In both Indonesia and East Timor, cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is the third most important food crop, after rice and maize in Indonesia and after maize and rice in East Timor. The general objective of this project was to increase the productivity of cassava-based cropping systems through the widespread adoption of higher yielding cassava varieties and improved cultural practices that increase yields and protect the soil from erosion and nutrient depletion.
The specific objectives were: 1) to support national institutions in conducting strategic and applied research on cassava; 2) to develop, with farmers, high yielding varieties and improved crop management, as well as better utilisation through on-farm processing and animal feeding; 3) to disseminate new technologies; and 4) to strengthen inter-institutional collaboration and capacity for farmer participatory research (FPR). This was achieved by conducting collaborative experiments on varietal evaluation and some agronomic aspects in experiment stations and on-farm; by conducting a total of 135 FPR trials with farmers, mainly testing varieties or fertilisation treatments; the organisation of farmer field days often coupled with half-day training courses on cassava production practices and animal feeding; and by conducting two one-week training courses for researchers and extension staff in national programs on 'Cassava production technologies, animal feeding and FPR methodologies' - one in Batu, East Java, Indonesia, and one in Dare, East Timor. In addition there were several exchanges of cassava researchers between Indonesia and East Timor.
The overall goal of the project is to increase the productivity of cassava-based cropping systems through the widespread adoption of higher yielding cassava varieties of superior nutritional quality, and improved cultural practices that increase yields, while protecting the soil from erosion and nutrient depletion. The specific objectives of the project are:
to support national institutions in conducting strategic and applied research in cassava production and on-farm utilisation that will overcome important constraints identified at the farm level.
to develop, with farmers, new high-yielding cassava varieties of superior nutritional quality, improved crop management practices that increase yields and maintain the soil resource, and better utilisation through on-farm animal feeding of roots and leaves.
to disseminate new technologies at the local, provincial and national level using farmer participatory extension methodologies.
to strengthen inter-institutional collaboration and the capacity for farmer participatory research in national institutes and selected farm communities.
Conduct collaborative on-station or on-farm research on:
cassava varietal improvement
nutritional requirements
soil fertility maintenance or improvement
erosion control
intercropping systems
plant spacing
rapid multiplication techniques
on-farm animal feeding or processing
FPR trials conducted in 1-2 new and 2-3 existing sites every year in each country
Farmers' field days organized at time of harvest in each site
disseminate new technologies at the local, provincial and national level using farmer participatory extension
Pamphlet on characteristics of some local and improved varieties
Cassava production manual in Bahasa Indonesia and Tetum for extension purposes
FPR training course for researchers/extension personnel
FPR and cassava production training courses for local extension workers and key farmers
The main achievement of this project was the identification of several high-yielding, high-starch and/or tasty cassava varieties, that are suitable for industrial processing, animal feeding and for human consumption, respectively. The Universidad Nacional de Timor Leste (UNTL) collected, characterised and evaluated 73 accessions of local cassava varieties in many districts in East Timor. Of these, there are about 18-20 with distinctly different morphological characteristics. In both Indonesia and East Timor photo books were prepared showing the morphological characteristics of the different varieties. In Indonesia both on-station and on-farm trials were conducted on appropriate and economic fertiliser and manure inputs, on cassava leaf production, and on the effect of supplementing the diet of sheep and dairy cattle with cassava leaf silage.
In Malang district of East Java, three farmers' groups were set up and helped in developing simple tools and methods for on-farm processing of fresh cassava roots into a variety of products, such as kripik, krupuk, wafers and cakes. These groups visited similar processing groups in Kediri, Guning Kidul and Pati districts to learn to make more cassava-based dishes and products for sale. They have now produced a recipe book for 32 different products.
While many new varieties and improved technologies were tested in FPR trials by farmers, it is still too early to have achieved widespread adoption and impact. The adoption is still limited mainly to those farmers that actively collaborated in the project and some of their neighbours in the village. The next step is to multiply planting material of the selected varieties, continue the FPR testing of these varieties and new production practices in more and more villages in order to enhance more widespread adoption and achieve real impact.
With the current interest in using cassava roots for processing into bio-ethanol, cassava production will need to increase rapidly to meet this increasing demand. Cassava prices have already increased dramatically over the past few years, giving farmers new opportunities to increase their incomes and improve their livelihoods.
Links:
[1] http://www.aciar.gov.au/country/East Timor
[2] http://www.aciar.gov.au/country/Indonesia
[3] http://www.aciar.gov.au/iarc/International Center for Tropical Agriculture
[4] http://www.aciar.gov.au/programarea/Crop Improvement and Management