966L l}.IOd~ll lVnNNV Ja1ua::> 01~1od 1~uo!1~uJa1u1 Cover art based on a 9x12-inch mixed pastel titled Partnership by Josephine Dell'Orco Prain CIP in 1996 The International Potato Center Annual Report - - --- - ---- G. CHANG International Potato Center Apartado 1558 Lima 12, Peru CIP. 199 7. CIP in 7996. The International Potato Center Annual Report. Lima, Peru. ISSN 0256-6311 Press run: 2,500 Printed in Lima, Peru April 1997 Writing: Jack Keyser, James Lang, Jon Miller, Fred Powledge, Edward Sulzberger, Steven Kearl Editing: Bill Hardy, Steven Kearl, Jon Miller Production Coordinators: Cecilia Lafosse, Godofredo Lagos Design and Layout: Nini Fernandez-Concha B., Ceci I ia Lafosse, Milton Hidalgo, Edward Sulzberger Photomechanics: Cecosami Printing: Asociaci6n Editorial Stella Color Canete Environmental Yellow, page 13. Potatoes for Egypt: An I PM Success, page 16. Ci) Inside matter printed on recycled paper z ~ 0 Contents A Year to Remember 4 Sweetpotato Research: Evolving Priorities 6 Food Security in Uganda: The Sweetpotato Option 8 Dry Matter Counts 1 O Focus on Outputs: Goals for 1998-2000 11 Color the Canete Valley Environmental Yellow 13 Potatoes for Egypt: An IPM Success 16 Taming the Late Blight Dragon 18 Plant Viruses: Hard to Detect, Harder to Control 21 Think Globally, Act Locally: The Key to Success for India's TPS Program 24 Chacasina: True Seed in the Andes 27 UPWARD: Asian Network Bringing Users into Research Process 29 UPWARD Project Reduces Poverty in China 30 CIP On-Line 32 Board of Trustees 33 Finance and Administration 34 Donor Contributions in 1996 36 Staff in 1996 37 Selected Scientific Pub I ications 1 996 42 Core Research in 1996 45 Training in 1996 50 Research Partners 53 CIP's Global Contact Points 56 CIP and the CGIAR: A Research Partnership 58 3--· A Year to Remember --·4 The events of 1996 w ill likel y be remembered at CIP for many years to come. For the Zandstra and Fajardo-Christen families , the final days of th e yea r will always remind us CDf th e ter rible incident that took place at the Japan ese ambassador ' s residence in Lima, the joy of liberation, the sadness and concern for those forced to stay behind , and , four long months later, their ultimate release . As this report is being w ritten, the events that bega n to unfold on December ~ 7 have thank- fully been resol ved. While th e incident itself is an isolated case, and has had onily a minor impact on CIP day-to-day operations, it is difficult to ignore its effect on the li ves of so man y loyal friends and colleagues . For that reason w e dedicate this report to Ambassador Morihisa Aoki , Foreign Minister Francisco Tudela, and Agriculture Minister Rodolfo Mun ante, and to their families w ho brave ly endured so man y months of capti v ity. Were it not for the events of December, I undoubtedly would have begun thi ,s report with a word of thanks to our donors. In these difficult financial times, it is gratifying to~report that the donor community saw fit to recognize the Center by providing a record US$26 f million in 1996. Their commitment is an indication that they continue to recogni ze the v ital rol e of research in solving the fundamental problems of hunger, environment, , 1d poverty. At one time, international agricultural research centers such as CIP were engaged solely in efforts to boost productivity . Today, we have come to accept the large r responsibility of making sure that increased agricultural production does not take place at the eJpense of th e environment, or exclude those w ho are most in need. This fundamental princip le was evident in several important planning exercises conducted at CIP in 1996. The first was la priority- setting exercise that helped us identify where research is most urgentl y needed and most likely to produce results. The exercise, the second in recent yea rs, also prov ided:! an opportu- nity to evaluate our programs for their effect on poverty and th e sustainability o the natural resource base. The results of the exercise are explained more fully on page 11 if an article titled Focus on Outputs: Goals for 7 998-2000. As expected , potato late blight disease was ranked as CIP ' s top priority, not only because of the urgency of the problem and its impact on poverty and the environment but also because of our scientists' belief that rapid progress could be made and that an investment would provide a high rate of return . News about our collaborative late blight program can be fo und in the article titled Taming the Late Blight Dragon on page 18. Not all the results of the priority-setting exercise we re as predictable as late ®light, how- ever. In a surprising deve lopment, a new project designed to increase the productivity of sweetpotato was ranked second highest in our research portfolio. The project, designed to increase dry matter yields, addresses problems faced by two distinct farmer growps: those who grow the crop for industrial purposes and those for w hom sweetpotato represe nts food secu- rity . Additional information on our sweetpotato research program can be found t tarting on page 6. . CIP' s late blight and sweetpotato projects are just two of 19 consolidated pro ects that evolved from the priority-setting exercise and from a project-streamlining initiative ca rried out G . CHAN G during the year. Togeth er, these efforts have prov ided much-n eeded in fo rmation for th e Center's Medium-Term Plan 7 998-2000. Th e plan , completed in the last days of 1996, was somewhat del ayed by th e hostage crisis in Lima. I am pleased to report, however, that it was we ll rece ived by our Board , by th e CGIAR Techni ca l Adv isory Committee, and by many donors. It prov ides a cl ea r statement of our research goals and strategy and is avai lable upon requ est (it can also be accessed through our Web site, http://www.c ipotato.org) . In c losing, I wa nt to aga in express my th anks to all those fri ends and co ll eagues w ho supported the Zandstra and Fajardo-Christen families in th eir tim e of need and who cont inu e to support CIP in its program of act ivities. Th e events of th e yea r have demonstrated , as perh aps nothing else can , the v ital ro le of community and the importance of commitment to sc ience, development, and human we ll-being. Di recto r Genera I 5--· Food Security in Uganda: The Sweetpotato 0 tion --·8 In few places are the problems faced by farmers as acute and varied as they are in northeastern Uganda. Begin with a long dry season that makes growin9 many crops- including sweetpotato-impossible for nearly half the year. Add a poor.ly developed infrastructure (it is five hours by substandard roads to the main market in Kampala) , limited warehouse facilities (driving prices down during harvest times) and a lack of access to credit for small farmers. Finally, consider the long-running ci ii disturbance (in which draft animals were killed or stolen) and a devastating disease in cassava, the major staple crop. The result is a potentially disastrous food securi y problem. For many farmers, sweetpotato is an important part of the solution. "The constraints that farmers face in sweetpotato production are so complicated, a single-technology solution would never work, " says Nicole Smit, an integrated pest management specialist based in CIP ' s liaison office in Uganda. "That' s why we ' re putting our energy into ICM (integrated crop management)-a mix of varietal improvement, pest management, market develop- ment, and other technologies that correspond to the complexity of life on the ground." Cassava Wiped Out In 1996, a pilot project was launched in three villages in the economically depressed Soroti district, where cassava has been virtuall y wiped out by cassava mosaic v irus and sweetpotato has become the main staple and cash crop. A CIP sweetpotato team is working closely with local farmers, scientists from the Ugandan national sweetpotato research program , and the district' s extension serv ice. Links are also maintained with cassava researchers from the Na ional Agricul- tural Research O rganization and the International Institute for Tropical Agricu ltu ret i n Nigeria. "The problems in northeast U anda are in many ways typical of those in o her parts of the continent, " says Peter Ewell , w ho heads CIP ' s sub-Saharan Africa regional offi ~e in neighboring Ken ya. "They include the risk ofl drou ght, the vulnerability of crops to pests and diseases, inadequate marketing and storage, the limited use of the crop in processed protl ucts, and the lack of access to credit for small farmers. This project will let us test an integra ed problem- sol v ing approach while helping some of the poorest farmers in Africa." Smit adds that the most important partners are ultimately the farmers. " It doesn ' t matter how good the technology is if no on l will use it," she says. "With ICM, farmers are in volved in every step of the process-from identifying constraints to testing possible solutions and evaluating their impact. " Upgrading Materials: Upgrading the System Increases in sweetpotato production may prove feasible if scientists can improve the quality of planting materials used by farmers. In most developing countries, farmers take vine cuttings from mature plants at harvest time, and use these for propagating the next crop. But mature vine cuttings are less productive, less consistent, and more prone to disease than the sprouts or "slips" that grow on roots and young vine cuttings . " Farmers in industrialized co ntries have been planting sprouts for years," says ahesh Upadhya, CIP's program leader or propagation and crop management. "Our ch llenge is to create a viable system for using ,hem under the varied conditions of the develo ing world." Those conditions include everyt ing from drought and flooding to disease and poor soils- frequently compounded by shor · ges of cash with which to purchase costly i puts. ·-~ ..__ ' : .. - .,. I • - I,. l ..... 4-: - ,. ' - ., i 4 ... -· · { ~ - ~ / · ~ · - E. CAREY Integrated Solutions Possible solutions involve methods for reducing sweetpotato weevil damage in the field, storing fresh roots, protecting dried sweetpotato products from common storage insects, and developing new uses and markets for both fresh and processed sweetpotatoes. "One of the most clearly defined needs is for marketable, early-maturing high-yielding varieties that are less vulnerable to weevils than those currently being grown," says Ted Carey, CIP's regional sweetpotato breeder. Again, farmers' field trials will be an essential part of the breeding and evalua- tion process. Adds Ewell: "CIP has access to a wealth of genetic material and international expertise. These broaden the choices available to the team, but it's the collaborative work in the field which will make real impact possible. " Building on earlier genetic studies, CIP will launch a project in 1998 to produce and disseminate technologies for ·improving, using, and maintaining sweetpotato planting materials under farm conditions in South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. The project budget represents a near-dou- bling of resources for CIP's sweetpotato seed unit. The goal is to increase sweetpotato production by 20% in target areas, both by boosting yields and reducing losses to biotic and abiotic stresses. "This is the sort of technology that could have a tremendous impact for farmers in developing countries," says Upadhya. "By improving planting materials, you make the entire system more efficient. And if you are searching for productivity gains, efficiency is often the best place to look." One of Cl P's most important roles is to marshal research results from a variety of sources. For example, CIP food scientists in Central and East Africa are working to adapt processing methods from other parts of the world to local conditions and tastes . They are also helping Ugandan researchers test low-cost techniques for protecting dried sweetpotato chips from storage pests. 9--· Dry Matter Counts "To increase fresh yields, you normally have to increase the use of water and fertilizers," says sweetpotato project leader Dapeng Zhang. "But if you can breed new varieties with 5% more dry matter," he says, "it's like increasing the fresh yield 15-20% without using more inputs." --• 10 One of the highest scorers in CIP's 1996 priority-setting exercise was a new project- an effort to increase the dry matter yield of sweetpotato. The strong showing was largely due to the project's potential impact in China, where 85 % of the world's sweetpotatoes are grown. But the effects should also be felt in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where the crop is often vitally important to the poorest farming families. Overall , average benefits were estimated at $309 per hectare, spread over the largest geographic area of all CIP projects. "The idea is not to produce more tons of sweetpotatoes per hectare," explains sweetpotato breeder Dapeng Zhang, the proj ect leader. " It's to produce more usable material in every sweetpotato." Current breeding efforts are aimed mostl y at increasing fresh y ields and fortifying plants against stresses such as drought, flooding, insects, and diseases. The dry matter project will focus instead on the postharvest characteristics of the roots themselves . There is plenty of room for improvement. Dry matter content among the 5 ,000 accessions in the sweetpotato gene bank maintained bt CIP can be as high as 45 %. But the most comnnonly culti- vated va rieties in the project areas range from just 20% to 35%. Moist, orange-fleshed varieties are important in places where sweetpotatoes are an occasional part of a varied diet. Bu in Africa (where sweetpotato is an important energy source) and Asia (where the crop is used in animal feed, starch production , and industrial pnocesses), dry matter counts. The key to CIP's contribution is the genetic diversity avai I able in its gene bankj In China, Cl P will provide national breeders w ith new sources of genetic material-and new bree · ing tech- niques- to boost productivity and improve quality . In Southeast Asia, CIP w ill help national program breeders produce fast-maturing (or "early-bulking") pest-resistant va rieties adapted to local conditions . In Africa, CIP breeders and their partners wi 11 produce hardy mode rm varieties that are high in energy and esse ntial v itamins . "To increase fresh y ields, you normall y have to increase the use of water and fertili~ ers," says Zhang. "B ut high dry matter is highly heritable. If you can breed new varieties with 5ro more dry matter, it's like increasing the fresh yield by 15- 20% w ithout using more inputs. " Focus on Outputs: Goals for 1998-2000 In September 1996, CIP conducted an intensive priority-setting exercise to focus the Center's efforts on the most pressing problems in the potato- and sweetpotato-growing world. The result, to be implemented with the Center's Medium-Term Plan for 1998-2000, should be a clearer sense of direction for CI P scientists. "The most important change is th e emphasis on concrete, measurabl e outputs," says econo- mist Tom Walker, who organized th e exerci se. "CIP is not a university, where an interestin g research project justifi es itself. Our mandate is to produce res u Its." Scientists and admini st rators spent three days discussing the potential impact of 15 resea rch projects. Considerations included the probabi I ity CIP and Poverty Poverty was an important consideration in the September 1996 priority-setting process. Not only were ratings weighted for the " leverage" projects bring to the fight against poverty, but the initial identification of projects was made after an analysis of poverty levels in target countries and regions . Although the ranking system is new, it is consistent with CIP's historical bias in favor of low-income farm families in some of the world's poorest places. Since its inception, CIP has had proportionally more impact in poorer countries, particularly those with weak national agricultural research systems (NARS). Even in countries with strong NARS, CIP's work has focused on the poorest areas-such as Sichuan province and Inner Mongolia in China, and the northeast of India. CIP's technology development efforts have also generally favored low-income farmers. Rather than design expensive mechanical of scientific success, the geograph ic coverage of new technologies, anticipated benefit per unit of production (such as dollars saved or ga ined per hectare), and the expected level of adoption 1n target and spi I lover countries. The re su Its of those discussions were in corporated into a project appraisal mod el that measured th e economic benefits of the resea rch outputs up to the year 2015. The Poverty Modifier Th e rankings were then subjected to "modifi- ers" based on the priorities of the Consultative Group on Internat ion al Agricultural Research, CGIAR, the umbrella group of donors that provides funding for CIP and other international centers . A premium was added to projects w ith substantial environmental benefits, and a dis- count was levied aga inst those whose tec hnolo- gies could be suppli ed by other in st itution s in the equipment for use in true potato seed (TPS) ·production systems, for instance, researchers have emphasized labor-intensive technology, such as manual transplanting and inexpensive seedling tuber management practices. In East Africa, where poor women farmers harvest sweetpotatoes piecemeal throughout the growing season, CIP is developing integrated crop management practices appropriate to local conditions. Technology develop- ment at CIP has generally favored low-income farmers. For example, TPS production systems (see page 24) research has emphasized labor- intensive technology, such as village-level seed production and manual transplanting of seedling tubers. 11 --· --• 12 absence of CIP. Finally, the ratings were weighted according to the poverty level in the projects ' impact areas. "Cl P has been th rough priority-setting exer- cises before, but this is the first time we've rewarded projects explicitly for their positive impact on poverty and the environment," says Walker. " It made the process more complicated , but it also made it more responsi ve to the Center ' s mandate." Late Blight Ranked Number One Work in potato late blight, with an estimated per-hectare benefit of US$S30 and a potential impact area of nearly 3 million hectares in 40 countries, remains the Center's top priority for the planning period. A new effort, designed to boost the dry matter yield of sweetpotato, ranked second, whereas control Ii ng potato vi ruses ranked third. One project whose rating jumped when w eighted for its potential anti-poverty effect w as integrated crop management of sweetpotato. Some projects that scored well in prev ious priority -setting exercises received significantly lower rankings this time around. For example, potato seed systems fell dramatically-a reflec- tion of the relati vely small geographic area of impact and concerns about the likelihood of research success. Other areas of work, such as integrated pest management, virus research , and sweetpotato product development, maintained their former priority rankings. With changes in priorities come changes in budgets. The balance between investments in potato and sweetpotato research wi 11 shift du ring the Medium-Term Plan period from a 60:40 ratio to a ratio of 75:25. In vestments in late blight research will increase from about $3 million a year for 1995-1997 to nearly $5 lillillion for 1998-2000; the increased spendi mg is justified by economic returns estimated at nlGre than $250 million between 1998 and 2015. 1 A Streamlined Structure The list of initiatives for 1998- 000 reflects a significant change in CIP ' s proje structure. Prior to the ranking exercise, the r umber of projects was reduced from 36 to QO. (Of those 20, one was dropped during the priority -setting exercise, while five more were c0nsidered to perform "serv ice" functions and did not receive rankings.) The new project structure, Waker believes, should help CIP improve the management of its scientific resources. Projects w ill be more self- contained than they are at present, with teams of scientists united by-and accountable to- a single set of measurable goals. Pnb ject leaders will have more control over project budgets, and more authority to make scientific decisions. "With the 36 projects used at present, moni- toring, oversight, and reporting are extremely difficult," says Roger Cortbaoui , ([IP ' s Director of International Cooperation and onf of the archi- tects of the new project system. 'Now there will be a person to whom w e can go ~ nd say, 'Tell me how far we ' ve gone toward aahieving our goals. "' Cortbaoui says the new alignment is not revolutionary. " It's an evolution. irhe changes are based on our experience over th 1 past several years-and our knowledge of what works and what doesn ' t. " CIP Research Projects 1998-2000 1. Integrated Control of Late Blight 2. Integrated Control of Bacterial Wilt 3. Control of Potato Viruses 4. Integrated Management of Potato Pests 5. Propagation of Clonal Potato Planting Materials 6. Sexual Potato Propagation (TPS) 7. Postharvest Utilization of Potato 8. Analysis and Impact Assessment for Potato 9. Control of Sweetpotato Viruses 10. Integrated Management of Sweetpotato Pests 11. Propagation of Sweetpotato Plant. g Materials 12. Postharvest Utilization ofSweetp tato 13. Breeding for High Dry Matter in S eetpotato 14. Analysis and Impact Assessment f r Sweetpotato 15. Potato Production in Rice-Wheat ystems 16. Sustainable Land Use in the Ande 17. Potato Genetic Resources 18. Sweetpotato Genetic Resources 19. Andean Root and Tuber Crops Ge etic Resources Color the Canete Valley Environmental Yellow Two years ago in Peru's Canete River valley, 150 kilometers south of Lima, hundreds of bright yellow plastic signs and cards began appearing in irrigated potato fields. At the same time, farmers could be seen carrying large rectangular yellow banners up and down the rows. Some people thought the farmers were protesting against an unknown but obviously unpopular government policy. Others thought they were practicing for an upcoming parade. The reality was quite different: the farmers were enrolled in a pilot program to control an insect pest that was reducing their potato yields by up to a third. The card s and banners, coated w ith adhesives, were being used to attract, catc h, and kill the leafminer fly, Liriomyza huidobrensis. Th e traps are part of a pac kage of integrated pest manage- ment (IPM) tec hniqu es designed by CIP ento- mologists to help growers protect the ir crops w ith a minimum amount of in secti c ides. Fa usto Cisneros, head of CIP's IPM program, says that leafm in er larvae damage c rop s by burrowing (or "m ining") into th e foliage. Adult fema les also do damage by puncturin g th e leaves to lay the ir eggs. First identified in Braz il in 1926, th e in sect is becoming an in c reas in gly important pest worldw ide. Natural Enemies Fall The leafminer beca me a major prob lem for Peru ' s coastal potato growers in the 1970s after mass ive doses of in secti c ides w iped out the fly 's natural enemies. Norm a Mujica, a CIP ag rono- mist who is coordin at ing the pil ot project w ith A. SOLlt.1;\ NO Yellow cards and banners, coated with adhesives, are used in Peru's Canete Valley to attract, catch, and kill the leafminer fly. The traps are part of a package of techniques designed to help growers protect their crops with a minimum amount of insecticides. 13 __ _ --· 14 four farm organizations in the Canete Valley, says that by the earl y 1990s, leafminer damage had reached a point w here farmers w ere spray ing extremely concentrated doses of insecticides up to 12 times per season. "As the spray ing increased, the flies developed resistance to the insecticides, and secondary pests , chiefly w hite mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) and bud midges (Prodip/osis longifila ), staged a comeback," Cisneros reports. " Even worse, the tin y predatory wasps that helped keep leafmin er flies under control had also fallen victim to the chemical cloud used against the potato moth. " 7 Cisneros, whose research teams developed CIP ' s highly successful IPM programs for the potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella and related species) and the Andean potato w eevil (Premnotrypes spp.), field-tested leafminer IPM in 1992 in the Tambo Ri ver valley in southern Peru with excellent results. Participating grow ers re- ouced sprays from six to zero in tw o years . Pilot projects were established in the Canete Valley two years later under more severe fly infestation. Canete's IPM Pedigree A Balanced Attack Cisneros says that the yellow c rds and bann ers , first tested at CIP by Ga lJy Chavez and K.V. Raman in 1982, are just one component of the leafminer management program. The traps are designed to lure and kill adult flies active in the early" phases of the potato plant's growth, when they do the most damage. I Meanwhil e, the potato plant is contributing to its ow n defense by killing fly egg deposited on its leaves. This occurs as rapidly expanding plant tissue surrounds and squeezes th e eggs from their nests . This ejection process, whic~ was first described in CIP's 1985 Annual Rieport, tapers off as the potato plant reaches matur"ty, and the eggs deposited late in the grow in f cycle hatch into larvae . Parasitic w asps (reintroduced as part of the IPM program) and one or two carefull y timed sprays of insect grow th regulators now team up to minimize damage. As added insurance, CIP is field-testing potato clones with some resistance to the leafminer fly . In addition , a new fl y- CIP' s effort to combat the leafminer fly isn't the first time Canete Valley farmers ha e tried IPM to counteract the effects of excessive pesticide use. From the 1920s to the 1950s, most of the irrigated farmland in the valley was d oted to large cotton plantations. Beginning in 1949, the valley was repeatedly blanketed b DDT and other broad-spectrum insecticides to control cotton insect pests. But despite strong .rand more frequent doses, the pest problems persisted. It became clear that the insecticides had wiped out the natural predators of the otton pests while the pests themselves had grown resistant to the chemicals. Meanwhile, a nu ber of previously harmless insects had begun to take their toll on the crop. Growers, working in partnership with private-sector researchers and Peru's Min try of Agriculture, decided to ban all synthetic organic insecticides and to repopulate the valley with beneficial insects. The results were dramatic. The pest problem abated, cotton yiel s soared, and production costs fell. The experience became a classic study in the success of ntegrated pest management. Today, implementing IPM in Canete is more complex. There are more landown s and more crops, and decision-making is more decentralized. But growers are still recepti ve. otato farmer Mario Ortiz says that he used to watch with curiosity as a neighbor carried n oil- coated banner through his field. Now he has his own banner, to go with 140 stand ng traps. "The plants are looking good, the flies have decreased, and we are saving mone on insecti- cides/' he says. "It is a good experience not only for us, but for farmers in general. resistant potato, Maria Tambena, was released and is gaining favo r w ith producers . Farmer Participation Once a center for large-sca le suga r ca ne an d cotton produ cti on, the Canete Va ll ey is now the most inten sively cultivated reg ion in Peru , producing potatoes, mai ze, aspa ragus, fruit , cut fl owers, cotton, and other crops for th e Lima market and fo r export. With 23,000 hecta res of mostl y sma l l- to medium-sized fa mily farms und er canal irri gation, it is also th e most techno- log ica ll y adva nced of the ri ve r va ll eys in Peru's coasta l desert. Four agricultural organizations in Canete are currentl y runnin g pilot leafm in er IPM proj ects in coo rdination w ith CIP. Th ey are the ln stituto Rural Val le Grande, a nongove rnmental orga ni- zat ion; th e Central de Cooperativas Agrarias- Canete y Mala, a group of farmer cooperat ives; the Estaci on Expe rimental de la Asoc iac i6n de Agricultores de Ca nete, an assoc iation of farm- ers; and the ln stituto Superi or Tecno l6gico Pub li co de Canete. CIP has presented guideli nes for the dep loy- ment of th e var ious IPM components, but nearly all the parti c ipat in g farmers are adaptin g the recommend at ions to su it th eir needs . Whereas adhes ive ca rd s and bann ers were originally des igned as altern ati ves to one another, some fa rmers are usin g both. While CIP prototypes use imported pl ast ic and chemicals, many growers are ex periment ing w ith loca l mate rials , such as inexpensive ye ll ow plasti c sheets coated with motor oi l or fish o il , to reduce costs. Catching On Dan iel Fl o res and Jose Asato are each grow ing two hectares of the popular Tomasa potato va ri ety. Both are enroll ed in an innovative work- study program run by the ln st ituto Rural Va ll e G rande. In 1995, they sprayed four times to co ntrol adult leafm iners at a cost of $200. In 1996, they dev ised a trap using two 12-meter by 1-meter ye llow pl asti c sheets, coated w ith motor o il and mounted on the arm s of a field spray ing machine. At the height of the adult fly season, Fl ores and Asato we re nett in g about 90,000 fli es w ith eac h pass of the sheets over the f ield . "W e've already been abl e to cut the cost of production and the number of in secti c ide appli- cat ions," says Flores. Asato says th at the potato p lants are mu ch hea lthi er than th ey were at th e sa me stage a year before. "With se lective sprays to co ntro l leafmin er larvae, we should be able to top the 40 tons per hectare we produced last year," he says. Those results are good news for CIP ' s IPM team. " For IPM to work, farmers must see it as a rea l alternative to what they are presently doing to protect the ir crops," Cisneros says. " It is essenti al th at we demonstrate under field condi- tions that they ca n reduce, and perhaps elimi - nate, environm enta ll y dangerous in sect icides w hil e lowe ring production costs and maintaining or increas ing y ields ." " In-the-field ev idence has a powerful psyc ho- log ica l effect on fa rmers," add s CIP Director General Hubert Zandstra . " It ca n spe ll the d ifference between the success or fa ilure of an IPM program." Jose Cose, w ho farms potatoes with his father Ce lso, agrees . " I think the traps are becoming more accepted by farmers becau se they can see immedi ate results," he says. " Farm ers are ve ry cur ious, and wil l qui ck ly copy each other if they see proof that so methin g is work ing." A. SOLIMANO At the height of the adult fly season, farmers are trapping about 90,000 flies per trap. Shown here: CIP entomologist Norma Mujica and Mario Ortiz of the Central de Cooperativas Agrarias- Cafiete y Mala. 1s llllil-• Potatoes for Egypt: An IPM Success Egyptian potato farmers now know that integrated pest management works and have confidence in using it. They are the force behind the change, say CIP scientists. --• 16 Since the mid-1960s, Egyptian potato production has expanded at an annual rate of 5 percent, with production in 1995 estimated at 2 million tons. During roughly the same period, consumption increased from 8 to 32 kg per capita. These ncreases have taken place in a region where there is no appreciable rainfall, and :where all farmland must be irrigated. Egyptian farmers till fewer than 3 million hectares, mainly in the Nile River delta. And it is here, unfortunately, where growth in potato production has been accompanied by huge increases in the use of highly toxic insecticides to control the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella. ~ Egyptian farmers have tried toxic pesticides to potatoes. In 1995, the health ministry intercepted control the potato tuber moth in the past, but a load of contaminated potatoes. ales dropped with disastrous results. "Yea rs of heavy pesticide sharply and farmers we re left w itlh large amounts use destroyed the balance between insect popula- of produce they could not sell. tions and their predators," explains Galal M. Moawad, Director of Egypt's Plant Protection IPM Safer, More Effective Research Institute. "To make matters worse, tuber moths have deve loped insecticide resistance. Even though farmers use higher pesticide concen- trations , the effectiveness keeps diminishing:" The Egyptian government recently established strict controls on pesticide use, mainly to protect consumers. It now prohibits the use of DDT and para th ion on potatoes, and has begun to screen for detectable leve ls of pesticides on market Many delta potato farmers harvest two-and sometimes three- crops per year. The most damaging pest in both seasons-in the field or in storage-is the potato tuber moth . Its short reproductive cycle allows it to wrreak havoc with the crop. The adult tunnels throu gh the soil and lays its eggs on the tuber's surface. Larvae hatch 3 to 5 days later, then bore into the tuber. Within a week, th e moth emerges as an adult, and the cyc le beg ins again. Ramzy El -Bedewy, who hea ds CIP's N il e delta resea rch station, argues that integrated pest management and biologi ca l control are more effect ive, safer, and less expensi ve than in secti- c id es . "There are many thin gs farme rs can do," El-Bedewy says. "To make it more difficult for the moth to get at the tubers, fa rmers ca n hill the so il around the plants and keep the ground mo ist. To limit exposure during the hottest months, when moth popul ation s peak, they ca n pl ant in Janu ary and harvest in the ea rl y sprin g." Judi c ious pesti c ide use ca n also be part of the mi x, although El-Bedewy says that even py rethroid-based prod ucts such as Deci s and K- Othr ine (de ltamethrin), whil e less toxic to hum ans, st ill expose farm ers to the "pest ic ide treadm ill. " A far better altern ati ve is biol og ica l control. Over the past f ive yea rs, the Plant Pro tecti on Resea rch In stitute and CIP have developed, tested, and re leased safe bi o log ica l control agents to rep lace pesticides . One of th ese is the granulosis v irus (GV), w hi ch is spec ific to the tuber moth and k ill s no other in sects. Egypt's Pl ant Protecti on laboratory now manufactures CV-based sprays an d powders th at farm ers c laim wo rk better th an pest icides. El-B edewy says that the new produ cts have been espec iall y popul ar fo r protecting sto red tubers. The Pl ant Protec tion laboratory has also found a strain of the so il-borne bacterium Bacillus True Seed: Impact in Egypt thuringiensis (Bt) that is lethal to th e tuber moth. Th e lab multiplies Bt spo res to make biological sprays and powders. Biological co ntrol technol- ogy is so promi sing that the Egypti an government is repo rtedl y investing US$1 milli on in a new prod uct ion facility . "To use biologica l co ntrols successfully, farm ers have to change both th eir expectations and their practi ces," El-Bedewy says. With convent ional pestic ides, farm ers spray on a sc hed ul e regard less of the severity of the in fes ta- tion. With biologica l co ntrols, th ey spray only w hen necessary, using pheromon e traps to determine pest popul ations in the fi eld . W hereas most pesti c ides kill on contact, GV and Bt sprays ca n take days . Train ers help fa rmers understand w hat to expect in on-site demon strations. "Otherwise, farm ers don't trust th e recommend ati ons," El-Bedewy says . " But once they see th at something work s, they w i 11 go ahead and use it. Th ey don ' t need to wa it for th e results to appear in a sc ien tifi c paper. " " / didn't think thi s would work," one farm er sa id dur ing a training sess ion. " But now th at I've tri ed it, I can see that it' s better .. .. " Another farmer agreed: " Even if it costs as much , it wo rks better, and it 's better for our hea lth. " Acco rding to El -Bedewy, farm er demand is . pus hing biologica l co ntrol in Egypt. " Farmers know th at th e tec hno logy works, and now they have con fiden ce in using it," he says . "They are the rea l force behin d th e change." Despite intensive competition from overseas seed companies, Egyptian potato producers have made important gains in developing domestic seed supplies that use true potato seed (TPS), the tiny botanical seed produced by the flower of the plant (see page 24). A recent impact case study conducted by scientists from the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture, the United Kingdom Overseas Development Administration, and CIP shows that investments in TPS will provide $51 million in benefits to Egyptian potato producers by the year 2015. According to CIP economists, Egypt's TPS project, begun in 1977, has produced a respectable internal rate of return (i.e., annual net benefits to farmers) of 28%, and has a net present value of nearly !__ - - $3 million. On the plus side, these figures do not take into account health and environmental benefits associated with growing locally produced adapted seed that carries disease resistance and can be planted with fewer chemicals. Nor does the study consider the dangers of moving live potato tubers across international borders. On the minus side, economic benefits from the project are jeopardized by market liberalization policies, which increasingly make cheaper and potentially hazardous imported seed a reality. 17 __ _ Taming the Late Blight Dragon --• 18 In a single generation, farmers in developing countries have increased t eir share of world potato production from 10 percent to roughly one-third. But those gains are now being threatened by a resurgence of late blight, the same disease that triggered the Irish potato famine in the 1840s. Late blight is ca used by the fungus Phytophthora infestans, w hose name comes from the Greek for " plant destroyer. " It is difficult to exaggerate its effects. Because late bli ght is spread by w ind-born e spores, the disease moves quickl y throu gh potato-growing reg ions, often devastating an entire crop. Within days, hea lth y f ield s ca n be rendered use less. CIP pathologist Edward R. French calls late blight " the most dramatic of all plant di seases. Under extrem e condition s, it 's like a dragon spew in g flames, burning everything to th e ground. " A British writer in 1845 described the disease as "a fearful malady ... a great ca lamity that we must bear." Imperfect Solutions For poor farmers, littl e ca n be done once late bli ght strikes. Fo r decades, farmers in the North and large-sca le growers in developing co untries have reli ed on fungicides, w ith so me spray ing as many as 35 times per season. CIP estim ates that deve loping-co untry farmers spend U5 $100 milli o n per yea r on chem ical controls. Th at figure , however, does not includ e env ironm ental and health costs . The fungicides used to control late blight are Geographic Information Systems and Late Blight Geographic information systems (GIS) technology is contributing to Cl P's research on integrated disease management of late blight. GIS incorporates spatial information on agricultural production, historical data on weather patterns, and data generated by simulation models. The first two maps presented here show (1) Peru's potato production zones and (2) areas with potential for late blight. The third map (3) combines the data to identify production zones at high risk for late blight damage. GIS has also been used to design a scheme for collecting samples of Phytophthora infestans, the fungus that causes the disease. Current GIS research on late blight aims to characterize geographic differences in the disease system, assess production risks, and forecast the impact of new teclrnology and resistant cultivars. Legend Low - not o nl y poten tiall y haza rd o us amd expe nsi ve, but they are also losin g their potency. In man y places, P. infestans has deve lope resistance to the lead in g fungicides. Meanw hi le, newer and more v irulent st rain s of the fungus have evo lved to ove rco me geneti c res ista nce i ~ potato va ri eti es th emse lves. Acco rdin g to CIP estimates, late blight already red uces g lobal po ato production by 15 percent-a loss of $2.75 b 'l llion a yea r in developing countri es alone. In 1996, CIP intensifi ed its respon se to th e late blight cr isis by co nve ning a w orldw ide netwo rk of potato researc hers un aer the banner of the Global Initiati ve on Late Blight (GILB). Once full y funded, GILB w ill be ten-year, $25 million effort. Roughl y equal portions of the fund s w ill be shared among rese arch in st ituti ons in deve loping countri es, in st ituti