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

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  : African Fruit Flies Initiative (AFFI) – Donor (IFAD) - Target crop: Mango, limited activities on citrus, banana, papaya - Target countries (Core operations: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)  : 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: 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 Fly Initiative (Reseau Africain de la Mouche de Fruits)

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

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: Top right: Bactrocera invadens Top left: Sternochetus mangiferae Down: Rastrococcus iceryoides

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!