Báo cáo sự kiện: Commercial and High Quality Cultivars of Root and Tuber Crops for Processing Purpose in the Northern and Central Vietnam - (Milestone 3)

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Progress Report Commercial and High Quality Cultivars of Root and Tuber Crops for Processing Purpose in the Northern and Central Vietnam (Project No. 008/07VIE) Milestone 3: FIRST SIX-MONTHLY REPORT 31 August 2008 Top left: sweet potatoes growing in Hoabinh Province; top right: sweet potato planting material set aside for the next season; Bottom left: Professor Peter Sharp, Dr Dao Huy Chien and A/Prof Nguyen Van Tuat with a large sweet potato root; bottom right group photo taken during the Feb 2008 meeting at FCRI LC. 25 August 2008 Table of Contents 1. Institute Information ___________________________________________________ 1 2. Project Abstract _______________________________________________________ 4 3. Executive Summary ____________________________________________________ 4 4. Introduction & Background _____________________________________________ 2 5. Progress to Date_______________________________________________________ 2 5.1 Implementation Highlights ________________________________________________ 4 5.2 Smallholder Benefits______________________________________________________ 5 5.3 Capacity Building ________________________________________________________ 5 5.4 Publicity________________________________________________________________ 6 5.5 Project Management _____________________________________________________ 6 6. Report on Cross-Cutting Issues___________________________________________ 7 6.1 Environment ____________________________________________________________ 7 6.2 Gender and Social Issues __________________________________________________ 7 7. Implementation & Sustainability Issues____________________________________ 7 7.1 Issues and Constraints ____________________________________________________ 7 7.2 Options_________________________________________________________________ 7 7.3 Sustainability____________________________________________________________ 7 8. Next Critical Steps _____________________________________________________ 7 9. Conclusion ___________________________________________________________ 7 10. Statuatory Declaration________________________________________________ 7 Attachment A: Sweet Potato: a mini review Attachment B: Food quality workshop PPT LC. 25 August 2008 1. Institute Information Project Name Vietnamese Institution Vietnamese Project Team Leader Commercial and High Quality Cultivars of Root and Tuber Crops for Processing Purpose in the Northern and Central Vietnam Food Crops Research Institute Food Crops Research Institute A/Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tuat Australian Organisation Australian Personnel Date commenced Completion date (original) Completion date (revised) Reporting period Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney Prof. Dr. Les Copeland 02/2008 12/2009 02/2010 First six months Contact Officer(s) In Australia: Team Leader Name: Position: Organisation Prof. Dr. Les Copeland Professor Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney Telephone: Fax: Email: +61 2 9351 2935 + 61 2 9351 2945 l.copeland@usyd.edu.au In Australia: Administrative contact Name: Position: Organisation Annette Vervoort Adm. Assistant Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney Telephone: Fax: Email: 61 2 9351 8795 61 2 9351 4172 a.vervoort@usyd.edu.au In Vietnam Name: Position: Organisation A/Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tuat Director Food Crops Research Institute Telephone: Fax: Email: 0320 716395 0320 716385 vantuat55@vnn.vn LC. 25 August 2008 2. Project Abstract The adoption by farmers of improved sweet potato cultivars with good potential commercial quality and improving cultivation and postharvest practices are important factors for enhancing productivity and quality of agricultural products in several provinces in northern and central Vietnam. In the areas selected for the project, there has been little improvement of cultivars, farmers retain cuttings from inferior varieties from previous seasons, and cultivation practices, postharvest and processing treatments and value-adding technology have undergone little development. Consequently, quality of sweet potato planting material is poor, yield is low, the price and value are not competitive, and economic return is limited. This project will select two or three improved sweet potato cultivars developed by FCRI, which are suitable for cultivation in the provinces concerned and have high quality for commercial processing purposes. Through field trials and workshops for scientists, extension officers and farmers, the project will encourage adoption of improved cultivars and planting materials, suitable cultivation techniques and postharvest technology for these regions, and thereby provide farmers with options for value adding from root and tuber crops. The project benefits will come from improving current cultivars and practices for growing sweet potato, rather than from increasing the number of farmers who grow sweet potato, which is largely controlled at provincial and commune levels. 3. Executive Summary The objectives of this project are to improve sweet potato production in Thanh Hoa, Bac Giang and Quang Tri provinces in northern and central Vietnam. These objectives will be achieved through encouraging adoption of improved cultivars and planting materials, and demonstrating suitable cultivation techniques and postharvest technology through field trials and workshops for scientists, extension officers and farmers. The project benefits will come from improving current cultivars and practices for growing sweet potato, rather than from increasing the number of farmers who grow sweet potato, and by providing farmers with greater options for value adding from root and tuber crops. The project commenced with a visit by Professors Copeland and Sharp of University of Sydney to FCRI (24-28 February) for operational planning of the project, to meet the Vietnam team members and extension officers and to inspect field sites. As a result of the discussions, three field sites were chosen to conduct the sweet potato trials in the project. A baseline survey was designed by the collaborating partners and implemented to collect data in the three selected provinces on current cultivars of sweet potato grown, farmer practices (including cultivars, cultivation practices, planting and harvest times, inputs), yields, and uses of sweet potatoes. The output from the survey was submitted as Milestone 2. A review of the print and electronic literature on sweet potato was commenced and an interim draft is included with this report. Professor Les Copeland made another visit to FCRI from 13 – 20 July 2008 for project discussions with collaborators, scientists and extension officers; visits to field sites, inspection of summer cropping in northern VN, and to conduct a scientific training workshop at FCRI on food quality analysis for scientists and extension officers. 4. Introduction & Background The area under sweet potato in Vietnam annually is about 200,000-400,000 ha, with an average yield of 8 tonnes per ha, providing very high potential of material for processing. Sweet potato can be grown well in various locations in northern and central VN, especially in regions where farmer income is low. In addition to its usefulness as a food for humans, and as a very good improver of soil fertility, texture and structure, sweet potato has high potential for value adding and as a source of feed for animals from the unharvested parts. Using this crop LC. 25 August 2008 in rotations can reduce the risk of major pests and diseases of other crops like rice and vegetables, thereby better protecting the agricultural environment. There is a market for products from tuber crops such as sweet potato, for example flour and starch as a raw material for industry in the manufacture of foods, confectionery, pharmaceuticals, paper and textiles. The demand for starch for industry in VN annually is about one million tons, much of which is imported. The lack of good cultivars and relevant technology for cultivation and processing of sweet potato means that this crop is not achieving its great potential for contributing to increasing income and providing socioeconomic benefits for farmers in poorer regions. At FCRI, several cultivars, such as sweet potato No.8, K4, KB1, KL5, K51, VD1 and CN, have been identified for their agronomic and adaptive traits, resistance to key insect pests and diseases, and nutrient requirements. However, these cultivars have not been evaluated for yield and dry matter production and performance in processing. The central region and some northern provinces of Vietnam have suitable growing seasons for sweet potato crops but their role as part of a sustainable cropping system that increases farmer income needs to be investigated. Project Objectives 1. Conduct a baseline study in three provinces of Northern and Central of Vietnam on current farmer practices, including cultivars, cultivation practices, planting and harvest times, inputs, yields, uses of sweet potatoes and derived products, etc., so that the potential impact of project can be estimated. Methods used to encourage farmers to adopt new cultivars and technology will also be reviewed to further enhance the likelihood of the impact of project. 2. Choose a small number of sweet potato cultivars (no more than 2 or 3) from those designated by FCRI as potentially suitable for cultivating in northern and central Vietnam and conduct field trials in two seasons in selected locations to evaluate these cultivars according to yield and dry matter content for value-adding purposes 3. As part of an initial scoping stage of the project we will seek to obtain an overview of quality testing and processing technology (for example production of flour and starch for food processing) used for sweet potatoes by the laboratories and companies who will participate in the project. Based on existing methods and available capacity amongst the VN partners, select, refine and validate protocols for quality testing of sweet potatoes and derived products. The potential for interactions in the project from QDPI and the International Potato Centre will be explored at this stage. 4. Examine methods that are used by small-holder farmers for fermenting leaves and stems of sweet potatoes into a silage-type product for animal feeding, and explore how they may be adapted in central and northern VN. 5. With the assistance of Australian experts, improve the scientific knowledge of Vietnamese researchers and extension workers in modern techniques for plant improvement, storage and food processing technology, analysis of food quality 6. Conduct field days at experimental sites to improve knowledge and skills of farmers for cultivation of sweet potato as part of a sustainable farming system. 7. Produce extension materials (pamphlets, CDs, websites, etc.) for extension workers and farmers. Project benefits Project benefits are expected from improving cultivars and cultivation and postharvest practices, and convincing farmers to use better planting materials than retaining cuttings from inferior cultivars grown in previous seasons, rather than from increasing the number of farmers who grow sweet potato, which is controlled at provincial and commune levels. Making farmers more aware of the range of options provided by growing sweet potatoes will be a key factor in achieving these benefits. LC. 25 August 2008 ... - tailieumienphi.vn