Farmers Experiencing Potato Seed Degeneration Respond but Do Not Adjust Their Seed Replacement Strategies in Ecuador

Navarrete, Israel; Andrade-Piedra, Jorge; López, Victoria; Yue, Xuanyu; Herrera, J. F. Toro; Barzallo, Mayra; Quimbiulco, Klever; Almekinders, Conny; Struik, P.C.

doi:10.1007/s12230-022-09893-0

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…However, we noticed that when purple top was the cause of seed degeneration, farmers significantly replaced potato with another crop and increased the number of insecticide sprayings (Table 4). There are other practices that farmers are implementing to escape purple top and its potential vector, the potato psyllid, that we did not explore in our studies: abandoning the potato fields infected with this problem and planting in the páramos (fragile ecosystem above the tree line) (Navarrete et al, 2021c). In any case, our results highlight that the repertoire of practices gives farmers the flexibility to decide what, when and how to manage seed degeneration under their social and ecological context.…”

Section: Practices To Manage Seed Degenerationmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…The introduction of the potato purple top disease -a new cause of potato seed degeneration in Ecuador -and of the potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) into the country seems to have aggravated seed degeneration, with great impact on potato producers . A sharp increase in the number of fields infected with purple top disease (hereafter outbreak) was noted by farmers and scientists in 2018-2019 (Navarrete et al, 2021c). It is presumed that the impacts of purple top during this outbreak led to a decline in the area cropped to potato in the entire country and the increase in the number of insecticide sprayings (first author's personal observations).…”

Section: Social-ecological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador

Navarrete¹

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. Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, The Netherlands, 234 pp.Potato seed degeneration is considered an important seed and yield limiting problem for farmers in Ecuador and other low-income countries. This problem is defined as the process of accumulation of pathogens and pests in/on the seed that occurs when farmers propagate their seed tubers (hereafter seeds) on-farm for successive cycles. The main causes of seed degeneration in Ecuador are Rhizoctonia (Rhizoctonia solani), the Andean weevil (Premnotrypes vorax), Potato virus X, Potato virus S, and purple top disease. The process of seed degeneration could be interacting with different conditions and factors under the farmers' context such as farmers' socioeconomic conditions, agroecological conditions, onfarm management practices, and potato varieties. This thesis aims to shed light on these interactions using information collected in the tropical highlands of Ecuador.This thesis began by focusing on purple top, a disease that is spreading in the potato production areas of Ecuador since 2012-2013. A literature review and an innovation history analysis were performed to identify lessons to manage purple top disease. The results showed that stakeholders implemented different initiatives to identify or confirm the causal agent(s), raise funding for research and communication, raise awareness and design management strategies. However, a better coordination and political lobby are necessary to manage this problem. Results showed that it is necessary to strengthen the coordination and communication between stakeholders, the design and implementation of interventions, the acquisition of funding, policies and regulations, and research and surveillance.Subsequently, this thesis focused on how seed degeneration occurs in experiments and farmers' fields under different agroecological conditions. For this objective, I analysed the information collected during a multi-annual experiment and farmers' seed surveys. The results showed that agroecological conditions influenced the presence of pathogens and pests causing seed degeneration. Results showed that agroecological conditions and the cycles of on-farm propagation influence the process of seed degeneration under experimental conditions, but not under farmers' conditions. Results suggest that potato seed degeneration is not the main yield limiting factor under farmers' conditions in the tropical highlands of Ecuador.Based on the previous findings, this thesis investigated the role of varieties, seed replacement and other local on-farm seed management practices in seed degeneration. The data of three independent farmers' surveys and a farmers' seed study are analysed. Results showed that there were 65 potato varieties and 36 on-farm management practices used or implemented by farmers. Results indicated that the type of variety (improved or native varieties) and the farmers' practices are influencing the process of potato seed degeneration. The seedHealth mo...

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Section: Practices To Manage Seed Degenerationmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Social-ecological Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador

Navarrete¹

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Increased farmer willingness to pay for quality cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) planting materials: evidence from experimental auctions in Cambodia and Lao PDR

Delaquis,

Slavchevska,

Almekinders

et al. 2024

Food Sec.

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Varietal turnover is a major mechanism for farmer adaptation to rapidly changing environmental and market conditions. Understanding factors related to varietal turnover is critical for safeguarding food security in the face of increasingly rapid changes to production contexts. Preference elicitation methods like experimental auctions reveal farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for seeds with different characteristics. We engaged farmers growing cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) across a wide geographic scope in Cambodia (n = 321, 4 provinces) and Lao PDR (n = 391, 5 provinces) in modified second-price experimental auctions to determine WTP for three cassava seed classes: farmer-produced planting stems of an undescribed variety, farmer-produced planting stems of an elite variety with lower susceptibility to Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD), and virus-free tested planting stems of the same elite variety. In Lao PDR, mean auction bids for a bundle of 20 planting stems were 0.54, 0.92, and 1.40 USD for farmer, elite, and elite tested stems, while in Cambodia the analogous mean bids were 0.58, 0.77, and 1.16 USD, respectively. A significantly higher WTP associated with elite variety and tested stems in both countries was influenced by both geographic location (province) and individual socioeconomic farmer characteristics. In Lao PDR this included lower WTP of women, higher WTP of ethnic minorities, and, for improved stems, lower WTP of farmers with increased cassava growing experience. In Cambodia fewer socioeconomic variables affected WTP. Our results indicate significant increases in WTP for clean planting materials and new varieties, supporting market-based clean seed approaches as a component of regional control strategies for the CMD epidemic currently threatening a global agri-food value chain.

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Detection of six potato viruses using double antibody sandwich ELISA from in vitro, screen house and field grown potato crops in Ethiopia

Tessema,

Kakuhenzire,

Seid

et al. 2024

Discov Appl Sci

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Virus infection in seed potato reduces yield, and the problem is exacerbated when an early-generation seed is affected. The prevalence of six key potato viruses, PVY, PVX, PLRV, PVA, PVS, and PVM, was assessed among decentralized seed multipliers such as individuals, farmer seed group cooperatives, private companies, and agricultural research centers that produce early generation seed in six major potato growing districts in Ethiopia. A total of 262 leaf samples were randomly collected from potato plants and analyzed using a double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) for six major potato viruses. Potato virus prevalence was calculated as the proportion of samples that tested positive for the viruses against the total number of samples tested. The prevalence of infection with at least one of the six viruses was 98.2%. Among the samples analyzed, 17.2% had a single viral infection with one of the six viruses while the majority had multiple infections. The ELISA tests confirmed presence of latent virus infection in early generation seeds from the three EGS producers and in different seed classes. This result indicates that virus infection is widespread in the country, limiting potato production. To address this issue, it is critical to develop a robust system that prevents viral infection build-up and spread in the seed system through regular seed quality assurance and certification, particularly for early generation seed.

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Farmers Experiencing Potato Seed Degeneration Respond but Do Not Adjust Their Seed Replacement Strategies in Ecuador

Cited by 5 publications

References 53 publications

Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador

Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador

Increased farmer willingness to pay for quality cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) planting materials: evidence from experimental auctions in Cambodia and Lao PDR

Detection of six potato viruses using double antibody sandwich ELISA from in vitro, screen house and field grown potato crops in Ethiopia

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