1 PROGRESS SUMMARY
The project addresses a number of inter-related themes in developing capacity in plant health across a range of Vietnamese research and extension institutions. By directly linking young scientists from different institutions it creates sustainable processes and activities that integrate and make best use of the different capabilities involved. The project emphasizes direct engagement with farmers through participatory learning mechanisms.
1 Regional disease research networks established and disease diagnostic and research capacity developed among young scientists. Up to now, over 100 young scientists have been trained in pathogen identification techniques by staff from CABI Bioscience and QPDI. Training material has been collated into a manual 'Laboratory Techniques for Plant Health Diagnostics'. Translation into Vietnamese is on-going.
Strong regional networks have been established, coordinating survey work and implementing participatory research activities. In the North, institutional learning and impact of the methods used to control anthracnose in longan and litchi is being compared by Hanoi Agricultural University, Thai Nguyen Agricultural University and NIPP. In Can Tho province, mango anthracnose and black spot are addressed by staff from SOFRI and Cantho University, illustrating improved collaboration between institutes. In Tien Giang province, the project is linking joined activities by SOFRI and PHTI with an on-going AusAID-CARD project, increasing the impact of research by linking to farmer cooperatives.
2 Database and manual of horticultural crop diseases developed. During earlier surveys, some fundamental issues arose regarding the way in which the disease status of horticultural crops is assessed. The project highlighted that, when moving away from the main crop-main diseases situation, young scientists can face real problems in diagnosing crop health problems in the field.
This experience has significant implication for future projects. When designing projects related to crop and tree health, an important first step should be to ensure that the real issues are being addressed, by training project staff in field diagnostics, before embarking on survey work. In this way, accuracy and value of the results will increase tremendously.
Alongside the schematic and very comprehensive compilation of our survey data, project staff from QDPI have over the past year concentrated on improving local capacity with regard to sample collection techniques and identification of pathogens for which symptoms had been indicated as of uncertain origin. QDPI are also summarizing a list of pathogens identified by other ACIAR projects in Vietnam. This on-going activity is one of the project's strengths: integration of existing information across projects and institutes and making previous work more accessible to Vietnamese stakeholders.
The manual of horticultural crop disease management will be developed during the third year of our project, integrating the information gathered by the project with that generated through farmer participatory research (FPR) activities on disease management.
3 Support young scientists to develop appropriate management strategies. Historically, science is often portrayed as the driving force in generating technologies, with the extension system delivering these technologies to the farming community. Failures in adoption of new technologies are blamed on the inadequacy of extension systems or the farmers' resistance to change. Our project has moved away from this paradigm, and is training young scientists in new methodologies to conduct research with, rather than for, farmers.
Developing appropriate management strategies is currently being addressed through FPR, and focuses on major diseases in mango (anthracnose and bacterial black spot), longan and litchi (anthracnose), pineapple (Phytophthora heart rot and mealybug wilt virus), citrus (greening), chili (anthracnose) and tomato (bacterial wilt).
Management topics are prioritized as either dealing with newly-emerging severe problems in Vietnam (pineapple mealybug wilt and mango black spot), or well-established pathogens for which management options may be inappropriate to farmers' circumstances (anthracnose, bacterial wilt and greening).
4 Initiate prioritized research programmes for improved understanding of pathogen biology and ecology of known and new diseases. Following the above, requirements for future research on the biology and ecology of targeted diseases will be facilitated through cross-linkages between different institutions and programs.
Very little information is available on witches' broom on longan and diseases of dragon fruit, identified as a target export crop in the beginning of the project. This will be addressed in the next year.
Upon request of the Ministry, the project identified pineapple wilt disease prevalent in both North and South Vietnam. The disease is caused by a virus transmitted by mealybugs. Different names have been assigned to the disease by farmers surveyed, ranging from leaf blast, wilt disease, red leaves to red wilt. This example further emphasizes the need for a more holistic approach in diagnosing plant health problems. Knowledge of insect vectors becomes equally important.

1 PROGRESS SUMMARY
The project addresses a number of inter-related themes in developing capacity in plant health across a range of Vietnamese research and extension institutions. By directly linking young scientists from different institutions it creates sustainable processes and activities that integrate and make best use of the different capabilities involved. The project emphasizes direct engagement with farmers through participatory learning mechanisms.
1 Regional disease research networks established and disease diagnostic and research capacity developed among young scientists. Up to now, over 100 young scientists have been trained in pathogen identification techniques by staff from CABI Bioscience and QPDI. Training material has been collated into a manual 'Laboratory Techniques for Plant Health Diagnostics'. Translation into Vietnamese is on-going.
Strong regional networks have been established, coordinating survey work and implementing participatory research activities. In the North, institutional learning and impact of the methods used to control anthracnose in longan and litchi is being compared by Hanoi Agricultural University, Thai Nguyen Agricultural University and NIPP. In Can Tho province, mango anthracnose and black spot are addressed by staff from SOFRI and Cantho University, illustrating improved collaboration between institutes. In Tien Giang province, the project is linking joined activities by SOFRI and PHTI with an on-going AusAID-CARD project, increasing the impact of research by linking to farmer cooperatives.
2 Database and manual of horticultural crop diseases developed. During earlier surveys, some fundamental issues arose regarding the way in which the disease status of horticultural crops is assessed. The project highlighted that, when moving away from the main crop-main diseases situation, young scientists can face real problems in diagnosing crop health problems in the field.
This experience has significant implication for future projects. When designing projects related to crop and tree health, an important first step should be to ensure that the real issues are being addressed, by training project staff in field diagnostics, before embarking on survey work. In this way, accuracy and value of the results will increase tremendously.
Alongside the schematic and very comprehensive compilation of our survey data, project staff from QDPI have over the past year concentrated on improving local capacity with regard to sample collection techniques and identification of pathogens for which symptoms had been indicated as of uncertain origin. QDPI are also summarizing a list of pathogens identified by other ACIAR projects in Vietnam. This on-going activity is one of the project's strengths: integration of existing information across projects and institutes and making previous work more accessible to Vietnamese stakeholders.
The manual of horticultural crop disease management will be developed during the third year of our project, integrating the information gathered by the project with that generated through farmer participatory research (FPR) activities on disease management.
3 Support young scientists to develop appropriate management strategies. Historically, science is often portrayed as the driving force in generating technologies, with the extension system delivering these technologies to the farming community. Failures in adoption of new technologies are blamed on the inadequacy of extension systems or the farmers' resistance to change. Our project has moved away from this paradigm, and is training young scientists in new methodologies to conduct research with, rather than for, farmers.
Developing appropriate management strategies is currently being addressed through FPR, and focuses on major diseases in mango (anthracnose and bacterial black spot), longan and litchi (anthracnose), pineapple (Phytophthora heart rot and mealybug wilt virus), citrus (greening), chili (anthracnose) and tomato (bacterial wilt).
Management topics are prioritized as either dealing with newly-emerging severe problems in Vietnam (pineapple mealybug wilt and mango black spot), or well-established pathogens for which management options may be inappropriate to farmers' circumstances (anthracnose, bacterial wilt and greening).
4 Initiate prioritized research programmes for improved understanding of pathogen biology and ecology of known and new diseases. Following the above, requirements for future research on the biology and ecology of targeted diseases will be facilitated through cross-linkages between different institutions and programs.
Very little information is available on witches' broom on longan and diseases of dragon fruit, identified as a target export crop in the beginning of the project. This will be addressed in the next year.
Upon request of the Ministry, the project identified pineapple wilt disease prevalent in both North and South Vietnam. The disease is caused by a virus transmitted by mealybugs. Different names have been assigned to the disease by farmers surveyed, ranging from leaf blast, wilt disease, red leaves to red wilt. This example further emphasizes the need for a more holistic approach in diagnosing plant health problems. Knowledge of insect vectors becomes equally important.