BK

The project was funded by Chevron-Sonangol and implemented in collaboration with the Instituto de Investigação Agronómica (I.I.A). The main objective was the sustainable increment of the economic contribution that the main vegetatively propagated crops (banana, cassava, sweetpotato, and potato) make for the improvement of food security and to combat poverty in rural populations.

Novel potato B3 clones with improved late blight tolerance were introduced from CIP Nairobi and orange fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) from CIP Mozambique. Germplasm banks were maintained in the I.I.A. experimental stations in four provinces and multilocation evaluation trials conducted. At the end of the project five potato CIP-B3 clones were released as varieties, as well as seven OFSP varieties, the first to be officially released in Angola.

The main components of a potato seed multiplication system were established and clean-seed interventions in the region initiated. Diffused light stores (DLS) were built for the storage of seed potato using local materials, such as bamboo, elephant grass, concrete blocks, clay and eucalyptus.

OFSP rapid multiplication plots were planted with individual farmers and farmers’ groups in eight provinces in close collaboration with the Angolan extension services, local authorities and NGOs. A total of 32.876 persons with 164.400 dependents received planting material of one or more of the four target crops. In addition, the development of novel products from OFSP (bread, cakes and cookies, juice) was being promoted to generate income from a hitherto traditionally low income sustenance “women’s crop”.

A total of 2013 persons were trained in multiplication techniques of banana, cassava, sweetpotato, potato seed production and selection, research and trialing procedures for vegetatively propagated plants questions of nutrition and health, OFSP processing and the making of products. The largest group were farmers (1684), followed by students (132) and technicians of IIA, IDA, EDAs and ONGs (201) and 16 bakers.

The aim of the project was to develop procedures for endangered tree species native to South Africa for purposes of conservation and reforestation. Black stinkwood (Ocotea bullata) and pepperbark tree (Warburgia salutaris) have become threatened throughout South Africa because of the high demand for their bark in traditional medicine. Black stinkwood was also extensively logged for its precious wood. Vegetative propagation is difficult because of high contents of aromatic compounds inhibiting the rooting of cuttings. Seeds are heavily parasitized. Both species are also difficult to establish and grow in tissue culture because of extraordinarily high contents of phenolic compounds. High levels of internal contamination are a problem. A protocol for the establishment of explants and nodal culture in vitro has been developed and plantlets of O. bullata and W. salutaris are now being multiplied.

Podocarpus henkelii and P. elongatus are two of four yellowwood species indigenous to South Africa. Yellowwoods have come under pressure through extensive logging because of their precious wood, with populations becoming significantly reduced by the turn of the century. Micropropagation systems for gymnosperms are different from the shoot culture methods used for angiosperms. A micropropagation procedure based on continued axillary shoot proliferation has been developed and shoots are currently being hardened off for transplanting into the greenhouse.

Podocarpus henkelii Podocarpus elongatus Warburgia salutaris Ocotea bullata

The aim of this project was to investigate, whether the use of a seaweed concentrate in potato micropropagation improved microplant quality and resulted in better establishment and growth of microplant cuttings ex vitro. The influence of season, variety and explant type on the effect of the seaweed concentrate in vitro was investigated. Plant quality was evaluated at various stages of the micropropagation and acclimatization process. The effect of seaweed concentrate as a leaf / soil drench in the greenhouse immediately after planting alone and in combination with the in vitro treatment was assessed.

The project was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst DAAD), the German Society for Research (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG) and University College Cork, Department of Plant Science.

1. The influence of common scab infection of the tubers on the parameters obtained by Pseudo-3D-image analysis was described as part of a project for the application of image analysis for the identification of potato varieties.
2. 2D-image analysis was applied to describe non-genetic variation in potato populations caused by the method of micropropagation.
3. Mutant populations of potato cv. 'Golden Wonder' were created in vitro through irradiation and somaclonal variation.

The microplant populations were transferred to the greenhouse and field. Selection procedures were developed to identify, and reject, useless mutants involving a 2D- and Pseudo-3D-image-analysis based computer vision system. Gross field aberrants were identified early at the greenhouse stage and late maturation mutants in the first year of evaluation in the field. Potato clones with improved agronomic characters in greenhouse and field were trialled in subsequent years to ascertain the stability of the selected characters tuber yield and late blight (Phytophthora infestans) tolerance. The selected clones were characterized using computer image analysis.

Plastic culture vessel containing potato shoots

Field trial in Fota, Co. Cork

Acclimatization of plantlets in the greenhouse

Cv. Golden Wonder

High yielding mutant clone of Golden Wonder

The project was a collaborative effort of the University of Rostock, Institute of Potato Research in Groß Lüsewitz, both Germany and the Instituto Nacional de las Sciencias Agrícolas (INCA) in Cuba. It was aimed to investigate the possiblity of employing somaclonal variation to adapt European potato varieties to the subtropical conditions of the island of Cuba. Callus cultures were initiated from microplant internodes of three commercial varieties in the laboratories of the Institute of Potato Research and brought to Cuba to the INCA. The resulting somaclones were transferred to gauze tunnels as microplants or microtubers and the morphological variation present in the somaclone populations was recorded. Minitubers were harvested and transferred to the field where the clones were evaluated for agronomical performance such as tuber yield and susceptibility to early blight (Alternaria solani). The variation manifest in the populations in the gauze tunnel and field was characterized using factor analysis. The somaclones were handed over to the INCA for further evaluation.

Adventitious shoot formation

Quarantine gauze tunnel

Potato trial site

Gauze tunnel inside

Tropical and subtropical agriculture

• Integration of roots and tuber crops for food, feed, soil fertility and improved livelihoods within farming systems – the cases of East Africa and South East Asia
• Organisation and conduction of greenhouse and field experiments potato under the temperate conditions of Germany and Ireland and subtropical conditions of Cuba (1988 – 2007), South Africa (1996 – 1998) and Angola (2009-2012), Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya 2013-2017.
• Sustainable strategies in field and storage for improved plant health and tuber quality in potato, Rostock University, 2001 – 2008, Angola 2008-2012 (Diffused Light Stores).
• Agricultural production on the island of Cuba, 1988 – 1992.
• Medicinal plants of South Africa, 1996 – 1998.

Teaching and training

East Africa

• Workshop Humidtropics Action Site Ethiopian Highlands and Western Kenya: Silage making using sweetpotato vines. With farmers in Arjo-Diga, Oromia Province, Ethiopia, and Kisumu and Vihiga in Western Kenya
• Workshop Humidtropics Action Site Ethiopian Highlands: The potato crop - Problems, solutions, opportunities. With farmers in Gojo-Jeldu, Oromia Province, Ethiopia
• Training Humidtropics Action Site Western Kenya: Compost making for Kitchen Gardens. With women householders in Vihiga in Western Kenya
• Training course: Principles of micropropagation in agro-biotechnology. ARARI technicians and Students of Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
• On the Job Training: Improvement of potato in vitro plantlet quality and ex vitro acclimatization. With technicians of national partner institutes ARARI, TARI, SARI, in Bahir Dar, Mekelle and Areka, Ethiopia

Angola

• University lectures and demonstrations: Produção de semente de batata rena de alta qualidade (Production of high quality seed potato). Universidade José Eduardo dos Santos, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias, Huambo, Angola
• University lectures and demonstrations: Introdução da Batata Doce de Polpa Alaranjada em Angola - Metodos e Beneficios (Introduction of the orange fleshed sweetpotato to Angola – Methods and benefits). Universidade José Eduardo dos Santos, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias, Huambo, Angola
• Joint Workshop CIP- Worldvision: Variedades e técnicas modernas da produção de batata rena, selecção positiva de semente no campo de produtores e conservação de baixo custo (Modern varieties and techniques in potato production, Positive Selection of seed in growers’ fields and low cost storage). Training of IDA Extensionists
• Joint Workshop CIP- Instituto Marquês de Vale Flor: Brick manufacture for the building of DLS. With farmers of Ekunha Cooperative
• Joint Workshop CIP- Instituto Marquês de Vale Flor-Farmers’ Cooperative of Ekunha: Positive selection to improve seed potato quality. With farmers of Ekunha Cooperative
• On-the-Job-Training: Rapid multiplication of sweetpotato. With famers’ communities, IDA extensionists and schools, establishment of vine plots for planting material.
• On-the-Job-Training: Orange fleshed Sweetpotato (OFSP) rich in pro-Vitamin A for cooking and baking. With famers’ communities and women’s groups

Teaching materials developed in Portuguese

• Manual: GUIAO DE ADOBE QUEIMADO para Armazens de Luz Difusa de baixo custo para o armazenamento de semente de batata rena de alta qualidade (Guide for burning bricks for the building of Diffued Light Stores for the storage of high quality seed potato)
• Manual: Jardim Escholar da Batata Doce de Polpa Alaranjada rica em pro-vitamina A (School Garden for Orange Fleshed Sweetpotato rich in pro-vitamin A)
• Flyer: A Doce que da Saude -Batato Doce de Polpa Alaranjada (The Sweet that gives health – Orange fleshed sweetpotato)
• Flyer: Pão de Ouro (Golden Bread)

Rostock University, Institut of Agroecology

• Plant breeding (MSc course)
• Potato Agronomy
• Crop husbandry in the tropics and subtropics.

University College Cork, Department of Plant Science

• 1995-1996: 3^rd year Plant Pathology course
• 1996: Computer Bio-Statistics course

Adult Education, Agricultural School Quassel

• Chemistry for Environmental Technicians
• Physics for Environmental Technicians