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Seeds of Life-East Timor Project

After the people of East Timor voted for independence in August 1999, much of the population either was displaced to West Timor or had fled into the mountains. Such massive disruption of normal agricultural activities resulted in the loss of seed of local varieties. Although large amounts of seed were imported from other countries in time for the 2000 planting season, much of it was poor quality, and/or the varieties were not well adapted to the local soil and climatic conditions. To improve food production and reduce poverty, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) requested the collaboration of five Future Harvest Centers in Asia, that is, CIAT, CIMMYT, CIP, ICRISAT and IRRI, to help introduce and evaluate promising germplasm of rice, maize, cassava, potato, sweetpotato, peanut, bean, and other pulses. CIAT was asked to help introduce and test adapted germplasm of cassava, common bean, and other pulse crops such as soybean, mung bean and cowpea.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is the third most important food crop in East Timor, after maize and rice. It is mostly planted in backyards or in small plots near the house. Plants are pulled up when needed and the peeled roots are eaten after boiling. Most local varieties are of good eating quality but have low yields and starch contents. The average national is 4 t/ha, one of the lowest in Asia. Two cassava varieties, introduced from East Java, Indonesia, were tested in 2000/01 and 2001/02. Data from a 2000/01 trial indicate that yields as high as 35 t/ha could be obtained with promising breeding lines developed by the Research Institute for Legumes and Tuber Crops (RILET) in Malang (versus 14 t/ha for two local varieties). Similar trials conducted in 2002/03 indicated the superior growth of other breeding lines from RILET, which seem to have exceptional tolerance of low levels of available Zn and Fe in the soil. Yields of up to 25 and 38 t/ha were obtained in Baucau and Aileu, respectively, compared with 10-15 t/ha for local varieties.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) germplasm from Africa and Latin America has also been evaluated, but no data are yet available.

Contact: Reinhardt Howeler