Sprouts (April 2014)

April 2014

Sprouts A newsletter for employees of East-West Seed Group

A decade of serving farmers in India

1

Message from the BOM The first quarter of 2014 was truly exciting. We held the third round of town hall meetings in Thailand, the Philippines and India on a theme that means a lot to East-West Seed's success story: "Innovation and entrepreneurship". The theme of the town hall meeting is a reminder to stay curious and encourage creativity that leads to innovation and further growth. We are always on the lookout for opportunities to grow and make a difference.

Speaking of innovation, we awarded the first winner of the Golden Monkey award for Think Big, Act Bold. The top prize went to the team from HGR that did "Product development of innovative traits for consumers and factories", besting two other finalists which included "Plant Doctor Online" from EWPH and "Encrusted Onion Seed Direct Sowing" from EW-India.

The highlight of this year's town hall meeting is the announcement of the 7th strategic initiative, which relates to the very core of the company: serving farmers. We recognize farmer extension as an important part of

developing the vegetable industry by providing farmers the knowledge that will lead to higher productivity.

The same theme of serving farmers echoed throughout a fantastic celebration of the 10th anniversary of EW-India. It was the most festive and colorful party we have ever had in the history of the company! We are proud of what EW-India has achieved in one decade, and we look forward to seeing it boom even further in the coming years. Have a look at the photos from that memorable two-day celebration in the feature story on page 9.

In this issue of Sprouts, we will see more ways on how we pursue innovation and learning, all in the spirit of serving farmers. The stories in this Sprouts issue include a new approach to staff orientation through "learning by doing", introducing trellising to farmers in West Africa, various technical trainings for staff like grafting in India and China, visiting the global seed vault in Norway, seeing the first export of our melon variety Royal Alexia from Guatemala to Europe, organizing the first field day in Tanzania, and many others.

Joost Pekelharing President

Bert van der Feltz Senior Vice President

Enjoy!

E ast-West Seed has been

s Why S proUt ?

Qu z

expanding rapidly in Africa.

In 2008, we established a company in Tanzania. Since then, we have been serving more and more African countries through EW-International. In 2013, our seeds were sold to a total of 17 countries in the African continent.

Simon Jan de Hoop Vice President for R&D

Question: What are the top 3 best-selling crops of East-West Seed in these 17 countries in Africa?

The first person who gets the answer correctly will get a dinner voucher worth 3,000 baht (or the equivalent in your local currency). Quick! Send your answers by email to: Sprout(ing) noun, the practice of soaking, draining, and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they germinate, or sprout. Much like seeds, we are growing, maturing, learning and enjoying the work we do. Something beautiful emerges from our daily efforts... and then it just SPROUTS!

jatuporn.putthaprateep@eastwestseed.com Sponsored by: East-West Seed International (EWIT)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Calling all writers! We welcome article contributions and photos from all EWS departments in all countries. Please email Sprouts Editor-in-Chief Francine Sayoc-Shiraishi at francine.sayoc@eastwestseed.com

2

Strengthening our brand and showcasing our products

Field days held in Tanzania

by John Wester and Mathe Bastiaansen with Marvin Martin Organizing a field day is a big task that requires planning and organizing. It is especially not an easy job for those who have to organize it for the first time. However the East-West Seed team in Tanzania did an excellent job in the timing of the different crops as well as producing quality plants and products ready for evaluation.

Last February 10-12, we showcased our varieties Everybody is excited to get a taste of our new watermelons

to farmers, stockists, government officials and media from all over the country and other parts of Africa.

The first day was reserved for East-West Seed International who had invited distributors from Somalia, Sudan, Kenya and Uganda, apart from those from Tanzania. The guests were very interested in our products shown in the field, and we look forward to making a lot of progress with our sales activities because of that. After the field visit we had a brief work shop whose focus is pushing our Value Pack range. We also had a brief discussion on collecting market information and accurate forecasting.

Farmers checking our tomato varieties

The activity yielded positive results as participants were quite impressed on the performance of our varieties in the field. They asked many questions.

At the same time, this gave us valuable feedback especially on new products that were shown for the first time in the market.

A workshop was conducted after the field visit, which we used as an opportunity to talk about newly introduced products and Value Packs in Tanzania. During this dialogue, government officials also presented how they can support the seed industry, particularly against fake seeds.

At the end of the day we had a group of very satisfied customers. This will certainly help in building trust among our customers and strengthening our EWS brand in Africa.

3

Innovation and Entrepreneurship EWS Town Hall Meeting 2014 held in four locations

The third round of town hall meetings were held during the first quarter of the year in the Bulacan main office (EWPH), HGR-Chiang Mai, Bang Bua Thong head office (EWTH, EWIT, ROH), and Aurangabad main office (EW-India).

The town hall meetings are held every year since the launch of the 6 Strategic Initiatives, to give everyone at EWS an opportunity to learn about the progress of strategy implementation, as well as updates on each company's performance and goals for the year.

East-West

Seed

Pekelharing

President

presented

the

Joost sales

development of the group and of each company, emphasizing that EWS as a whole is back on a steady growth path.

Sales figures for the first two months of the year are very promising. Exciting new products will be launched this year in all countries, and this is expected to sustain the momentum of sales growth.

The company's success is rooted in a culture and mindset of innovation, which Mr. Pekelharing explained through the aid of video. The video explained the importance of innovation in a growing company like East-West Seed. Innovation starts when we look at gaps, challenges, and opportunities – and then we find creative ways to fill those gaps by solving challenges and seizing opportunities.

The theme of the town hall meeting is a reminder to stay curious and encourage creativity that leads to innovation and further growth.

BOM gave an update on the 6 Strategic Initiatives, citing the activities related to each strategy and their results. A survey was conducted before the town hall meetings to gauge the perception of employees on the success of strategy implementation. The overall score is very encouraging, at 3.34 out of a perfect score of 4.

4

7th Strategic Initiative

Farmer extension is already being done by EWS in countries like the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia. As a strategic initiative, EWS makes its objective clear to have

The highlight of this year's town hall

a continuing and evolving role in extending knowledge to more farmers in more countries

meeting is the announcement of an

in the future.

additional strategic initiative, which relates to the very core of EastWest Seed: serving farmers. The 7th strategy recognizes extension as an important part of developing the vegetable industry by equipping farmers with knowledge that will allow them to get the full benefits of better seeds. Knowledge transfer, a term used interchangeably with "extension" or "technology transfer," is what makes EWS unique as a company.

5

Joint demo with Sun Sweet Co. organized with HGR

by Lamai Yapanan Chiang Mai – HGR organized a demo

EWS presented more than 20 varieties

field together with Sun Sweet Co. on

in the demo field.

April 2-3 at Sanpatong Chiang Mai

were interested in butternut pumpkin,

This event is considered a continuation

where new traits of vegetables and

mini luffa, heart-shaped bitter gourd,

of the Think Big, Act Bold innovative

corn were launched. Sun Sweet is a

eggplant, okra, cucumber, yard long

traits project. The objective is to

well known manufacturer and exporter

bean, wax gourds, and waxy corn.

introduce our varieties to premium

of canned fruits and vegetables in

There were more than 400 farmers who

markets and top supermarkets, as

Thailand. It plans to extend its market

participated in the event. HGR staff

well as showcase our varieties to

to fresh vegetables for supermarkets.

including breeders, plant pathologists,

Sun Sweet's contract farmers who

Currently, there are more than 5,000

farming

supply the vegetables to the premium

contract farmers connected with Sun

helped put together this event by

Sweet.

decorating

and

The participants

administrative

booths

and

teams

providing

The first Think Big, Act Bold grand prize goes to‌ The

awarding

was

held

during the Town Hall meeting in Bang Bua Thong on March 31.

Representatives

of

each team had a chance to present their project to BOM and to the bigger audience.

This is only the first year of Think Big, Act Bold. In 2014, we will have another innovation contest with some improvements on the criteria and mechanics. We look forward to everyone's participation!

It was a long journey to the finish line but in the end, one team was chosen as the first recipient of the Golden Monkey award for Think Big, Act Bold.

The team from HGR that led the "Product development of innovative traits for consumers and factories" bagged the top prize, besting two other finalists which included "Plant Doctor Online" from EWPH and "Encrusted Onion Seed Direct Sowing" from EW-India. The top 3 finalists were selected out of a total of 72 proposals, narrowed down to 19 advancing projects, and further trimmed down to 12 semi-finalists that showed solid results.

information on the new varieties.

market.

6

Papaya Expo showcases EWS varieties to Filipino farmers

by Jason Villegas irregular shapes of fruits as an effect of the environment and extreme conditions like very high or very low temperatures.

The fourth station was all about Pest and Diseases and how to identify and control them. The Learning Stations were hosted by our partners in Research and Development, Farm Ready, Product Development Support and Seed Production.

"Makisaya" (Have Fun). A lively discussion was another highlight of the event, dividing the participants into small groups and moving from station to station. This made it a fun learning activity for the farmers. Games were also a major component. The participants joined a papaya eating contest for the fastest papaya eater, and a papaya shredding contest Philippines – East-West Seed Philippines hosted a series of

for producing pickled papaya.

Papaya Expo in the provinces of Batangas, Pangasinan and Aurora from February to April 2014. Called "Matuto, Makisaya at Kumita" (Learn, Have Fun, and Earn) the expo aims to serve farmers who want to venture into the papaya business by giving the basics of growing quality papaya.

"Kumita" (Earn). Having discussed all the techniques of growing papaya to produce quality fruits, the last of the station introduced the farmers to our EWS papaya varieties. For those who prefer yellow flesh, there is CariĂąosa. For those who like Vegetable farmers, fruit tree growers,

it red, we have Red Royale. Both varieties are very prolific

and non growers were taught how to grow a healthy papaya

and produce very sweet and delicious fruits. They are both

tree and harvest good quality fruits. The event showcased

intermediately resistant to the highly destructive Papaya Ring

Interactive Learning Stations. The first station is Germination

Spot Virus. Papaya traders were present during the plenary

and Fertilization. Seed germination is a major gap in papaya

to answer the marketing aspects of the papaya fruit business.

production. Participants were taught the right techniques on

As we say in Filipino, "Papaya-manin ka talaga ng East-West

germinating papaya seeds the East-West Seed way. Fertilization

Seed Papaya varieties!" ("EWS papaya varieties will make

was also a part of the first station where in participants were

you prosperous!")

"Matuto" (Learn).

educated on the right way of feeding your Papaya from seedlings to a tree, as these are very vital elements for papaya to grow healthy. The second station demonstrated Land Preparation, Transplanting, and Harvesting. The third station caught the interest of the attendees: Papaya Sex Expression and Effects of the Environment in Fruit Development. Papaya is a very unique crop having three sex types: male, female and hermaphrodite.

Female and hermaphrodite papaya plants can bear marketable fruits, with females having the most stable sex expression in papaya. Female plants bear the round type and hermaphrodites bear the elongated fruits. A hermaphrodite papaya tree can bear

7

First international bitter gourd conference held

by Ric Reyes

Participants in the Bittergourd Conference pose at the vegetable demonstration farm in ICRISAT, Hyderabad.

Different varieties of bittergourds grown in different counties were showcased.

Hyderabad, India - The first International Bitter Gourd

pollinated varieties (OPV). There is a steady shift to the use

Conference (BIG 2014) was held at the headquarters of the

of F1 hybrids because they are higher yielding, and have good

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-

disease tolerance and excellent fruit quality. Hybrids yield 20-

Tropics (ICRISAT) from March 20-21, 2014. The event

30 tons per hectare while OPVs yield 8-10 tons per ha. There

was hosted by AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center and

is a wide range and diversity of bitter gourd varieties in every

the Bittergourd Project, a non-profit, multidisciplinary and

region. Indian bitter gourds are mostly spiny, oblong, cylindrical

multinational collaborative project to improve the incomes

green or white fruits. Chinese types are smooth to warty smooth

and health of the poor in developing countries, particularly

types, cylindrical light green fruits. The Philippines, Vietnam

the quality of life of diabetics, through scientific research on

and Thailand have distinct varietal preferences.

bitter gourd (Momordica charantia). The Bittergourd Project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and

Bitter gourd is a functional vegetable that contributes to lowering

Development (BMZ) Germany.

high blood sugar and high blood pressure. It has been used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes and is now commercially

The objective of the conference is to promote innovative

available as tea (from fruits or leaves), juice, extracts and

research and scientific exchange focused on bitter gourd.

pills. Global demand for fresh and processed bitter gourds is

International plenary speakers include the world's leading

expected to increase.

scientists and practitioners dedicated to bitter gourd research and development in the fields of agriculture, nutrition and health.

East-West

Seed,

recognized

as

the

market leader and pioneering company to introduce bitter gourd hybrids in Asia, was invited to be one of the plenary speakers.

As Product -Market Combination Manager, I presented on behalf of EWS on the topic, "Current status of bitter gourd production and marketing in Asia and market potential of bitter gourd as a functional vegetable".

There are about 340,000 hectares of bitter gourd cultivated annually. India, China, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Philippines are the leading producers of this highly profitable crop.

In Asia, an estimated

58% of production areas still use open

Ric M. Reyes, Product - Market Combination (PMC) Manager of East-West Seed discussed the "Current Status of bittergourd production and marketing in Asia and market potential of bittergourd as a functional vegetable"

8

Royal Alexia melons now exported from Guatemala to Europe

by Herke van der Woude elon is an important fruit for Central America. It is grown at

M

an estimated area of 25,000 hectares per year. Competition

is fierce and dominated by big multinational companies.

The fruits are exported to Europe and the USA. Because of the long distance for transportation, they need to have good shelf life. All melons in the market have long shelf life, but many are bland and tasteless. As a result, many companies are looking for specialty

Guatemala per week. The idea of Hillfresh BV, the importing

melons with good taste and aroma, but also with good shelf life.

company in the Netherlands, was to launch the variety in February in the Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Europe's biggest trade

In Guatemala, we have been testing melon varieties for four

fair for fresh fruits and vegetables.

years. Last year we received the first order for our variety Royal Alexia. Royal Alexia was chosen because of its excellent aroma,

In early February, PMC Manager Michael McDaniel and myself

taste and appearance. Its skin is smooth with an attractive shiny

went to the Netherlands to find out about the quality of the

yellow color. Its flesh is light orange, very crispy and sweet.

fruits upon arrival. Many of the melons arrived in a bad state.

Taking a closer look at the problem, a lot of troubles were

Royal Alexia began to be exported to the Netherlands in

caused by delays and unfavorable conditions during transport.

January this year, with about four containers shipped out of

Yellow melon varieties from the competition also arrived in bad condition.

Nonetheless, Hillfresh decided to launch the variety and is very enthusiastic about the product. They are even asking seed samples to test the melons in Spain, Senegal and Brazil. The exporting company in Guatemala continues to produce and export the fruits. The next containers arrived without problems, according to the latest reports. The exporting company now experiments with earlier harvesting and the use of so called Modified Atmosphere bags that keep out oxygen but allow CO2 to enter, resulting in slower ripening during transport.

Celebrating the Thai New Year ongkran is Thailand's most

S

important festival, marking

the beginning of the Thai New Year. Last April 8, East-West Seed Thailand observed the tradition

by

offering

alms

to nine monks at 9:00am.

According to Thai culture, the number 9 is auspicious and believed to bring good fortune.

The

EWTH

team

also honored their elders, led

by EWTH Country Manager Wichai

Laocharoenpornkul,

by pouring water respectfully over their hands.

9

East-West Seed celebrates a decade of trust in India

by Nupur Bala

ast-West

E

celebrated

Seed its

India 10th

(EWIN)

kept growing year after year. To

Groot, the EWS Board of Management

year

celebrate our journey during the

(BOM), distributors, and our very own

anniversary from 4-5 of April in its

last decade, the EWS family came

farmers.

main office in Aurangabad. Our first

together for this momentous event.

decade is an important milestone and

We were honored by the presence of

Mr. Simon Groot and guest of honor

we hope that the company's success

Dr. Badrinarayan Barwale, considered

Mr. Geoffrey van Leeuwen raised

will continue to make a mark in the

the father of the Indian seed industry,

the 10th anniversary flag, followed

vegetable seed industry and in the

Mr. Geoffrey-van Leeuwen, Consul

by a welcome song by our staff. We

lives of millions of Indian farmers.

General of the Netherlands Embassy,

then lighted the lamp, according to

Dr. Bijendra Singh from the India

Indian tradition before starting any

Ten years ago, East-West Seed

Institute

auspicious event.

established itself in India and it has

Varanasi, EWS Chairman Mr. Simon

of

Vegetable

Research,

10

Mr. Groot gave a message during

Mr. Groot for expanding his seed

the opening ceremony, expressing

business to India. He expressed his

The highlight of the celebration was

his

over

hope that EWIN will continue to grow

the awarding of 10 Farmer Heroes

happiness

EWIN's

success

and

pride

short

and do well for the farming community

for both commercial and production

period of time. India is one of the

within

a

in India. He shared his joy in knowing

farmers, on whom EWIN largely

most interesting markets for the

that the next generation of the Groot

owes

company. He congratulated General

family

has

their

Dutch

consul

joined

the

company.

Manager Mr. Satish Joshi for his and his team’ s great contribution.

its

success.

remarkable

Farmers

success

told

stories

in growing high-yielding vegetable Mr.

Geoffrey

van

varieties like Prachi, Palee, Naga,

Leeuwen congratulated EWIN and

Prema,

Mr. Badrinarayan Barwale responded

talked about its remarkable trade

Growing vegetables has improved

with a message of appreciation to

presence

their economic condition and family's

worldwide

and

locally.

Arrow

Gold

and

others.

11

welfare. They also expressed their

excellent effort to grow the crops even

trumpet and drum bands played

deep bond with EWS and are setting

under adverse climatic condition.

folk music and everyone danced to

an example for other farmers in India.

Stalls were also organized by our QA,

Punjabi beats. The evening party also

Sales, Seed Health, and PDS teams

had a wonderful dance performance

to showcase different products.

by our sales team and a role-play

EWIN also honored its Top 10 distributors for their great business

based on a farmer's life, his struggles,

contribution to the company. Three

EWIN honored 10 employees as

and how a good seed can make a

special awards were also given for the

the "Performers of the Decade" for

huge difference to his life.

top distributors of encrusted onion,

their extraordinary performance and

okra and Value Pack.

contribution, and also gave loyalty

Thanks to everyone's contribution,

awards for 10 employees who have

East-West Seed India celebrated

The R&D team organized the demo

been serving the company for 10

its 10th anniversary with so much

field, which was visited by distributors

years.

meaning and joy. We hope to see

and farmers. It showcased 25 crops

many more years like this and

and 90 varieties, as well as 30 new

The event closed with the big and

continue to improve the lives of

products. The R&D team made an

festive evening party where the

millions of farmers in India!

12

Celebrating Women’s Day at EWIN

by Nilima Pawar

arch 8th is International Women's

The

Day, celebrated globally to promote

gynecologist to give a talk before all

M

HR

team

invited

a

respected

the empowerment of women. East-West

our female staff and workers.

Seed India celebrated this day by raising

Pardeshi

awareness on women's health.

affecting women, as well as precaution

talked

about

health

Dr. issues

and preventive measures. This open session allowed everyone to share their experiences. Everyone appreciated the valuable information and guidance of Dr. Pardeshi. EWIN strongly believes in empowering the women in our staff, so that they can be productive at work and all other aspects of their life.

Internship and cross-country learning opportunity

by Nupur Bala East-West Seed promotes a culture of learning and knowledge

His internship supervisors are senior tomato breeder Makarand

sharing. To encourage cross-country learning, we tied up with

Pande, and Amit Gaikwad who give him practical knowledge

Wageningen University in the Netherlands for a student of

on breeding and farm operation. Under their supervision, Luuk

Plant Science, Luuk Schouten, to come to EWS-India for his

is researching to find the traits of tomato plants which enable

internship project on "Preliminary Genome-wide association

the quantification of heat stress tolerance and susceptibility.

study for tomato heat tolerance". He is working with us at our

This four-month internship benefits both the student and our

Pune R&D station.

company through sharing of ideas, knowledge, and working style.

"So far my stay in India has been amazing. So many nice experiences, I cannot even imagine how to describe them all. I now fully understand why people call this country "Incredible India". The high temperature took a little getting used to. It was 0°C when I left the Netherlands in January, and 30ºC when I arrived in Pune. The people of India however have been most hospitable and kind towards me and on top of that I really enjoy the food (although I find the Kolhapuri food a bit too spicy).

I feel very much at home in Pune, and I even play cricket with the local youth every now and then. At the 10th year celebration of East-West India, I met even more kind people, all of which were willing to advise me or assist me on my internship in any way possible and it made me realize how well this company has established itself in such a short time. Thank you, to all members of the EastWest family to make me feel so at home!"

-Luuk Schouten

13

Learning by doing

A new orientation program for EWS staff

by Worawan Ujjin

ver heard the expression "common sense isn't so

Our

E

East-West

Seed

Group

common anymore"? This phrase certainly has many

Orientation Program took place on

workplace implications. We often take for granted the

March 10-14. This 5-day program

importance of knowing what is expected of people within

of

the company.

was organized to give a general

cross-functional

understanding

of

activities

different

EWS

operational sites in Thailand and what we do to serve famers. It allowed us to discover the different parts of the organization that many of us had never seen before. This program is also organized to create the sense of belonging to the team. It gave us a sense of pride as a valued team member, and this motivates Enjoying the fields in Lampang

us to contribute to the company in achieving its goals.

We often overlook that employees need to know not only the functions of their job but also the company's goals and expectations, before they can succeed in the workplace and live up to the company's mission and vision. In short, not just the "how" but more importantly the "why".

East-West Seed believes that by providing new employees a comprehensive Orientation Program, its employees will have a solid foundation from which to build a positive employment relationship with the company and more importantly, to really understand how EWS serves farmers.

Visiting our PDS demo farm (eggplant) in Chainat province

Orientation leader Jeroen Baas with EWTH Production Manager Nikhom Tammakhan

Husking corn in Supanburi province

14

What do the participants think of the program?

“

It is such an amazing 5-day experience to see how much work is involved in producing the seeds.

”

In our production area, taking out the seeds of pumpkins before cleaning them

Our 5-day program attended by 22 participants consisted of the following activities:

- Suthathip Akkhuroj – HR (ROH)

“

I really enjoyed the pollination of cucumber and could not have guessed how we do it until I try it myself.

Introduction to the Product Life Cycle and how our work fits in each part of the cycle

”

- Apisit Sookrote, Plant, (EWTH)

Understanding our Vision, Mission and Core Values Tour of the plant, QA laboratory, and trial beds

“

Visit to local farmers and vegetable fields Visit to the local seed shops in Sainoi

I was very impressed with our local farmers and how much they know about every little things from farm to fork and just to see how much they

Suphanburi corn plant tour

love growing our seeds, it is amazing.

Visit to our PDS field (eggplant) in Chainat to see the varieties; introduction to the crop chart of the PDS

”

- Donlaporn Vanichanai, Legal (ROH)

Learning the Parental Descriptor Check Introduction to Stock Seed and Foundation Seed department Pollination techniques Cleaning of seeds, wet seed treatment and drying Visit to the HGR R&D station in Chiang Mai Introduction to the plant pathology unit Doing Local market survey; interaction with local

“

I was very thankful for the knowledge given to us by our local Sainoi farmer and was very delighted to learn the impact that our seeds made to their lives.

”

- Rungtiva Intarabutr, Admin, (EWIT)

vendors and vegetable sellers

Before having participated in this orientation program, many of our employees knew little about where our seeds come from, how their food is grown, and what steps are involved in selling seeds to the market. After joining, they have learned what it means to be a part of East-West Seed and more importantly, they got a deeper understanding of the work that we do to help change the lives of farmers.

This is considered a huge step up. We cannot thank Jeroen Bass enough for conceptualizing this amazing program and not to mention all the managers, supervisors including all of our plant and farm workers who spared their time to show us their work.

Giving our local farmer a souvenir from EWS

15

Trellising, a simple farming practice that contributes to yield increase

by Meynard Tosay t is common practice for farmers in West

I

Africa to allow cucumber plants to creep on

the ground without trellising or plant support.

Aside from the introduction of improved hybrid varieties, East-West Seed is working to introduce trellising among local farmers as an effective farming practice that contributes to higher yield. This is part of PDS activity on technology transfer that aims to help increase farmer productivity.

Basic vegetable demonstration plots were established on farmers' fields in different

Cucumber (Sopita F1) was grown and

Trellising not only contributes on yield

areas across four countries in West-Africa.

actual yield was recorded for both

increase but also improves the quality

We set up plots with trellis and without trellis

trellis and non-trellis cultivation on a

of the fruits which do not touch the

to show to the farmers the difference, and in

plot size of 1m x 10m. The plot without

ground. A farmer can maximize his

order to demonstrate the benefits of having

trellis had a record yield of 74.1kg per

land in terms of space and can harvest

plant support.

plot while the other plot with trellis had

the fruits more conveniently.

a record yield of 225.4kg.

Makis F1 made into freshly bottled tomato puree

by Maynard Tosay omato is part of everyone's diet

T

are grown. One of them is Makis F1, grown

in West African countries. It is

organically at the different Songhai centers

eaten fresh, processed or pureed

all over the country. Freshly harvested

and added to various dishes.

tomato Makis F1 are thoroughly cleaned and processed into tomato puree. It is bottled and

During times when the production

sealed air-tight, which allows the product to

of fresh tomato is low, processed

last up to a couple of months. Tomato puree

tomato paste or puree is often used

is a good source of vitamins and minerals, in

as an alternative. Most of these

addition to being rich and flavorful – perfect

products are imported from Europe,

for everyone's table.

South Africa and other countries.

Songhai a

Centre

pioneering

is

farm,

training and research center that promotes entrepreneurship in

agriculture.

At

the Songhai Centre in

Benin,

varieties

of

different tomato

from East-West Seed

16

Agriculture exhibition held at Aurangabad, India

by Dilip Gaikwad

Mr. Umakant Dangat, Chief Agriculture Commissioner, visited our exhibit.

Farmers visiting our stall to gain technical information from our representatives.

ast-West Seed India participated in an

E

agriculture exhibition held in Aurangabad from

22-25 February organized by the Maharashtra Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

Many companies from the seed industry, as well as the crop protection and agricultural equipment sectors also participated in this agriculture exhibition.

As part of the exhibition, EWIN demonstrated to farmers how modern technology helps increase the productivity of crops. Commissioner of Agriculture Mr. Umakant Dangat and Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture/co-op) Dr. Sudhir Kumar Goyal of Maharashtra State, along with other government officials, visited the exhibition.

The exhibition gave us a platform to show our presence and strengthen our brand among stakeholders like our farmer-customers and the public sector. We showcased fresh fruit samples of commercial crops like Sapna, Red Royale, Palee, Maya, Naga, Deepika, Arrow Gold, Maxima Yellow, Dollar Yellow, Apsara Yellow, Prema, Prerna, Arjuna, Beendiya, Meghna, Hakone, Yamuna, Meghna. About 5,000 farmers from Marathwada, Vidharbha

visited the exhibition,

and we got good response from them.

The event was very well supported by our management, with the help of Sales, Stock Seed, Production, Graphic Design and other departments.

PHOTO FEATURE: Maaike Groot, daughter of East-West Seed chairman and founder Simon Groot, meets EWPH co-founder and partner Ben Domingo with his family on March 22, 2014 at the historic Manila Hotel.

17

Grafting and greenhouse training held in EWS China

by Yang Maoying, Xu Shicheng

Plant diseases are on the rise in many areas in China as a result of continuous cropping year after year.

Soil-borne diseases significantly reduce the yield and quality of vegetables. Soil-borne pathogens are difficult to predict, detect and diagnose, and the simultaneous infections from multiple soil-borne pathogens sometimes result in disease complex that can further damage crops.

Greenhouse pruning training

The market demands a solution to these soilborne diseases. Meanwhile effective greenhouse management must also be emphasized.

Grafting in China has a long history, having been initially used to raise vigor and adaptability in pomology (fruit cultivation). Nowadays its use is more widespread to effectively control soil-borne diseases, aside from contributing to improved yield and fruit quality. To strengthen our leadership in the countries where EWS has operations, during the last quarter of 2013, EWS China R&D team hosted the first Grafting & Greenhouse training

Grafting training

course. Participants in the training course were PDS colleagues from Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, a root stock breeder from EWPH, and customers from Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Participants were given trays for different crops and practiced on their own. All the grafted seedlings were put in a grafting

Wester's

nursery house. By the end of the training, the survival rate

comprehensive lecture which demonstrated the

was evaluated and was the standard for training success.

advantages of grafting and current trends in the

In the following training courses, Clarinda Pile, a former

market. Dr. Goanghyeon Youn, Rootstock Breeding

senior entomologist from EWPH (now EWIT-PDS) and

Manager and Research Operation Manager of

EWS China pathologist Mr. Xu also shared their knowledge

EWCN, also introduced different grafting methods,

on disease diagnosis and integrated pest management.

The

training

started

with

John

and after-grafting management skills which are important for grafted seedlings' survival. Next, all

All trainees went back with knowledge and tools for grafting,

breeders from EWS China shared different methods

and we believe everyone is confident to introduce grafting

for cucumber, bitter gourd, eggplant and tomato.

in their domain areas. No doubt, it was a successful and challenging event – a great opportunity for learning as well as promoting cooperation and teamwork in the group.

Dr. Edwin's training After the busy training week, the R&D team was enthusiastic to get another chance to enrich their know-how. Last time the team learned experimental design, data collection, and analysis by different methods from Dr. Edwin Javier's lecture. This time the team explored topics like plant breeding methods, how to maximize gain in the selection, ways to increase heritability and selection intensity. All participants were fully immersed in the lessons, which will benefit us greatly in the future.

Dr. Edwin's training at the Nanning station

18

The grafting era has just begun EWS joins first ISHS grafting symposium

by Yongqia Tang Vegetable grafting was first recorded in an ancient Chinese book entitled "Fan-Sheng-Zhi-Shu". Today, this production technique can become vastly significant in the world's vegetable industry.

Promoting grafting in India

With the theme "Environmental Friendly Production of

by Nanjunda Reddy, PDS EWIN

Vegetables Via Grafting", over 260 participants from 21 countries gathered in the 1st International Society for

As a continuation to the practical PDS training on grafting

Horticultural Science (ISHS) International Symposium on

and indoor cultivation organized in China during the latter

Vegetable Grafting at Huazhong Agricultural University,

part of 2013, a special task force was set up to popularize

Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China from March 17 to 21, 2014.

grafting in East-West Seed India.

The said conference aims to promote communication and cooperation among vegetable researchers from institutions,

Vegetable farmers in India face serious problems from

private companies and growers from all over the world.

soil-borne diseases like bacterial wilt, Fusarium wilt and nematode. Grafting is one of the best known environment-

Three of our researchers were sent to the convention:

friendly techniques, not only to deal with soil-borne

Yongqia Tang (Plant Breeder-Cucumber) and Goanghyeon

problems, but also in some cases improve plant vigor, fruit

Youn (CBM-Rootstock) from EWS China and Ronald Magos

quality, yield and tolerance to abiotic stress.

(Plant Breeder-Rootstock) from EWPH. East-West Seed has been working on rootstock breeding and technique extension

We initially practiced grafting techniques at the R&D

to many developing countries for many years.

station in Bangalore. Later, practical training programs were organized to educate about 30 members of PDS,

Topics were divided into six sections: "Grafted Seedling

R&D and S&M teams. Recently a grafting exhibit was set

Production",

Biotechnology",

up by the PDS team during the 10th anniversary celebration

"Grafting and Biotic Stresses", "Grafting and Abiotic Stresses",

of East-West Seed India in the Aurangabad demo field. Its

"Rootstock-scion/soil Biota Interactions", and "Rootstock-

aim is to promote grafting among EWIN staff, distributors,

mediated Effects on Yield and Fruit Quality".

and farmers. The exhibit was a big success in attracting

"Rootstock

Breeding

and

and creating curiosity on the application of grafting in key Dr. Youn emphasized the importance of conducting similar

vegetable crops.

gatherings in the future. He related that such events will serve as an avenue for building goodwill among vegetable

Immediate plans are being worked out to identify and set

researchers and more importantly, in providing a platform

up extensive trials at key locations in India. The goal is to

of updating their respective insights and developments on

help Indian farmers address soil-borne problems with easy

grafting.

and cost effective solutions.

19

A global effort to ensure crop diversity

by Mary Ann Sayoc The Global Crop Diversity Trust is an international organization working to ensure the conservation of crop diversity essential for food and agriculture. It is an essential element of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Treaty was created with emphasis on crop diversity as the key to food security.

Nature's biodiversity is a treasure worth protecting in itself, and crop diversity safeguards it. Sustainable development is another motivation for this huge effort. Livelihoods in poor rural areas are rooted in a secure base of crop diversity. The use of a greater diversity of available crops is a strategy that farmers can apply to develop their own agricultural systems with minimal environmental impacts.

In the context of climate change, plants from anywhere in the world may hold the answers to climate challenges – including the wild varieties, which often survive under much more extreme conditions than their domesticated

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has three vault

cousins.

rooms that can conserve about 3 million varieties of crops, exceeding the estimated number of different

I am honored to be invited as a member of the Executive Board, which is

varieties of seeds in the world. To date, there are

the principal decision-making body of the Crop Trust. The Board normally

around 820,000 varieties safely conserved in the

meets twice each year. It currently comprises eleven members who are

vault from nearly every country in the world. The

appointed by key Trust stakeholder. I was appointed by the Donors'

construction of the global seed vault was funded by

Council of the Crop Trust representing the business aspect of the seed

the Norwegian government to the tune of nine million

industry and a female from Southeast Asia.

US dollars.

The vault is the ultimate insurance policy for the world's food supply, offering options for future generations to overcome the challenges of climate change and population growth. It will secure, for centuries, millions of seeds representing every important crop variety available in the world today.

EWPH Country Manager Dr. Mary Ann Sayoc was appointed to the Executive Board of the Global Crop Diversity Trust

We visited the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, built deep inside a mountain on a remote island halfway between Norway and the North Pole. The purpose of the vault is to store duplicates (backups) of seed samples from the world's crop collections. Permafrost and thick rock ensure that the seed samples will remain frozen even without power. The vault is well above sea level, protected from flooding. The area is geologically stable and humidity levels are low.