Opportunities for collaboration in vegetable production for young scientists in agriculture at AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan

Disclaimer: *Report is account of YPARD Zimbabwe representative and should not be taken to represent that of the AVRDC 

AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan held an Open Day at its headquarters recently on May 18, 2012. Attendees from the island of Taiwan braced the rain to seek prospects of collaboration, familiarization, share experiences, and give feed back on AVRDC’s work. The center’s theme for the day was “Collaboration: The cornerstone of agricultural research”. A Young Professionals Platform for Agricultural Research for Development Zimbabwe representative attended the activity with the objective to establish any opportunities for young professionals in agriculture within the center’s work .  

Organized tours by AVRDC staff were as follows:

1.        Breeding – tomato, pepper and cucurbit trials, and pathology screening trials led by Shiu-luan Lu and Ruby Hsiao

2.        Production and laboratory – demonstration garden, insectary, bacteriology, mycology, virology, and soil labs led by Pamela Huang and Wen-Shi Tsai, and

3.     Overview – view pepper and cucurbit trials, visiting laboratories, insectary, gene bank and demonstration garden led by Jessica Chang and Jen Wen Luoh.

There were poster presentations in all the tours showcasing the latest research findings in vegetable production. 

Collaboration is defined as “to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual behavior”. The center’s publication for the Open Day listed as potential areas for collaboration the following: germ plasm, breeding, plant pathology, entomology, soil health and soil fertility management, and nutrition. Collaboration is one tool to explore and further the objectives of AVRDC, partners, and individuals with special interest in vegetable production. Because AVRDC leads and puts poor and urban households, who are often ignored in public policy and action, on the nutrition agenda the centers’ work is indispensable. Therefore, as AVRDC coined collaboration, and I might add, funding and sustainability, of its programs and activities avails nutrition options to nations' governments, vulnerable groups, and small holders across the world. To cement this point, a post-doctoral fellow at university remarked to me once that “We are in the era of collaboration”. With goal-oriented collaboration young scientists can pick up research skills and work on their contribution in the areas listed for collaboration. Young scientists should also check the center’s website under "What we offer?" on professional development, plan and (or) arrange a visit to AVRDC through its regional centers to seek further details on collaboration. For more information, AVRDC is available at: www.avrdc.org

AVRDC - Open Day 2012 (random pictures)

Jaw-Fen Wang and assistant (AVRDC) in the lab

Question and answer session...AVRDC senior management and scientists 

AVRDC staff member at demonstration garden

AVRDC headquarters main entrance 

Visitor pamphlets on AVRDC

Entomology briefing by AVRDC staff 

Diseased and non-diseased crops 

Collaboration: The cornerstone of agricultural research 

Attendees at demonstration plots 

Demonstration garden 

Entomology section 

From left to right: Maureen Mercozzi (AVRDC), Jen Wen Luoh (AVRDC), Raymond Erick Zvavanyange (YPARD) and Yin-fu Chang (AVRDC) 

Poster presentation in one of AVRDC's lab 

Poster presentation in soil fertility lab 

Virus screening lab