer the main source of wealth in the Pacific countries, in PNG almost one-third of households, some 1.5 million people, still depend on coconuts for a significant part of their food and income. There was thus a ripple of concern when rumours surfaced, several years ago, of a mystery disease killing coconut palms – and reportedly other crops – in a remote site in Bogia district on the north coast of PNG’s mainland, part-way between Madang and the border with Indonesian West Papua. Initial samples sent for molecular analysis indicated that a phytoplasma (a parasitic bacterium) similar to that causing Coconut lethal yellowing in Africa and the Caribbean was associated with the disease; however, the disease did not appear to be spreading, so there the matter rested for a while.

Trees of Life reduced to bare poles from Bogia coconut syndrome

More recently, in 2009-2010, an outbreak of the disease at Furan village, just outside the busy city of Madang, attracted a great deal more attention, with the fear that trade might now spread the disease rapidly along the coast and through the islands. The national quarantine authority, NAQIA, imposed a ban on the movement of agricultural commodities out of the area, and researchers from the Oil Palm Research Association (OPRA) and the Cocoa Coconut Institute Limited (CCIL), with support from ACIAR, launched a scoping study to investigate the cause of the disease.

Although reports of the disease affecting a range of staple food crops proved to be an exaggeration, the phytoplasma was found in Sago and Betel nut palms (with similar yellowing symptoms) – both of which are economically important species in PNG. Meanwhile, another research team found a similar phytoplasma in bananas (but occurring over a much wider area than the Bogia coconut syndrome outbreak). The phytoplasma has also been found in several sap-sucking insect species but the tests were not sensitive enough to show whether these had been merely feeding on infected palms or whether they were capable of actively spreading the disease.

Intense debate on how to save the coconut genebank

Last week, researchers from Australia (Charles Sturt University and University of Queensland) and PNG (CCIL, OPRA, NAQIA and the National Agricultural Research Institute – NARI) got together in Madang to launch a larger project, to delve more deeply into the mysteries of the disease.

They will need to prove that it really is the phytoplasma that is killing the palms, establish how it differs (if at all) from the organism killing bananas, and find out how the phytoplasma is spread. Once this knowledge is in place, it should be possible to work out more targeted measures to limit the spread of the disease and manage it within the outbreak areas.

The researchers also started to wrestle with an additional ‘crisis within a crisis’: the international coconut genebank for the South Pacific lies within the quarantine area and so can no longer serve its function of preserving and distributing the genetic resources of coconut, for PNG and the region. Researchers from CCIL and NARI are testing the palms to see whether the collection itself is still free of the disease. If it proves to be so, NAQIA will lift the quarantine restrictions enough for coconuts to be moved out of the danger area to a quarantine island, where the germinating seedlings will be tested again and, if still ‘clean’ can be used to establish a new genebank.

ACIAR and the Global Crop Diversity Trust are standing by to provide technical support and offer alternative solutions if necessary.

By Dr Richard Markham, manager of ACIAR's Horticulture and Pacific Crops research programs

More information:

For more information, refer to the final report of ACIAR's scoping study PC/2011/056 Identifying potential vectors of 'Bogia Coconut Syndrome' in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, which will be published soon on the ACIAR website.

It’s been a roller coaster few days at the IHC2014 for ACIAR, beginning with the set up, and its usual furniture and technology problems…where can we hide the boxes!! Phew, we finished setup 5 minutes before the fabulous IHC opening event – enough time for myself and Richard Markham, ACIAR’s Horticulture Research Program Manager to put on fresh shirts.

The writer at the ACIAR booth

The 3,000 IHC2014 delegates are invited in and it’s time to meet and greet. As an office based worker, it’s great, even funny, to finally put a face to a name you’ve emailed for a months or even years.

The Pacific Community has a big presence and gorgeous display – not all display materials made it through Australian quarantine in time, but with billums, provincial dresses, woven bags on a large tapa (cloth made from paper mulberry tree) – it all makes beautiful centre piece for the walls of bamboo, grasses and leafy plants.

Display by ACIAR partner Secretariat of the Pacific Community

Up bright and early the next day. I’ve never been to Brisbane, so a pre-breakfast run to the City Botanical gardens – not a lot going on there – so I check if there are any tickets left for the early morning tour of the Roma Street Parklands(sub-tropical landscaped garden built on old railway yards) tomorrow.

ACIAR has a big day today (Monday), both morning and afternoon presentations from ACIAR funded projects, but before that, are the Plenary sessions.Julian Cribb paints a dire picture of both impending global hunger due to population growth and current morbidity rates fuelled by over-consumption.

Solutions have been previously seen in science-fiction movies – glass sky scraper grow-towers, desert farms, huge floating fish farms…

Do any ACIAR projects include these technologies? Is there any connection to developing country small holder farmers or to the Tassie farmer I’m sitting next to? The speaker moves onto algae farming as another key to the future. My ACIAR colleagues suggest there could indeed be a future here – algae for fuel, stock feed, textiles, chemical production, health food. If this alternative future isn’t tickling your taste buds – I suggest you try indigenous foods, cultured meat, bio-cultures and 3D food printing...!

Julian Cribb’s Plenary talk “Sustaining Lives: Global Food Security”

Dr Shenngen Fan, is the second speaker. I realise I’ve been chatting to him in the hotel lift. His question is, ‘what is our food agenda post 2015’. Dr Fan says hunger, malnutrition, micro-nutrient deficiencies and stunting are still effecting over half the population in developing countries. The numbers are similar for chronic disease related to over-nutrition. Of note is the dramatic increase in childhood obesity in Asia.

These distorted childhood diets have direct links to chronic disease in adults. Dr Fan wants the post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals to be people focussed, pragmatic, and with time‑based targets – sounds good, I agree! Dr Fan comments on negative outcome of the green revolution, was it’s taking over of horticultural farmland to produce a narrow band of grain crops.

Both speakers mention value chains to reduce post-harvest loss. In fact there is enough food produced globally, however poor distribution and consequent wastage means access to food is not equal or in fact fair.

Got to go – I’m manning the ACIAR booth…

A great tide of visitors come to the booth over the next few days – ACIAR sponsored and project sponsored delegates, project leaders, and Australian and overseas based project partners.

ACIAR staff Richard Markham, John Oakshott (Philippines), Nick Austin and Munawar Kazmi (Pakistan) operate the booth

CEO Nick Austin; Horticulture Research Program Manager, Richard Markham;ACIAR Project Leader, Stefano De Faveri

In equal numbers are those whom have never heard of this Australian government agency ACIAR – pineapple farmers from north Queensland, fruit and vegetable importers based in Dubai, horticultural scientists from India, Canadian post-harvest experts, and hopeful Burundi and Nepalese partners.

Of particular interest to me, are two overseas born Australian young agriculturalists, interested in working on ACIAR projects. I am equally interested in meeting the women associated with ACIAR projects – Philmah Seta-Waken from PNG, Ayesha Arif from Pakistan, Endang Sulistyaningsih from Indonesia, Reny Gerona from Philippines, and Australian women Suzie Newman, Natalie Dillion and Julie Lloyd. We invite anyone we omitted from our invitation to ‘the ACIAR networking event’, happening on Monday evening.

The ACIAR Horticulture Networking Event, held at the College of Tourism and Hospitality, South Brisbane, is attended by nearly 100 ACIAR related people. The vibe is friendly and relaxed. Our CEO, Dr Nick Austin, speaks and is followed by Luseanne Taufa, from the IHC2014 Committee and Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Forests and Fisheries, Tonga. Luseanne thanks ACIAR for its support of Pacific Island attendees and throws out a challenge to Pacific women to meet tomorrow as a group. There are six lucky business card draws, prizes include produce from Canberra based small holder farmers. Pakistan scoops three out of the six!

I’m tired, but another day for me to go yet...collecting talent for interviews for ACIAR’s you-tube channel...stay tuned and eat your indigenous vegetables!

Joy Hardman, Program Support Officer, Crop Improvement

Jack Koci discusses ‘Researchers in Agriculture for International Development (RAID)’ – a new Australian-based network of early-mid career agricultural scientists working in international development.

RAID was established in late 2013 by a group of young scientists from around Australia. The group saw a need to promote international agricultural research for development, as part of an Australian career in agricultural research.

As Jack explains, “I grew up in a farming community on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, and always knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture, but I had no idea in what capacity. Going through uni, I gained a keen interest in agricultural research to improve productivity and reduce environmental degradation, but was unaware of the amazing opportunities to apply my research skills in developing countries.”

Visiting an ACIAR funded rice trial in the Ayerwady Delta, Burma.

Working at ACIAR, over the past year, has opened Jack’s eyes to the rewarding opportunities that a career in international agricultural research for development can provide.

“Travel to developing countries and seeing, first-hand, the daily struggle faced by millions of smallholder farmers and their families, while also witnessing the amazing positive impact agricultural research can have on livelihoods and food security, has provided me with the motivation to dedicate my career to this cause. If it wasn’t for my time at ACIAR, I probably wouldn’t have even thought about this as a career pathway.”

RAID is seeking young, motivated agricultural scientists like Jack to join the network. “If you are just finishing uni, and wondering ‘what am I going to do with my life,’ or if you’re an early to mid-career scientist, already working in this space, become a RAIDer and network with, and learn from like-minded people.”

RAID has just launched their website.“The website provides an online platform for knowledge and resource sharing, promoting opportunities (employment, further study and volunteer posts) and for sharing experiences. We want as much member input as possible – the success of the network really depends on the ideas, knowledge and enthusiasm of our members. To become a member, simply register online.”

RAID is also facilitating networking at conferences and other professional events. “We will hold our first networking eventon Wednesday 27^th August, 5:00pm at the Hotel Realm, Canberra, following the Crawford Fund Parliamentary Conference. Please register on our website if you would like to come along for a drink and a bite to eat.”

Jack Koci is an ACIAR Graduate Research Officer and a founding member of RAID.

W: www.raidaustralia.net

F: Facebook.com/Groups/RaidAus

T: @RAIDNetwork

E: RAID@outlook.com.au

RAID core management group (left to right, bottom row then top): Bonnie Flohr, Emma Zalcman, David McGill, Rebecca McBride, Jenny Hanks, Jack Koci, David Parsons, Dianne Mayberry, Rowan Smith.

On a recent trip to Lao PDR to visit an innovative, private sector led and community-focused forestry project, ACIAR RPM, Tony Bartlett met a passionate young Australian forester.

Richard Laity has been working in Lao PDR, primarily with Burapha Agroforestry Ltd, but also with the Luang Prabang Teak Project. Richard has a forestry degree from the Australian National University, but since graduation has spent most of his time working overseas – particularly in Laos and Solomon Islands. He is particularly passionate about using forestry systems, involving eucalypts and teak to improve the livelihoods of poor farmers.

Richard showed us examples of the company’s work to produce high quality eucalypt and acacia seedlings, as well as some very interesting and successful examples of agroforestry systems supported by the company. Of particular interest to Richard is research on biocontrol of the Eucalypt gall wasp pest which is devastating many eucalypt plantings in the Mekong region.

Richard Laity talks to ACIAR project partners Why aren’t all the trees like this one?
at Burapha nurser

Richard’s main work is leading Burapha Agroforestry’s program to expand its plantation estate in Laos. The company has 6000 hectares of Eucalypt and Acacia plantations, most of which have been established in the past 3 years. They plan to increase the total plantation estate to 60,000 hectares, with plantings around Vientiane and Saynabouri in southern Laos. Not your run-of-the-mill plantation development, Burapha is developing agroforestry style plantations that actively engage local communities. They put considerable effort into working with communities to develop agroforestry plantings on land rented from local people, but still allowing them to farm this land and receive income from participating in the management of the plantations.

The Burapha agroforestry model involves planting the trees in rows that are spaced 9 metres apart and then growing agricultural crops (such as rice or cassava) in between the trees. The plantations are grown on a 7 year rotation, with about 70% planted to Eucalyptus, 20% to Acacia and 10% to teak. The farmers who are engaged in these ventures get their land ploughed and access to a range of livelihood activities: site clearing; planting and maintenance; and processing of agricultural crops, such as cassava. Under this system, land is rented from households or the village community for a 30 year period. According to Richard, many households can manage about 3 hectares of agroforestry development each year. The company also facilitates markets for cassava, but retains ownership of the trees.

A wide spaced eucalypt agroforestry plantation with cassava

In Lao PDR, two thirds of households earn less than US$4,380 per year. An estimated 75% of households live in rural areas and depend on agriculture, with 27% of people living below the poverty line. Many farmers practice subsistence agriculture and have limited prospects for generating cash incomes. Under this agroforestry model, the average participating family will be earning about US$4,800 per year extra.

US$550/ha in the first year from management activities plus they produce about 900kg of rice

US$140/ha from plantation management and a further $900/ha from harvesting and drying cassava in the second year

The innovative agroforestry model used by Burapha Agroforestry has been well received by the Government of Lao PDR as a poverty alleviation mechanism.

Creating opportunities - Burapha Agroforestry is currently using small diameter eucalypt logs to make value added wood products at its sawmill and manufacturing factory near Vientiane and the products are sold in local and international markets. This is no mean feat, as in Australia eucalypt logs of this size would only be used for pulpwood. The company employs many local people, including women, in its factory.

Processing and manufacture of furniture from small eucalypt logs at Buraph

ACIAR projects

The teak value chain project around Luang Prabang (FST/2010/012)
The new Mekong forest biosecurity project (FST/2012/091)

Author Tony Bartlett – Forestry RPM, ACIAR

Rebuilding Samoa’s taro industry

Tunnel vision - protecting tomatoes in the Pacific

Children and chickens – a path to better nutrition in Africa

Oranges and mangoes – Pakistan farmers watch their investments grow

Commemorating World Oceans Day – not just clowning around

Oranges and mangoes in Pakistan (Part II)

Nurturing our region’s research leaders

Working together for wheat: Indo-Australian partnership

Blueprint for brilliant beche-de-mer

Improving sorghum breeding in Ethiopia

Real-world training for agribusiness researchers

Markets for healthy farm poultry in Indonesia

Farming in the mountain’s shadow, Uganda

Better breeds, feeds and disease management - improving pig production in Lao PDR

Local breadfruit-production technology boosting Pacific industry potential

Biosecurity: international dimensions, threats and strategies

Researchers rally round to save the 'Tree of Life' from sudden death

A personal bulletin from the International Horticultural Congress (IHC)

Researchers in Agriculture for International Development: A new network for young Ag scientists

Private sector agroforestry: enhancing farmers livelihoods