Q3 2013
Sprouts A newsletter for employees of East-West Seed Group
Expanding to New Territories
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Message from the BOM Innovation and change A seed company is a knowledge business. In an industry like ours, the organization needs to be innovative and adaptive to change. In this issue of Sprouts, we feature stories that highlight constant innovation and adapting to change as the main ingredients for business sustainability. We set our sights beyond Asia and expand to new territories. We take a look at our interesting work on the other side of the world: Africa and South America, where we introduce innovative products to vegetable farmers. We have a story on our activities in Tanzania, as well as our farmer trainings in West Africa. We also have a story on Belize, a country in Central America where our tomato Nirvana F1 is the leading product. In our home markets, we never stop looking for
opportunities and building partnerships. In Thailand, we are exploring opportunities for processed waxy corn by collaborating with Sun Sweet, the top food processing company for sweet corn in Thailand. In Indonesia, we expand our range of products by successfully capturing the popular hot pepper varieties "TM999", "Hot Chili" and "Krida" through an exclusive partnership with Seminis, where these varieties developed by Seminis and previously distributed by third parties are now relaunched and made available exclusively under EWINDO's "Cap Panah Merah" brand. By this, the Seminis brand will disappear from the market in Indonesia, as their varieties will be absorbed in our EWS range. Previously, a similar collaboration was done in the Philippines between EWPH and Syngenta for highland crop varieties. Both collaborations confirm the excellent brand building the teams of both countries have achieved during the past few years.
Joost Pekelharing President
Bert van der Feltz Senior Vice President
In the Philippines, the East-West Seed Foundation continues to take root by partnering with private foundations and corporations in promoting school-based vegetable gardening. We look forward to seeing the advocacy grow even further. We believe in learning and knowledge-sharing to develop our human capital. On EastWest Seed Academy, we have stories on Dr. Edwin Javier's technical training sessions in different EWS locations about experimental designs and data analysis tools.
s? h S r U o t y p W
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!
Simon Jan de Hoop Vice President for R&D
We also feature how the internet and social media can stimulate research networking and collecting information. Our assistant breeder in Bangalore, Harshal Pande, writes about the advantages of Research Gate, an online community for scientists. Speaking of being excited about research, we have an article from Alle van der Vange, an Applied Biology student of the CAH Vilentum in Almere, The Netherlands. He did his internship at the Hortanova Research Center in Lipa. Let's continue to be good learners, to spot opportunities and explore new approaches. Stay curious!
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
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Meet the Academy: Dr. Edwin Javier In the following issues of Sprouts, we will feature the great men and women of East-West Seed working diligently to facilitate technical training and knowledge sharing to equip our people with skills to better serve our farmers. In this issue, we are featuring Dr. Edwin Javier, R&D Training Coordinator for East-West Seed Academy. - Mark Relova, EWS Academy Manager Observing my students in these training sessions, I believe our group can truly be proud of being innovative! We like trying new methods and tools to achieve research goals. We are receptive to new ideas and are inquisitive. Our employees are very hardworking, highly motivated and generally love what they are doing! I find my role in the Academy and in East-West Seed very critical. It is interesting to teach EWS staff who graduated from college many years ago. While it may be challenging to explain in simple language technically difficult subject matter, I find it very fulfilling when trainees say that they would try new tools and concepts learned, ask questions during lectures, and recognize the relevance of lecture topics in their current work.
ello, everyone! My name is Edwin Javier, R&D Training Coordinator for the East-West Seed Academy. I bring with me over 40 years H of teaching and research experience gained from my tenure at the
To reach more students and facilitate knowledge sharing in EWS, I will be uploading my learning materials at the EWS Academy Sharepoint site. Continue to learn and reach out to me (Edwin. Javier@eastwestseed.com) if you have questions. Ultimately, I believe that in a rapidly changing world of developing, testing, and marketing new plant varieties, those who have the abilities to search, learn, and adapt new ideas and technologies will prevail.
universities, food and agriculture organizations, International Rice Research Institute and the AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center. My role is to work closely with the Research Operations Managers in identifying and prioritizing R&D training courses of each country, assess the technical strengths and weaknesses of our staff through survey and training feedback, and conduct classroom training on advanced technical topics, among other things.
Since I joined, I have conducted about 15 training sessions across our various sites in Asia. These training sessions focus on the following: • Experimental designs and data analysis tools that will help researchers in improving their methodologies and standardizing/ harmonizing their testing and selection process • Breeding and selection methods that will enhance the development of commercial pureline varieties for self-pollinated crops • Genetic resources management issues that impinge on seed multiplication approach, intellectual property rights, and germplasm sharing.
Knowledge enhancement sessions in India
by Shashikant Nahire and Jaishri Sawarkar
urangabad, India -- Proper data collection and analysis using statistical tools
Aare crucial in drawing a meaningful conclusion and making decisions in
breeding programs as well as crop trials for hybrid selections. Last 20-24 May, EW India was fortunate to have Dr. Edwin Javier, R&D Training Coordinator for East-West Seed Academy, conduct a 5-day training on "Experimental Designs and Statistical Analysis". Ten members from R & D and two members from PDS attended the training session. The useful analysis topics, experimental designs, sources of experimental errors, data analysis, interpretation and presentation, augmented designs were emphasized with specific examples both in breeding and PDS. Although the subject was perceived by many participants to be difficult, Dr. Edwin's skillful teaching, relevant examples and practice gave the team confidence and created interest among all. General Manager Mr. Satish Joshi and Country HR Manager Gautam Saha acknowledged Dr. Edwin for generating interest and integrating statistical tools in R&D decision making in India. On behalf of the whole team, Mr. Satish presented a token of appreciation to Dr. Edwin Javier.
Training participants with Dr Edwin holding an idol of Lord Ganesha which represents good beginning and blessings for success.
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Exploring opportunities for waxy corn by Sanong Maneewan
bout 85% of all hybrid waxy corn sold in the fresh market in Thailand is an EastA West Seed variety. It is one of the biggest
successes of the company to date. In 2003, it began selling 0.5 metric tons (mt) of seeds from its first variety, Big White 852. More than 8 varieties have been launched since then, including highly successful ones like Sweet White, Violet White, Sweet Violet and Niew Taptim. The sweet waxy corn is an innovation of East-West Seed. It has a superb eating quality which combines the sweetness of EWS VP for sweet corn to R&D Simon Jan de Hoop the chewiness with fellow Maejo University of waxy corn honorary degree recipient and - the best of Sun Sweet President Dr. Ongart Kittikhunchai both worlds! In 2012, sales volume grew to 300 mt of seeds, which yields 360,000 tons of fresh corn. This generates
value for farmers of more than 2.5 billion baht (approx 80 million USD). EWTH (better known in Thailand as the Sorndaeng brand) is exploring opportunities for processed waxy corn by collaborating with Sun Sweet, the top food processing company for sweet corn in Thailand. Sun Sweet has a sales turnover of 1.3 billion baht per year (approx 42 million USD). Its plant in Chiang Mai has a capacity of 500 tons of fresh corn per day which is processed into canned corn, pouch corn on the cob, pouch whole kernel corn, and frozen corn. Together, we are currently looking at opportunities in frozen waxy corn for both domestic and export markets. We began test-freezing a small sample of 100 ears a day for one week to test the quality of fresh supply in Chiang Mai. When evaluation of product quality is done after processing, the product will be supplied to supermarkets in Thailand and for export. We also support Sun Sweet by providing seed samples for variety testing, finding the right quality for frozen corn, and connecting them with the supply chain.
East-West Seed expands range of products in Indonesia through Seminis collaboration T EastWest Seed P Indonesia
e x p a n d s its range of p r o d u c t s through an exclusive partnership with Seminis, where varieties developed by Seminis that were previously distributed by third parties are now relaunched and made available exclusively under EWINDO's "Cap Panah Merah" brand. By this, the Seminis brand will no longer be in the market in Indonesia, as their varieties will be absorbed in the EWS range. EWINDO will handle all sales, marketing, promotion and production of products under this collaboration. Products include hot pepper, tomato and other vegetable seed varieties, including the popular hot pepper varieties known by their registered variety denominations of "TM999", "Hot Chili" and "Krida". "This partnership will bring together our marketing and business expertise, along with an excellent portfolio of products - all in the effort to better serve our farmer customers," said Glenn Pardede, Managing Director of PT East West Seed Indonesia. He added, "This distribution partnership will ensure better
coverage and efficiency in making quality vegetable seed varieties available to famers in Indonesia. It fits with our mission to provide innovative products and services that help increase farmers' income and promote the growth and quality of the vegetable farming industry." The company sees more opportunities for growth in Indonesia's vegetable farming sector. Presently the area harvested to vegetables is 1.05 million hectares. Vegetable consumption in the country could still be vastly improved. The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia has by far the highest population in Southeast Asia at 240 million. Indonesians consume vegetables at an average of 40kg per capita per year, below the Southeast Asia average of 50-60 kgs per capita per year. Previously, a similar collaboration was done in the Philippines between EWPH and Syngenta for highland crop seed varieties including carrot (Chun Hong), Chinese cabbage (Summer Star, CR Jin Shim) and white cabbage (Kila Protect). Beyond this marketing partnership in Indonesia, the two parties EastWest Seed and Seminis remain independent and separately existing companies.
EWS team outside the Sun Sweet plant
We hold regular interaction among Sun Sweet's top management including Dr. Ongart Kittikhunchai (President), Amphun Suriyong (Promotion and Production Manager), Vira Nopwattanakorn (Administration Manager), and Kovit Sitthiyos (Senior Manager). EWS is represented by Simon Jan de Hoop (VP for R&D), Robert dela Pena (Group Research Operations and Product Development Manager), Sanong Maneewan (PMC Manager), Prakit Noipinit (Breeder) and Prasert Yodluad (PMC Specialist). We have twice yearly gatherings between EWS and Sun Sweet management teams for follow-up and exchange of ideas.
Forever Green Indonesia 2013
by Retha Amanda D ast 23-30 June, the Indonesian L Flower Association
( A S B I N D O ) presented Forever Green Indonesia 2013 at the Fountain Atrium, Grand Indonesia Mall. The event was officially opened by Jakarta Governor, Mr. Joko Widodo.
surrounding. Air pollution also happens in indoor areas, which can affect physical and mental health. According to research by Dr. B.C. "Bill" Wolverton indoor plants effectively filter out the pollutants.
The atrium was decorated with a garden display of flowers, artistically arranged as sculptures. It was created and designed by Gregor Lersch, an international maestro on botanical and floral design from Germany.
"A harmonious environment and green lifestyle will improve people's health, reduce illness and enhance work productivity," said the Chairman of ASBINDO and Managing Director of PT East-West Seed Indonesia Glenn Pardede. ASBINDO aims to decorate the monorail pillars and other public places with flowers.
The event served to inspire and educate the community on the benefits of a green
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Commercial introduction of film coated and encrusted onion seeds by Prem Mehta
ith the good onset of rains and shortage of onions in the market, the demand for onion seeds is all time high in India. This year, East-West Seed India (EWIN) W successfully launched a large scale commercial introduction of encrusted onion seeds which are seen to be a good value addition to onion seeds.
The advantages of encrusted onion seeds are: • Encrustment increases seed size and thus easier to sow • Encrusting material (powder) absorbs moisture and accelerates seed germination and vigor • Since encrusted onion is sown directly without raising nursery first, this results in cost savings in labor, land and other inputs • Earliness in bulb maturity by approx. 20 days as compared to nursery sown crop • Reduced or no seedling mortality as observed in nursery raised crop during transplanting EWIN sales and marketing teams also commercially introduced a locally fabricated seed broadaster for onion farmers. The broadcaster is simple to use, precise, and economical. EWPH will introduce film coated and encrusted onion seeds in the latter part of 2013.
Encrusted onion seed training in Madhya Pradesh by Uddhav Shirsath
ndia ranks second in onion production in the world. Everyday new varieties and new techniques are introduced in onion production to Iachieve higher yield per acre and to help farmers minimize the cost
of cultivation. EWIN's variety Prema is becoming one of the most popular varieties in the country and farmers demand for it in all parts of India. Continuing with innovation, EWIN has introduced encrusted Prema seeds for better handling and mechanical drilling. Recently EWIN conducted training on encrusted onion seeds in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh for progressive farmers, dealers,
distributors and EWIN staff. A total of 52 farmers attended the training. The farmers were happy to see the increased size of the encrusted seed, its round shape and white color. This is going to help farmers by easier handling of seeds for the nursery and also for mechanical drilling. It saves on the cost of production, with the effective use of each seed. The program, arranged by Mr. Datta Dhumal, Area Manager, also gave an opportunity for farmers to raise questions, which were adequately responded to by our team.
EWS Group implements water-based seed coating polymer by Prem Mehta
he EW Group has begun implementing water-based seed coating polymers through a joint project with Incotec, a topnotch Dutch T seed coating and technology company. Standard film coating
colors were selected for the entire EWS Group. A color matrix of six versions of each crop was developed with the help of Incotec. With input from Sales and Marketing teams, final color and version were selected for each crop thus creating a standard for the entire EW Group. Comprehensive trainings on film coating were also provided by Incotec at various EWS locations. Water-based polymers offer many advantages over the oil-based polymers used previously. Some of the main advantages are: • Compatibility: Water-based polymers are highly compatible with any type of chemical i.e. Fungicides, Insecticides and any nutrients applied to the seed • Germination efficiency: Seeds will require relatively less moisture to germinate as water-based polymers will dissolve quicker than oil-based polymers • Spreadability: Spreadability and coverage of water-based polymers on seeds is better • Seed Drying: seed drying is more efficient and economical (energy costs) as compared to seed coated with oil-based polymers • Safety : Disposal of water-based polymers is more eco-friendly • Equipment: It is easier and efficient to clean film coating equipment; provides longer shelf life of equipment
Incotec provided film coating trainings for EWPH and EWIN
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Discovering Tanzania, conquering Kilimanjaro by Joost van Elzakker
he famous Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania. At 5,896 meters above sea level, it is the largest mountain in Africa. Every morning when Mathe T Bastiaansen, General Manager of East-West Seed Tanzania (EWTZ), drives from
his home to the office he can see Mount Kilimanjaro. It would be a challenging adventure to climb the highest mountain of Africa but at present he is working on bigger challenges. Tanzania is a vast country with over 45 million people and with good potential for vegetable consumption and marketing, including export in East Africa region. The preferred minimum daily intake of vegetables is 200 g per person per day. Taking into account after-sales losses, 300 g of fresh produce per day is needed. For a population of 45 million, Tanzania requires 45 million x 300 g = 13,500 tons per day (5,000,000 ton/year). This volume of fresh vegetables represents a daily harvest of vegetables of minimal 1,350 ha of land. In a year round projection Tanzania should have a productive vegetable production area of at least 500,000 ha (single crop cycle).
The current area for fresh vegetables is an estimated 120,000 ha, while the total irrigated land area in Tanzania currently is approaching 300,000 ha. The potential irrigated area is much larger, so potentially Tanzania not only can increase its productivity per ha, but the production area itself can be expanded too. The major vegetables are tomato, onion, carrot, cabbage, sweet pepper and several indigenous vegetable varieties like African eggplant, night shade. EWS group started its activities in Tanzania in 2009 via the Afrisem project, an R&D cooperation with Rijk Zwaan from the Netherlands to develop hybrid indigenous varieties for the African market. In 2009 we built our own seed processing facility in Moshi. In 2010 the vegetable brand Mkulima was acquired and leapfrogged our market position in OP varieties to become the second biggest local vegetable company in Tanzania. Mathe started as general
manager of EWTZ in July 2010. The Tanzania organization is shaping into the contours of a typical EWS company. The future of EWTZ is very bright. All the ingredients are there to make it a success. Let's hope Mathe will soon conquer his "own Mount Kilimanjaro" -- making a huge success out of EWS Tanzania.
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Training on Marigold pollen dilution and viability testing provided to EWTZ team
EWTZ team pollinating female plants with dried and diluted Marigold pollenprovided to EWTZ team
Marigold pollen technology in EWS Tanzania by Prem Mehta good amount of viable pollen is required throughout the year for pollination of female marigold plants. This presents a challenge A during the mid part of year when pollen production is not optimum due to unfavorable environmental conditions. As a solution, pollen storage and pollen dilution techniques can be applied to overcome the challenge of pollen shortage. Nur Fajrina (Rina) and Prem Mehta visited EWTZ last July to review and further strengthen the pollen technology used in commercial seed production of marigold. Earlier this year, the pollen viability testing
techniques were developed by Rina and her team at EWINDO. Trials conducted at EWINDO with stored pollen yielded good results with good seed set and seedling vigor. A simple lab was built in Tanzania for pollen storage and viability testing procedures. Initial training was provided to the team in pollen drying, dilution and viability testing techniques. The EWTZ team expressed very good enthusiasm and interest in learning these new pollen preservation techniques and further trials are underway.
Nane Nane exhibition 2013 by Lily Mtei ane Nane, which means "eight eight" in English, is one of the many vibrant public holidays in Tanzania, held on August 8th N every year to honor the farmers' contribution to Tanzania's economy. To mark Farmer's Day, an agricultural exhibition show was organised by the Tanzania Agricultural Society (TASO), attended by large and small-scale farmers from Tanzania and nearby East African neighbors. The purpose of this fair is to bring opportunities to companies, organizations and individuals engaged in agriculture to showcase their products and technologies, exchange knowledge and get to know each other. East-West Seed in Tanzania participated in this exhibition, held in four regions - Arusha, Morogoro, Mbeya and Dodoma. Other companies who joined the exhibition were East Africa Seed, Pop Vriend and Kibo Seed Company, which are also starting to introduce new hybrid varieties in the market including watermelon, tomato and cabbages. Our goal was to make the East-West Seed brand or the two red arrows become more recognized among stakeholders and promote its new varieties in Value Packs. Most farmers are familiar with the Mkulima brand, which we also carry. By combining East-West Seed and Mkulima, we want to take advantage of the strong farmer recognition and a good product portfolio of high quality seeds. Farm demos were organized to showcase the varieties in four different climatic zones. Tomato Nirvana F1 was very popular. Papaya hybrids Sinta and Red Royale also gained a lot of attention because they are the best and only papaya hybrids currently in the market. We also got a good response on watermelon Andaman F1 and Sweet Sangria, as well as Onion Prema and Super Yali. Feedback from farmers were positive. They are curious about our varieties and many of them wanted to try the products in small quantities, so the Value Pack was a big hit. Farmers were eager to learn about crop management, disease resistance and the potential yield. The exhibit was a good opportunity for us to get in touch with farmers directly, learn about their needs, and know what they think about our new products.
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EWIT-PDS reaches out to West Africa by Meynard Tosay ith improved farmer knowledge as the foundation for opening new markets, W Product Development Support of East-
West Seed International (PDS-EWIT) is laying the groundwork in West Africa. It is currently conducting a series of practical training workshops among different groups of farmers in Benin, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.
PDS-EWIT trains farmers on more productive and sustainable farming practices, aiming for a wholistic approach to vegetable cultivation. This is done in cooperation with the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), a public international organization based in Alabama, USA, through its 2SCLACE (Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship) project. The practical training workshop is participated in by different leaders of farmergroups, agricultural extension workers, regional coordinators, business support service (BSS), and some agronomists. Each training is held for four days, including lectures on theoretical aspects supplemented by a lot of practical field work. The concept
A piece of Thailand in Belize by Alan Villatoro and Isabella Diaz elize is an independent country in Central America, formerly an English B colony. It has a small population of only
350,000, whose main language is English. Its ethnically diverse society combines 35% African Americans, 60% Latin Americans and 5% Chinese. The country is bordered on the north by Mexico, South and West by Guatemala and East with the Atlantic Ocean. Its currency is the Belize Dollar, where BZ$ 2 = USD 1.00.
Plastic mulch installation in Seme Podji, Benin (May 14-17, 2013)
of the training workshop is "TOT" or training of trainers, where participants are taught to share with other farmers whatever knowledge they acquire during the training. Vegetable demos were established on various sites (Benin - 5; Ghana - 7; Mali4 and Nigeria-7) under the care and maintenance of the different farmer-groups. This is to showcase the different EWS
varieties and other farming practices such as nursery preparation, raised beds, installing trellis or plant support, use of seedling trays, plastic mulch as well as drip irrigation, drainage system which is very important during the rainy season. Follow-ups will also be conducted to assist the progress of activities done by the farmers. Field days will be conducted on each of the demo sites per country.
Because of its tropical climate and beautiful beaches, Belize is a very popular tourist destination in the Caribbean. More importantly for our company, its climate and geography make it a suitable place for vegetable farming using our diverse portfolio of products. The country has an active agricultural sector. Belize is definitely an "East-West Seed paradise." Recently, EastWest Seed International (EWIT) found a new distributor called "The Seed Agent and Agro Supplies." This company has given a large amount of support in introducing EWS products in Belize and has been working very hard to develop and endorse our products in the country. Last May, it opened a store in Benque Viejo, Belize selling a wide range of EWS products. All our sales come with personal technical assistance from the seller. It is very
important to mention that our tomato Nirvana F1 is currently the leading product in this country and there is great work being done with Sweet Corn "El Dorado", Watermelon "Sweet Sangria", Cilantro "Ramses", Broccoli "Harumi", Okra "Basanti" and Cucumber "Mona Lisa". All products have been developed rapidly and efficiently, this gives us high hopes for the future of EWS in Belize.
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East-West Seed Foundation participates in CSR expo by Joyce Villacorte-Gaviola o communicate its initiatives as a corporate foundation, East-West Seed Foundation T participated in the 12th LCF-CSR Expo
2013 last July 4-5, 2013 at SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex. This is an annual event of the League of Corporate Foundations, a network for businesses with CSR initiatives. The event provided an opportunity for members to communicate milestones and accomplishments, and share their respective programs and projects that aim to address societal issues.
The differently-abled join EWPH Gulayan Project by Rey L. Bardonido & JunJun Sumalinab
This year's theme was "Isang Bansa, Isang Bukas, Sabay sa Pag-unlad" (One Nation, One Future, Together in Progress). It takes on the challenge on how certain initiatives can incite inclusive growth in the most marginalized and vulnerable groups of society. It calls on the business community to utilize innovative strategies and focus their CSR initiatives to where it is most felt and most needed. EWSF's booth attracted hundreds of visitors who shared similar interest and values with what the foundation advocates -- primarily health, nutrition and education through vegetable farming. The EWSF team handed
gusan del Sur, Philippines -- EastWest Seed Philippines (EWPH) lent its A support to the San Francisco Association
of Differently-abled Persons Multi Purpose Cooperative (SAFRA-ADAP MPC) by providing them an alternative means of livelihood through the Gulayan Project. SAFRA-ADAP MPC was organized to help differently-abled persons develop skills and become productive members of the community. Hand-crafted chairs and other home furniture is their regular source of funds for the cooperative.
Working together to prepare the land for vegetable cultivation
EWINDO sets up teaching farm at leading agriculture university by Edwin Saragih, Technology Transfer Manager EWINDO
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ast August, EWINDO and Bogor Agricultural University (Institut Pertanian Bogor, or IPB), a leading agricultural highereducation institution in Indonesia, signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on horticulture development. Under the MoU, EWINDO and IPB will jointly establish a vegetable garden that will function as a teaching farm for students of Agronomy and Horticulture. An average of 500 students attend Agronomy and Horticulture courses at IPB per semester. According to Dr. Ir. Ernan Rustiadi, M.Agr (Dean of Agriculture) both lecturers and students need a real example of high-quality vegetables grown from hybrid seeds, in support of advancing knowledge and practical experience. The vegetable garden is located at the IPB main campus in Dramaga, Bogor.
out seedlings and seeds, and informational materials including planting guide and handbook on the nutritional value of eating vegetables.
Talks with the local government began as early as August 2012, but were delayed because of Typhoon Pablo. Finally, in March 2013 the project was launched with the
The first cycle in February started with 30 varieties in small plots within a 3,000 square meter area. IPB students under the guidance of IPB lecturer and EWINDO staff participated in the activities, starting from land and raised bed preparation, seedlings preparation, transplanting until harvesting. Farmers surrounding the IPB campus have also visited and benefited from knowing EWINDO varieties. Other visitors were from the Indonesia Gardeners Association, as well as staff of international development agencies like Swisscontact and Helen Keller International. The Teaching Farm was formally launched on June 11, 2013 by the Rector of IPB Prof. Dr. Ir. Herry Suhardiyanto, M.Sc and Glenn Pardede Managing Director of EWINDO. Dr. Herry addressed the 200 participants attending the event, "IPB is glad to have EWINDO collaborating with us on this garden so that students and lecturers have hands-on experience on vegetable hybrid seeds performing their full genetic potential. This expertise sharing from EWINDO is very much welcome."
support of Municipal Mayor Jenny de Asis. The community was actively engaged in the land preparation of 1000 sq meters for the vegetable garden. During the harvest festival, an abundant produce of EWPH varieties were showcased. The attendees were amazed at the bountiful harvest achieved through the efforts of the differently-abled people. The mayor gave an inspiring message and posted a challenge to everyone. The differently-abled persons turned from dependent and underserved, to become productive and proud owners of their work. Their success in the EWPH-led Gulayan Project proved their value to the community.
Glenn said in his address, "we are happy to see this garden as a realization of our EWINDO and IPB cooperation in agriculture education especially in the vegetables sector. We are pleased that hundreds of students can benefit from this garden to gather knowledge and have practical experience on hybrid vegetable seeds from our company." Glenn also mentioned of many IPB alumni are now working in EWINDO in various divisions (R&D, sales and marketing). The company is continuously looking forward to having the best IPB talents join EWINDO.
Harvesting from the teaching farm at Institut Pertanian Bogor
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R&D team in China continues to grow by Yin Hongmei, Tian Jinlan arlier this year, the East-West Seed Nanning station gave a warm welcome to Dr. Goanghyeon Youn as Research Operations Manager (ROM) E for China. Dr. Youn brings with him extensive experience in the vegetable
industry. Since he came on board, our working environment has improved. We have a neat and tidy yard, brighter dining room, and all the staff were reorganized with new titles and clear responsibilities. He emphasized the importance of time management and proper work allocation. As the Nanning station continues to develop, more people are needed for special roles. Led by Tang Feiyan, General Affairs Manager for China, we organized a campus recruitment event last April in Guangxi University where we introduced our company and advertised available positions among students. After two rounds of interviews, two young ladies were chosen: Liao Lin and He Chi, who became our new breeding assistant and pathology assistant, respectively. Learning through the Academy Last June, our staff attended an extensive training given by Dr. Edwin Javier, R&D Training Coordinator for East-West Seed Academy. The topics covered were effective designing of trials and data analysis. The training was not only theory and classroom learning, but also included field instruction. Thanks to Dr. Edwin's constructive advice, many more improvements in the station can be made towards avoiding the field gradient and achieving more reliable results.
Talent Exchange program: Creating a learning culture by Nupur Bala
ast-West Seed initiated the Talent Exchange program to give promising talents a chance to be exposed to new locations and E experiences. This exchange program is a two-way learning process
where expat and host country can both gain new insights and practical knowledge. The long term goal of Talent Exchange is to build up people and expertise that will enable the planned growth of the company in the next few years. Another important goal is to promote an international orientation among our seedsmen. Participants to the Talent Exchange program are presented with rich opportunities to develop new skills, deal with new challenges, learn new technologies, and develop insights and cultural understanding of each other's country.
Jeffer of EWPH (middle) with Group SOM Manager Michel Devarrewaere and EWPH SPD Manager Shankar Prasad at a production farm in India
Deepak Sawangikar, Area Manager-Seed Production (EWIN) & Jeffer Rivera, Seed Production Assistant (EWPH) were selected for this program. Jeffer has started working on watermelon seed production in India last May. For this task, a buddy has been assigned to help and coordinate with him. Deepak, meanwhile, is going to be in the Philippines for six months and working on bitter gourd seed production. From his 80 days in India, Jeffer has learned new techniques from sowing to seed delivery, benefits of drip irrigation, and other methods to optimize yield. His exposure to different varieties of watermelon has improved his skills in identifying-off types. He has gradually adapted to Indian culture, food, and language.
Deepak Sawangikar, EWIN's Talent Exchange participant who is assigned to the Philippines
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Research Gate: A new address to feed our knowledge hunger
It’s more fun in the Philippines
by Harshal Pande owadays most of us use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. to get N updates from our social circles. Similarly, researchers
By Alle van der Vange
need constant updates in our field of work or interest. That need is met by Research Gate, a community forum of scientists, for scientists.
Many of us are familiar with online platforms where one can search for publications from scientists, like paid gateways such as Science Direct, Wiley Online etc. Many times they will only provide abstracts of publications and you have to pay huge money for its full text copy. Research Gate is different. By simply posting our query in appropriate topics in research gate, we can get responses from peers within the group as well as experienced professionals. Research Gate runs on the concept that "science can do much more when it is driven by collaboration." There are over 3 million researchers of different branches that have joined the forum. Of these, there are hundreds of thousands in the agricultural sciences and biology fields: Agricultural Sciences • 121,000 members • 1.8 million Publications
Biology • 628,000 members • 9.1 million Publications
Become one of them. As they say, knowledge is the only wealth which increases by sharing. Seek knowledge, and also share your knowledge but take note: be careful about Intellectual Property (IP) and Trade Secrets, confidentiality is a must! Log on to www.researchgate.net and become a happy Researcher.
PHOTO FEATURE: East-West Seed participated in the exhibition and seminar entitled Driving Thailand Future Research by Centers of Excellence, organized by the Center for Agricultural Biotechnology (CAB) at the Chulabhorn Institute, Bangkok last July 31. CAB is a part of Kasetsart University, and is recognized as a Center of Excellence on agricultural biotechnology research working mainly with BIOTEC and NSTDA.
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Ow, you're so guwapo!" "Do you have any siblings?" "Let's eat!" During my three months stay in the Philippines, those were the most common phrases I heard. My name is Alle van der Vange, and I was an intern at East-West Seed's Hortanova Research Centre earlier this year. As an Applied Biology student of the CAH Vilemtum in Almere, The Netherlands, I was required to do an internship abroad. With the help of some contacts, I was able to get in touch with Mr. Simon Jan de Hoop to ask him about the possibility of an internship at EastWest Seed. I was able to take my internship from the 29th of April till the 16th of August. Sitting on a pony in front of the Taal Volcano in Tagaytay, getting my PADI diving certificate in Bauan, and jumping from 9 ft. high of a closed, floating bar that is located in the sea of Puerto Galera, were the
most fun things I did in the country. But the reason why I really liked it in the Philippines is because of the people. Filipinos are so friendly and generous, and they have a special way of treating people from abroad. Having a great time was just a pleasant consequence of my internship. The main reason I went to the Philippines was to fulfil my research goals: to describe the effect of different conditions on donor plant development and its effect on ovary culture in cucumber. We did experiments on different sterilization methods and as a follow-up, we also conducted experiments on the possible usage of antibiotics in the medium. The detailed observations are still on-going (as of writing this article) and we hope we get some positive results. My time on in the Philippines is one of the most unforgettable and enjoyable learning experiences I've had so far.
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Happiness grows at home ast July 28 East-West Seed Thailand (EWTH) in cooperation with
LCloud Book Club launched a children's book called "Look! What is
it?" that tells the story of a young boy and girl who plant vegetables with the help of some animal friends. The goal of this collaboration is to promote home gardening and encourage parents and children to plant vegetables at home as an easy, wholesome and fun activity that the whole family can enjoy. "We want to promote among Thai families the idea of growing vegetables at home. Cloud Book Club is a well-loved children's book publisher. Khun Mek (Mr. Tanachai Sundaravej), the author, has a talent for telling stories and making them interesting to children through colorful illustrations. They have a lot of loyal fans and followers. That's why we chose to collaborate with them for this project," said Issara Vongin, Sales and Marketing Manager of EWTH. The launch was held in Rod Fai Park near Chatuchak and was
attended by around 50 children, plus their parents and families. This project also emphasizes the importance of teaching children to eat vegetables while they are young so that they can develop healthy habits as they grow older. Vegetables are the best sources of vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy diet. Growing vegetables at home is also a good way to ensure clean, safe and fresh vegetables. Home gardening does not need a huge space. Vegetables can be grown in pots, which can be helpful to families living in high-rise urban condos or in townhouses with a small yard. EWTH has a range of Value Pack seeds, ideal for those who don't have a big planting area. Some examples of vegetables that are easy to grow are hot pepper, tomatoes and leafy vegetables like kangkong. These vegetables were featured in the book because they are perfect for beginners.