East Timor

Achievements

Key indicators and performance for 2009-2010

Indicator: Continuing evidence provided of farmers selling into commercial markets their surplus production of varieties of a range of crops selected and disseminated under the ‘Seeds of Life 2’ project

Performance: The number of farmers who use ‘Seeds of Life’ varieties and sell small surpluses is increasing for the first time, especially with sweetpotato and peanut. Cash generated is commonly spent on children’s education.

Indicator: One research station completely rehabilitated and two others underway

Performance: The new planned facilities at Betano are fully operational. Buildings are complete at Loes, and development of facilities for upland research is ongoing at Aileu.

Indicator: Detailed analysis conducted and published of research needs and opportunities for improved productivity in East Timor livestock production systems

Performance: Researchers conducted an analysis to define the directions of a livestock research program in East Timor, and results were published at the end of June 2010.

Achievements from the 2009-10 Annual Report

The Seeds of Life program within the East Timorese Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) conducted its activities in 7 of the country’s 13 districts during the final year of implementation. Seeds of Life 2 (SoL2) has an impressive list of achievements. One component of the project involved rehabilitation of three research stations, and mid-way through the final year all rehabilitation work on the buildings at Betano Research Station was complete and facilities were operating. Five houses and two office buildings were also complete at Loes Research Station. Suitable farm equipment for both stations was purchased and the Betano equipment was in operation by May 2010. At Loes the chainlink fence around the perimeter of the station funded by the MAF was complete, and MAF also funded the fencing around the research station site at Darasula, Baucau. A station manager was assigned to oversee site development and an environmental site assessment drafted.

Replicated trials that included maize, cassava, sweetpotato and peanut were conducted at four research station-style sites during the year (Aileu, Loes, Betano, Fatumaca). Replicated trials of rice, wheat, barley, potatoes and beans were also conducted in farmers’ fields as there were no representative ecosystems available for these crops on research stations. Field days were held at Aileu and Betano, and farmer observations about different varieties were recorded. These were supplemented with small field days held in subdistricts to introduce new tested varieties of different crops to local farmers.

SoL2 personnel provided training on seed production and storage, with 12 formal courses being held between September 2009 and May 2010. A sweetpotato production field day was also held in November 2009. Seven seed production officers operating in six districts worked with an advisor to produce 60 t of Nakroma rice seed, 20 t of maize, 100,000 sweetpotato cuttings and 18 t of Utamua peanuts during the reporting period. Seed dryers, seed-cleaning equipment and storage facilities were installed at two sites and smaller depots were constructed at two other sites.

The SoL2 program continued to evaluate new varieties of food crops for cultivation in East Timor. Included were 20 maize (mainly from CIMMYT), 15 peanut (mainly from the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)), 16 sweetpotato (mainly from CIP) and 20 irrigated rice, varieties (from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)) and 25 cassava clones (mainly from International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)). In addition, the team conducted preliminary research on climbing beans, barley, wheat and Irish potato. Within each trial were at least two local varieties, and a collection of local legumes was also planted for evaluation.

Germplasm conservation during the year included 80 cassava, 40 sweetpotato and 30 peanut varieties. A collection of native legume species also added to the diversity of material under evaluation for East Timorese farming systems.

Seven East Timorese journeyed to Australia for a study tour of research facilities at Hermitage Research Centre in Queensland. The participants observed the precision and methodologies used by Australian researchers and discussed methods for improving their own practices.

More than 800 maize, peanut, cassava, sweetpotato and rice on-farm demonstrations and trials were established in 17 subdistricts during the 2008–09 wet season (November–April), and a similar number of trials were installed during 2009–10.

Apart from varietal development, research was also conducted to improve the ‘agronomic management’ available to farmers to complement the high-yielding varieties. Lack of weed control is a major constraint in the upland areas and experiments on this were installed on maize, peanuts and rice. Included was the use of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) to control weeds in maize. Nitrogen application trials were also implemented on farmers’ rice fields.

There is a desire from all involved parties for a new phase of the Seeds of Life program. This has AusAID and ACIAR support and in November 2009 a preliminary design for SoL3 was completed. A final design team visited East Timor in April 2010 and implementation is scheduled for 2011.