Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (AVRDC)

This article provides notes on Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (AVRDC).

Like in other crops international research centres can contribute substantially towards solving the problems that limit vegetable production because several research constraints are global in nature and need the research support by a well staffed and adequately equipped central international research centre. These centres make the work of national research programmes more efficient and accelerate the development of solutions.

The international centres can build a “critical mass” of scientists that is very important for effective research. It has been almost established that successful research in individual crops has usually required the team effort of specialists working in a range of disciplines like genetics, breeding, agronomy, physiology, pathology, entomology, economics, soils, statistics and chemistry, etc.

An international research centre is required to:

(i) Serve as catalyst for change.

(ii) Collect, evaluate, maintain and utilize germ-plasma.

(iii) Generate and disseminate information.

(iv) Provide training.

(v) Stimulate the formation of a critical mass of scientists.

(vi) Assist national programmes achieving desired goals faster and more efficiently.

There are 16 International Institutions supported by the consultative group on international agricultural research (CGIAR) as given below, but unfortunately none is on the vegetable crops:

1. CIAT – Centro International de Agricultural Tropical, Apartado Aereo 6713, Cali. Colombia, Founded 1967.

2. CIMMYT – Centro International de Mejoramiento de Maizy Trigo Londres 40, Mexico, Founded 1966.

3. CIP – Centro International de La Papa, Apartado, 5969, Lima, Peru. Founded 1970.

4. IPGRI- International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations via delle Terme de Caracalla 00100, Rome, Italy. Founded 1974.

5. ICARDA – International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas, Aleppo, Syria, Founded 1975.

6. ICRISAT – International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Hyderabad, India, Founded 1972.

7. IFPRI – International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA, Founded 1975.

8. IITA – International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria, Founded 1967.

9. ILRI – International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Nairobi, Kenya, Founded 1994.

10. IRRI – International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines, Founded 1960.

11. ISNAR – International Service for National Agricultural Research, The Hague, The Netherlands, Founded 1979.

12. WARDA – West African Rice Development Association, Monrovia, Liberia, Founded 1970.

13. CIFOR – Centre for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia, Founded 1993.

14. ICLARM – International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management, Manila, Philippines, Founded 1977.

15. ICRAF – International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, Nairobi, Kenya, Founded 1977.

16. IIMI- International Irrigation Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Founded 1984.

Two programmes not totally funded by CGIAR and not included in the system are:

1. AVRDC – Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre, Taiwan – The World Veg. Centre.

2. IFDC- International Fertilizer Development Centre, Alabama, USA.

An international research centre on vegetable crops is justified as:

Vegetables are a major source of cash income for smallholder farmers:

Vegetable production provides a way out of poverty for smallholder farmers and the landless. It generates more income and jobs per hectare, on-farm and off-farm, than most other agricultural enterprises.

Vegetables are vital for combating the “hidden hunger” of micronutrient malnutrition:

Over two billion people, most of whom are poor women and children, do not have access to sufficient micronutrients in their diets – and vegetables provide their best source of these. In sub-Saharan Africa the consumption of vegetables is only 43% of that recommended for good health and its diversity has been deteriorating.

Vegetables are essential for a balanced diet and good health:

A past global development emphasis on increasing the production of staples has resulted in reduced dietary diversity and reduced health. Increasing the consumption of vegetables is essential for the good health of rich and poor alike, but vegetable consumption is below the recommended minimum in most countries around the world.

Vegetable research has the highest rate of return of any agricultural research:

In 2005 a major review of the returns to agricultural research and extension from 375 projects across the world was commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). It found that agricultural research and extension have consistently yielded high rates of return to public investment, with 82% of research case studies yielding returns higher than 20%.

Exotic vegetables are globally important, and a source of cash income for smallholders:

Exotic vegetables are those species introduced to a country or location. In Africa and Asia these include tomato, onion, cabbage and pepper. Globally these are also the most popular vegetables grown.

Indigenous vegetables are hardy, nutritious and culturally important:

Indigenous vegetables are underutilized species from specific locations which may be native to the area or naturalized. High in nutrients and important sources of food particularly for the poor and in times of scarcity, indigenous vegetables are easy to grow and have high nutraceutical properties and health benefits.

The World Vegetable Centre:

Mission:

The alleviation of poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through the increased production and consumption of safe vegetables.

Founded:

Founded in 1971 by the Asian Development Bank, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, and the Republic of China with a mandate to work in tropical Asia. Global work in sub- Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America expanded after the first regional headquarters were opened in 1992.

Annual budget:

Approximately US$18 million in 2008, with the majority of funding from national governments and major private foundations. Donors include the Asia & Pacific Seed Association, Asian Development Bank, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

France, Germany’s GTZ/BMZ, Republic of China, United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, United States Agency for International Development, and Swiss Foundation.

Management:

Independent, non-governmental, not-for profit international agricultural research institute run by a management team that reports to an international Board of Directors.

Structure:

The organizational structure allows for both regional project management and efficient global coordination.

Staff:

Approximately 300 staff with around 60 internationally recruited scientists and professionals.

Headquarters:

Shanhua, Taiwan – The Centre is the only international agricultural research centre headquartered in a Chinese-speaking country.

Regional Centres:

Asian Regional Centre – Bangkok, Thailand (1992), Regional Centre for Africa – Arusha, Tanzania (1992),; Regional Centre for South Asia – Hyderabad, India (2006).

Sub-Regional Offices:

West and Central Africa – Bamako, Mali, Central Asia and Caucasus – Tashkent, Uzbekistan; National Horticultural Research Institute – Suwon, Korea.

Outreach Project Offices:

Yaounde, Cameroon, Niamey, Niger, Antananarivo, Madagascar, Central Java, Indonesia, Vientiane, Lao PDR.

Principal Partners:

National agricultural research and extension systems and non­-government organizations in developing countries and the private seed sector.

Research Activities:

a. Germplasm management

b. Developing new varieties

c. Improving production

d. Enhancing consumption

e. Globally important vegetables like crops : Tomato, Chilli, Onion, Eggplant, Cabbage and

f. Regionally important indigenous vegetables

Research Themes:

As the only international centre with ‘development specifically in its name, the Centre has always tried to find an effective and appropriate balance between research to produce technologies and development to ensure impact. The Centre’s work is built around four global themes: Germplasm, Breeding, Production and Consumption which ensure that the whole vegetable value chain is addressed.

AVRDC:

Research and development groups include plant breeding, plant pathology, entomology, biotechnology/molecular breeding, nutrition, socioeconomics, postharvest, genetic resources and gene bank management and technology dissemination. These are supported by biometrics, editorial, library and information services and programme and partnership development.

Germplasm Management:

AVRDC maintains the world’s largest public vegetable gene bank with more than 56,000 accessions from 150 countries, including more than 44,000 accessions of globally important vegetables and close to 12,000 accessions of indigenous vegetables. Collecting and conservation work is done in collaboration with national partners who maintain duplicate collections.

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity analysis of selected germ-plasma collections is done to identify markers and map genes linked to important agronomic traits such as disease resistance, stress tolerance, or high nutritional value. This significantly enhances the efficiency of breeding programmes as key genes can be identified for introgression into improved lines using classical and molecular technologies.

The AVRDC Vegetable Genetic Resources Information System (AVGRIS) is an information system containing data on all the accessions held by the Centre. AVGRIS is used by AVRDC staff to manage the collection, and by AVRDC partners to assess and order materials to their breeding programmes.

The Centre uses standard Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) for sharing genetic material and provides training to partners in the conservation and evaluation of vegetable genetic resources.

Since its founding, the Centre has distributed more than 5,70,000 seed samples to researchers in at least 180 countries in the public and private sectors. This has led to the release of hundreds of varieties throughout the world, especially in developing countries.

The germplasm management achievements are summarized as follows:

a. Conserving and distributing vegetable germplasm to improve crops.

b. Identifying superior sources of genes for important horticultural traits.

c. Characterizing the Centre’s germplasm to make better use of its diversity.

d. Developing DNA markers for improved traits for marker-assisted selection.

e. Using molecular technologies to isolate and validate genes affecting important traits.

f. Sharing the benefits of the Centre’s germplasm collections.

g. Training partners in germplasm conservation, use, and gene discovery.

AVGRIS has following objectives:

a. Assist the GRSU staff in day-to-day activities.

b. Facilitate recording, storage and maintenance of germplasm data.

c. Provide direct access to information pertaining to accessions in the gene bank, and

d. Allow requests for the desired seeds.

The data accessible through AVGRIS are as follows:

a. Passport

b. Characterization, and

c. Evaluation

Passport data is compiled by the germplasm collector while collecting the germplasm. The characterization in terms of simple morphological descriptors is done by germplasm curator/germplasm botanist. Evaluation is done by specialists/scientists like breeder, pathologist, entomologist, nutritionist, etc.

Breeding:

AVRDC’s improved varieties make a major contribution to vegetable production for the poor. They yield well, are resistant to diseases, highly nutritious and adapted to the tropics. A measure of their value is that 75% of seed companies in Asia use the Centre’s lines.

Major breeding successes include the development of high-yielding, heat-tolerant tomatoes and brassicas, which has improved profitability of these crops in the tropics, and the development of multiple disease resistance in tomatoes, peppers, cucurbits, onions, mungbean, soya bean, and eggplant. The Centre’s improved mungbean varieties revolutionized the industry, and are planted on millions of hectares throughout Asia.

The Centre’s high beta-carotene tomatoes provide 3 to 6 times as much vitamin A as normal tomatoes, so that a single tomato can now provide all a person’s daily vitamin A needs. Tomatoes are also being bred for processing with high lycopene and high solids content, joint less pedicel and concentrated fruit set.

The Centre currently has active breeding programmes in tomato, sweet pepper, chilli pepper, onions, garlic, leafy crucifers, vegetable soya bean, mungbean, cucumbers, summer and winter squash, and okra.

Selection programmes are improving the quality of indigenous African and Asian vegetables. Breeding project-Vegetable Breeding and Seed Systems for Poverty Reduction in sub-Saharan Africa-is producing more than 100 new vegetable varieties for the region.

The major breeding goals are as follows:

1. Developing vegetable varieties and lines with improved disease resistance and stress tolerance:

The Centre’s extensive germplasm collection and international partnerships are the sources of the Centre’s improved breeding lines, and the Centre has had a long-term focus on developing heat-tolerant tomatoes, chillies, and sweet peppers with multiple disease resistance. Both conventional and molecular breeding methods are used.

Breeding work also aims to develop short-day red and yellow onions with improved yield, extended shelf life, and Stem-phylum resistance; horticulturally superior leafy crucifers; heat-tolerant broccoli; more nutritious vegetable soya bean; mungbean with improved flavour and disease resistant summer and winter squash. Cucumbers with improved horticultural traits are being bred with improved disease resistance, good fruit quality, and high gynoecy.

2. Improving the disease resistance and quality of African indigenous vegetables and expanding their adoption:

A range of African indigenous vegetables with superior horticultural traits and disease resistance have been tested and developed in Tanzania. Centre is also developing Capsicum Chinese lines resistant to Pepper veinal mottle virus and an okra breeding programmes in West Africa.

3. Developing vegetable variety testing networks and improved seed systems in conjunction with the public and private sectors:

AVRDC has developed vegetable nurseries for global and regional testing of vegetable lines under diverse environments. This is supported by databases for performance recording and to facilitate seed requests. Work is also continuing on the exploitation of male sterility to improve the efficiency of hybrid vegetable seed production.

Production Research:

The Centre develops methods for smallholder farmers to use water and fertilizers for successful vegetable production more efficiently and safely. Farmers must protect crops from pests and diseases and misuse of pesticides is a serious problem in developing countries.

Pesticide residue harms the environment and the health of farmers and consumers. AVRDC develops biological, mechanical and cultural methods for integrated pest management (IPM) of important insect pests and bacterial, fungal and viral diseases in vegetables.

Key successes include IPM systems for controlling eggplant fruit and shoot borer in South Asia, simple protective production systems and grafting technologies for tomato and pepper production in the hot-wet season. The Centre also works on low cost drip-irrigation, fertilizing and crop rotation systems suited to smallholders, and has on-going programmes to integrate, disseminate and extend these improved technologies.

Partnerships:

Since its founding the Centre has attracted competent and dedicated partners to further its mission of alleviating poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through vegetable research and development.

Centre currently collaborates successfully with 178 partners in 46 countries related to:

1. Advanced Research Institutes

2. Government and Community

3. Private Sector

4. Donors

AVRDC:

The World Vegetable Centre enjoys a fruitful relationship with many donors dedicated to poverty reduction and rural development. The Centre has a proven track record as a reliable partner capable of delivering results and impact.

Excellent partnership with the donor community is reflected in the Centre’s continuously expanding budget and programmes. The Centre is fortunate to be part of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, an influential network that encourages interaction with partners and project development.

Key national partners and other donors include:

a. Asian Development Bank

b. Australia (ACIAR)

c. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

d. European Union

e. Canada (CIDA)

f. Germany (BMZ)

g. United Kingdom (DFID)

h. Japan (JIRCAS)

i. IFAD

j. Taiwan (MOFA & COA)

k. Thailand (Kasetsart University)

l. Ratan Tata Trust

m. USA (USAID)

Seeds:

Seed distribution is one of the most important services provided by AVRDC – The World Vegetable Centre. Improved lines ready for use in breeding programmes and unimproved vegetable germplasm are available, and small quantities of seed can be obtained upon request.

The Centre’s gene bank contains the world’s largest public collection of vegetable germplasm including over 56,000 accessions of globally important vegetables, indigenous vegetables and the wild relatives of domesticated vegetables. About three-quarters of seed companies in Asia use improved AVRDC lines in the production of new varieties.

Projects:

AVRDC-The World Vegetable Centre currently implements 77 projects worldwide in collaboration with partners to fight poverty and malnutrition in the developing world. These projects represent the whole spectrum of the vegetable research and development continuum covered by the Centre from advanced breeding and transgenic research to outreach-oriented efforts using tools such as farmer field schools and ‘training of trainers’.

These are Centre’s largest current projects:

Vegetable Breeding and Seed Systems for Poverty Reduction in Africa:

This project aims to increase vegetable production, marketing and consumption and foster rural development to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods of vulnerable groups, particularly poor women and children, in sub-Saharan Africa.

Integrated Disease Management (IDM) for Anthracnose, Phytophthora Blight, and Whitefly-transmitted Gemini viruses in Chilli Pepper in Indonesia:

In Indonesia, chilli pepper (Capsicum spp.) is an important cash crop, providing income and nutritional benefits to smallholder producers. However, disease losses seriously affect crop productivity and supply/price reliability.

Resistance of Solanaceous Crops to Ralstonia solanacearum:

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a major cause of yield loss in tomato, pepper and eggplant. This project investigates the sources of resistance or tolerance to bacterial wilt and how these can be successfully incorporated into breeding strategies.

Heat and Drought Tolerance of Tropical Tomato:

Tomato lines that tolerate heat and drought are being developed using molecular tools, and the genes involved are being identified. These lines will be provided to public and private breeding groups to improve the hardiness of tomato varieties.

A Consortium to Develop SSR Marker Set for Marker-assisted Breeding in Tomato:

Marker-assisted breeding is being assisted by developing a whole genome SSR marker set for tomatoes. This will enhance the work of companies and institutions with limited DNA marker capabilities and supplement those with existing marker resources.

Regenerating and Safeguarding Valuable Vegetable Collections:

The project will accelerate the regeneration, characterization, documentation, long-term storage and safe duplication of 6000 accessions of the Center’s most globally important collections, in particular the germplasm of African indigenous vegetables.

Improvement of Vegetable Production and Postharvest Management Systems in Cambodia and Australia:

Vegetable consumption in Cambodia is among the lowest in Asia. Enhanced local vegetable production and improved marketing have the potential to increase consumption and farmer incomes as they diversify from rice production, but problems of inadequate production technologies and the reliability of supply and quality hinder the industry’s development.

Integrated Soil and Crop Management for Rehabilitation of Vegetable Production in the Tsunami-affected Areas of NAD Province, Indonesia:

The tsunami of December 2004 damaged nearly 40,000 ha of agricultural land in Indonesia, affecting up to 92,000 farms and small enterprises. The aim of this project is to restore and enhance food security, nutrition and livelihoods through rehabilitation of vegetable production.

Integrated Crop Management Package for Sustainable Smallholder Gardens in the Solomon Islands:

The Solomon Islands (SI) is one of the poorest island nations in the Pacific. Smallholder vegetable gardens are sources of food and income for the rural and urban population, yet the area cultivated to vegetables is small compared to major staple starchy crops. Local production and supply are not able to meet year-round domestic demands and there is great potential for improving and increasing local vegetable production.

Adoption Pathways for Vegetable Integrated Pest Management Technologies to Reduce Pesticide Use and Pesticide Related Health Hazards in India:

India is the second largest user of pesticides in Asia and indiscriminate use of pesticides in horticulture is common, even in remote and tribal areas. An estimated 40% of farmers use pesticides classified as extremely or highly hazardous.

Consumer demand for food safely is also growing. This project aims to reduce the health hazards due to excessive pesticide use by growers and to reduce pesticide residues on locally marketed vegetables in India.

Development of Noval Management Techniques for Phyllotreta striolata (F.) in Crucifer Crops; Impact of Glucosinolate, Their Hydrolysis Products, and Male-derived Aggregation Pheromones:

Vegetables in the family Brassica such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, radish and pak-choi are among the world’s most important vegetables, and the striped flea beetle Phyllotreta striolata, is one of their most important global pests.

Pesticides are often misused to control the beetle, harming the health of farmers, consumers and the environment. This project aims to develop plant volatile attractants in combination with male derived aggregation pheromone lures to monitor and potentially control P. striolata successfully in the field.

Improving Vegetable Production and Consumption for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Jharkhand and Punjab, India:

Jharkhand is a state with a high percentage of tribal people and poor farmers, while agricultural productivity in Punjab has been stagnant or declining.

Expanding vegetable production will enhance the income of farmers, increase rural employment and increase supplies of nutrient-rich vegetables to rural and urban communities. Limitations to expanding production include poor availability of suitable varieties and good quality seeds, a lack of proper crop management, poor farmers’ lack of bargaining power, and limited access to markets.

Ecologically Based Participatory IPM for Southeast Asia:

A regional effort involving farmers, scientists and extension personnel aims to develop and implement IPM programs for vegetable and other selected high-value cropping systems in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Pesticides are widely misused, and the project will collaborate with farmers to identify insect problems and seek solutions that can improve production and product quality while reducing reliance on harmful chemicals.

Supporting Pro-poor Vegetable Value Chains in Greater Mekong Sub-region Countries:

Focusing initially on Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) this project aims to improve the incomes of vegetable growers in impoverished upland rural areas. The main focus is on improving postharvest operations and processing for leafy vegetables.

It involves identifying market opportunities for value-adding, technical training in postharvest handling, developing suitable, low-cost postharvest and processing technologies for leafy vegetables, and strengthening regional partnerships.

Understanding How to Achieve Impact-at-Scale through Nutrition-Focused Marketing of African Indigenous Vegetables and Orange-fleshed Sweet Potatoes:

African indigenous vegetables are high in micronutrients, antioxidants, and other health- related phytochemicals with antimalarial and antimicrobial properties. The market potential of traditional vegetables is very large, and they can contribute substantially to household income. Previous projects have achieved remarkable local success in promoting the production and consumption of African indigenous vegetables. This project seeks to scale up these successes.

Promotion of Neglected Indigenous Vegetable Crops for Nutritional Health in Eastern and Southern Africa:

African indigenous vegetables are high in micronutrients, antioxidants, and other health-related factors, including antimalarial and antimicrobial phytochemicals. Promoting their production and consumption can help reduce malnutrition and poverty among small-scale farmers and consumers.

Providing high quality seed and improved cultivation practices will also help indigenous vegetables become more profitable crops and increase market supplies.

Study of the Anti-diabetic Properties of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia):

Type II diabetes is among the fastest growing diseases worldwide, affecting people in both developing and developed countries, but drugs to treat it are often unavailable to patients in developing countries.

Bitter gourd is widely available throughout Asia and Africa and can reduce blood glucose levels. This project aims to attain a better understanding of the biochemical aspects of its anti-diabetic properties. The above mentioned projects will keep on changing as per changing scenarios and requirements in future.

Broad Research Agenda:

The research and development activities conducted at AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center are built on strong partnerships involving both public and private sector research organizations. Over the past four decades, more than half a million seed samples of the Center’s improved lines have been distributed to the public and private sectors in more than 180 countries.

According to laudable philosophy of the Center, private sector from large international entities to small local entrepreneurs is essential for the effective dissemination of new seed.

The Center supports the private seed industry by providing improved inbred lines that accelerate variety development, sharing disease screening and seed production protocols, and conducting training in genetic improvement, business management, and market supply chain issues.

To increase the availability and the rate of dissemination of high quality seed, location specific alliances are formed and coordinated with the seed companies and public sector research organizations capable of fulfilling necessary breeding, selection, varietal registration and marketing activities.

Towards this objective, the Center has collaborated closely with the Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA) and its member seed companies for many years. This is a successful example of public-private-partnership (PPP).

Theme-wise project listing as follows gives a fair idea about the research areas of the Center:

1. Germplasm:

i. Collect, acquire and conserve vegetable and legume germplasm.

ii. Maintain effective regeneration of priority vegetable germplasm.

iii. Distribute vegetable germplasm accessions and improved lines worldwide.

iv. Safety duplicate AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center vegetable germplasm in other gene banks.

v. Systematically store information on conservation and distribution of vegetable, germplasm in AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center’s electronic database.

vi. Develop strategies on in-situ conservation of indigenous vegetables.

vii. Develop effective seed health and quarantine programmes at AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center’s headquarters and the regional centers.

viii. Characterize morphological traits of vegetable germplasm maintained at AVRDC- The World Vegetable Center and its Regional Centers.

x. Develop, characterize and validate AVRDC germplasm core collection.

xi. Conduct association analysis to identify markers and genes linked to important agronomic traits.

xii. Identify and characterize sources of resistance to viral, fungal and bacterial diseases.

xiii. Identify and characterize sources of resistance/tolerance to insect-pests.

xiv. Identify and characterize sources of tolerance to abiotic stresses (drought, flooding and salinity stress).

xv. Evaluate vegetable germplasm for selected nutrition related compounds.

xvi. Develop mapping populations and identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance to biotic stresses and tolerance to abiotic stresses, enhanced nutritional value.

xvii. Conduct fine mapping of QTLs and develop markers for marker assisted selection (MAS).

xviii. Assemble and develop molecular marker sets for priority vegetable crops.

xix. Allele mining to identify variation conferring superior traits.

xx. Characterize and validate candidate genes for heat and drought tolerance.

xxi. Characterize and validate genes conferring resistance to biotic stresses.

xxii. Evaluate gene function and efficacy through genetic engineering.

xxiii. Improve and utilize material transfer agreement (MTA) for gene bank-germplasm.

xxiv. Train human resources in vegetable genetic resources conservation, management and evaluation using conventional and advanced techniques.

2. Breeding:

i. Develop heat tolerant and disease resistant tropical tomato with desirable horticultural and quality traits.

ii. Develop and distribute disease resistant chilli and sweet-pepper varieties (targeting anthracnose, Phytophihora, bacterial wilt, cucumber mosaic virus, chilli veinal mottle virus and/or begomovirus.

iii. Develop heat tolerant tropical sweet pepper.

iv. Develop short-day red onions and yellow onions for improved yield, extended shelf life and/or Stemphyllium resistance.

v. Develop horticulturally superior leafy crucifers and heat tolerant broccoli.

vi. Develop improved vegetable soya-bean and mungbean with improved nutritional and flavour qualities.

vii. Develop cucumber lines with improved horticultural traits, disease resistance, good fruit quality and high gynoecy.

viii. Develop disease resistant and high quality summer and winter squash.

ix. Develop African eggplant with superior horticultural traits and disease resistance.

x. Okra breeding for West Africa.

xi. Develop Ethiopian mustard for superior horticultural traits and disease resistance.

xii. Develop amaranth for improved horticultural traits and disease resistance.

xiii. Develop Roselle for improved horticultural traits and disease resistance.

xiv. Assemble and distribute international/regional vegetable nurseries and promising lines.

xv. Analyze and review of multi-environment testing of AVRDC-improved germplasm.

xvi. Develop online database to facilitate seed request of AVRDC-improved vegetables.

xvii. Improvement of seed system.

xviii. Male sterility to improve the efficiency of hybrid vegetable seed production.

3. Production:

i. Diagnose and characterize major insect-pests.

ii. Develop integrated pest management technologies for major insect-pests.

iii. Diagnose, characterize and develop integrated management strategies for major bacterial, fungal and viral diseases.

iv. Work out water requirement and develop and validate technologies to improve water use efficiency under different agro-ecosystems.

v. Develop technologies to improve soil nutrient efficiency and soil sustainability.

vi. Develop balanced fertilizer technologies for selected vegetables.

4. Marketing:

i. Identify, map and analyze components of supply chains for high value crops in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific.

ii. Facilitate the establishment of enhanced market coordination mechanisms for vegetables in supply chains geared towards domestic markets.

iii. Build post-harvest research capacity of national scientists.

iv. Identify priority vegetables with superior post-harvest and/or processing characteristics.

5. Nutrition:

i. Assess food choices and determinants of food choice and food safety.

ii. Conduct nutritional and functional analysis of indigenous vegetables.

iii. Develop vegetable lines/varieties with improved contents of nutrition or bioactive compounds.