Examinando por Autor "Staver, C."

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Biosecurity for small growers of local and organic export banana in Peru – seeking synergies with food safety and ecological intensification
(International Society for Horticultural Science, 2023-05-17) Staver, C.; Delgado, R.; Rojas Llanque, Juan Carlos; Rivas, J. C.
For decades, banana Fusarium wilt Race 1 (FWR1) has spread throughout banana growing areas of Peru. In response, small growers have changed cultivars and crops. The threat of FW to bananas countrywide has worsened with the detection of Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 (FWTR4) in organic export banana on the northern coast. Farm-level biosecurity measures to reduce the risks of FWTR4/R1 are directed toward physical barriers and control points to minimize vehicles and persons entering and leaving the farm and ensure their sanitation. We completed a diagnostic study of biosecurity practices in two smallholder banana-growing regions – organic export Cavendish on the north coast and cultivars for national markets often susceptible to FWR1 in the central Selva. Simultaneously we examined the potential to increase productivity through ecological intensification and to gain market acceptability through food safety measures. We hypothesized that among resource-scarce growers, biosecurity measures which contribute to productivity and food safety requirements will be more readily put into practice. Seven farms in central Selva and five marketing associations were profiled through site visits, drone views and structured interviews. Interviews were also conducted with research and regulatory agencies. The assessment showed that growers in both zones had received little training on banana disease symptoms and epidemiology and were not implementing biosecurity measures. In the central Selva, planting material appeared to be the major path for FWR1 spread and 6 of 7 farms visited already had infected fields. On the north coast, fields are contiguous joined by flood irrigation and served by over 75 mobile packing sheds and harvesting crews which move from farm to farm and sector to sector without biosecurity measures, both contributing to major risk of spread. Inspectors for certification in both regions and input sales representatives on the north coast arriving from abroad are not subject to biosecurity measures. Practical training on disease symptoms, characteristics and management of healthy planting material and epidemiology-based risk assessment and the promotion of multi-purpose living hedges as barriers could contribute to biosecurity, productivity and food safety, while control of international and local visitors addresses biosecurity and food safety.
Ma$ Banano: an app to leverage data from smallholder organic export banana for continual improvement
(International Society for Horticultural Science, 2023-05-16) Staver, C.; Mora, G.; Coria, J. J.; Guzmán, E.; Flores, O. E.; Acevedo, G.; Rengifo, D.; Perez, A.; Paulino, A.; Perez, E.; Suarez, P.; Torres, J. C.; Rojas Llanque, Juan Carlos; Nuñez Ticliahuanca, Edwin Oberti; Bustamante, A.; Espinoza, G.; Corozo, R. E.; Durango, W.; Tiselema, S.; Lara, G.; Arias, M.
The export banana sector depends on weekly data to ensure that a perishable fruit reaches distant consumers regularly, meeting quality and ripeness standards. Emerging organic and Fairtrade consumers have offered a window to small growers and their associations in dry tropical regions to export bananas, although with increased data demands to document production practices. A survey among small growers and their associations in Dominican Republic, Peru and Ecuador showed that data are collected to ensure that contracted containers meet certification requirements primarily in paper forms, checklists, farm visits and phone calls. Data are not managed and analyzed systematically to improve production efficiency and profitability or risk reduction. FONTAGRO financed the development of an app for data collection and analysis for small growers and their organizations as a key strategy to scale promising innovations to reduce banana rejects from red rust and increase productivity through soil health. Ma$ Banano, the name of the app, operates off-line with data uploaded opportunely to a central server. Multiple users linked to production and fruit processing in each banana farm can enter data depending on their work responsibilities. Data entry is organized in 2 sections aligned with the promising innovations. For red rust, modules capture 1) bagging efficiency and timeliness and application of repellents and insecticides, and 2) quantification of rejects and their causes at processing. For soil health, modules receive data on 1) mat density ha‑1, 2) plant vigor, 3) residue and fertilizer management and placement, 4) roots and soil biological, physical and chemical parameters, and 5) nutrient balance. Two initial modules serve to identify the farm and field and to capture weekly reporting of flagged and harvested bunches and boxes processed. A routine of app use begins with an assessment using all modules. Monthly follow-up scouting of key practices and general quarterly monitoring orient continual improvement. Data reports are generated through a web interface for individual growers and associations. The overall base with data privacy mechanisms in place will be available for big-data research.