Participants in SATNET’s field visits in Thailand learn about vegetables, bio-control of pests and post-harvest techniques

On the morning of the second day of SATNET intraregional visit for smallholder value chain actors in Thailand, participants visited the demonstration plots of AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center at the Kamphaeng Saen Campus of Kasetsart University.  They were welcomed by the Acting Regional Director and had an opportunity to learn about various varieties of vegetables as well as their production techniques.

They also visited the Postharvest Technology Centre at the same campus. Research staff explained about the Centre’s work and its research services. An in-depth practical session on assessing the shelf life of fruits and vegetables followed this introduction. Participants conducted simple experiments to determine the respiration rate of these products. A visit to various labs and research facilities of the Centre was also conducted to demonstrate preservation techniques for produce such as chilli, coconut, pomello, guava and flowers (e.g. lotus). The Centre’s staff shared numerous tips and suggestions for the benefit of the participants.

In the afternoon, the participants visited the Pest Management Centre in Suphanburi province. The Centre is working to promote biological control of pests as an alternative to using toxic chemical pesticides in the Western region of Thailand. The staff of the centre gave a comprehensive and step-by-step demonstration of processes for production of Trichogramma, rearing of farmer-friendly insects (parasitoids) such as Earwig and Green Lacewing, and multiplication of Trichoderma (a beneficial fungi). These sessions were highly interactive and interesting for participants, some of whom also began to explore plans to implement these techniques in their home countries.