(Tetum) Taste-testing field days are valuable opportunities for MAF-SoL to find out the tastes and preferences of Timor-Leste’s farming communities; varieties on trial are either released, undergoing on-farm demonstration trials (OFDTs) or are in preliminary research stages.

(more…)

(Tetum) Soon to rock Timor-Leste are up to 11 varieties of sweet potato, beans and rice that are currently being tested for suitability with over 500 farmers across the country.

If the varieties perform well and prove useful to Timorese farmers, they will be officially released and distributed through the National Seed System for Released Varieties in the next two years.

(more…)

(Tetum) Many farmers appreciate the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ improved varieties of maize, rice, peanut, sweet potato and cassava because of their good characteristics – they are productive, locally adapted, can be replanted again, and yield well under traditional practices.

Today, on World Environment Day (5 June), let’s take a closer look in this infographic at how these released varieties are also helping reduce hunger in Timor-Leste while protecting the natural resources farmers rely on (water, soil, plants and animals) and improving biodiversity.

(more…)

Tagged with:
 

(Tetum) Can rubber band straps help make storage drums airtight, thus killing weevils?

That’s the question MAF-SoL researchers sought to answer last month, when they launched a simple experiment to compare weevil survival after two 80-litre storage drums were sealed for 31 days. (more…)