World Vegetable Center

About: World Vegetable Center is a nonprofit organization based out in Tainan City, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Agriculture. The organization has 294 authors who have published 364 publications receiving 8785 citations. The organization is also known as: AVRDC, Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center.

Mitigation of climatic conditions and pest protection provided by insect-proof nets for cabbage cultivation in East Africa

Abstract: Although several studies have underlined the advantages of using insect-proof nets to improve yields while reducing the use of pesticides, one obstacle to the diffusion of this technique in tropical conditions is the associated increase in temperature in the tunnel. The aim of this work was to assess the interest of combining the physical protection provided by nets against insect pests with the beneficial impacts of using shade nets to grow cabbages. A two-season experiment was set up to compare temperature conditions, insect pest populations, yields, and the quality of cabbage crops grown in the open field and in low tunnels covered with nets providing different degrees of shading, 17.2% by white and 50.1% by silver nets. During the day, the temperature under the white and silver nets was 10.4 °C and 6.3 °C higher, respectively, than in the open field in the first season, and 6.5 °C and 5.9 °C higher in the second season. Both insect-proof nets significantly reduced insect pest populations and hence the need for insecticide treatments. The white nets increased marketable yield by 45.4% in the first season and by 16.4% in the second compared to yields in the open field, whereas silver nets reduced yield by 18.6% and 15.0%, respectively. The reduction in yield under silver nets was attributed to excessive shading that prevented the light requirements of cabbage crops from being fulfilled. Economic analysis raised some concerns about the profitability of the use of netting to grow cabbage due to investment costs and the lack of premium prices for vegetables produced with fewer pesticides in local markets.

Safeguarding and Using Fruit and Vegetable Biodiversity

Abstract: Abstract Fruit and vegetable species and varieties, their wild relatives, and pollinators and other associated organisms underpin diverse food production systems and contribute to worldwide health and nutrition. This biodiversity, however, is threatened, remains poorly conserved, and is largely undocumented. Its loss leads to a narrowing of new food options, reduced variation for breeding, and yield gaps due to pollinator decline. This constrains the supply of climate-resilient and nutritious foods to the global human population and limits long-term progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and any future goals set thereafter. It will require that awareness be raised globally to safeguard and sustainably use fruit and vegetable biodiversity and that a global rescue plan for reducing and reversing the decline in this biodiversity be devised. Success will depend on a global partnership of custodians and users of fruit and vegetable biodiversity and requires an investment of at least 250 million USD over ten years.

Home Gardening: The Way Forward to Be Safe and Healthy

Abstract: Home gardens have a distinctive role to play in agriculture, food security, and nutrition. Home gardens enrich local diets by supplementing staple crops with diverse, nutrient-rich vegetable crops; ensure a year-round supply of safe vegetables even when resources are scarce; conserve plant genetic resources and indigenous agricultural knowledge; provide income if adequately linked with markets; and, being located in the vicinity of the homestead, help women harmonize their farming and household tasks, thereby contributing to gender equality in agricultural production. Home gardens may be an entry point to empower the community to manage on-farm agricultural biodiversity while promoting dietary diversity for healthier families and ecosystems. Indigenous vegetables, which are the cheapest source of vitamins and minerals and a high-value food source for the poorest families, can be incorporated in home gardens. Apart from this, these gardens include home/kitchen. Vertical, container, rooftop, hydroponics, etc. provide for a variety of quality-of-life variables, such as avoidance of stress, recreation, and personal and social identity. Growing fruits and vegetables seems overwhelming to most people, but it is actually much simpler than it sounds. All you need is a few square feet of the great outdoors, a water source, and a little time. Your grandparents did it, and so can you. If you are still not convinced, consider these benefits of home/kitchen gardening which help improve your family’s health; save money on groceries; reduce your environmental impact; get outdoor exercise; enjoy better tasting food; build a sense of pride; stop worrying about food safety; and reduce food waste.