Research Update: july 2009
Robert D. Lumsden, Plant Pathologist and WCF Scientific Advisor
WORLD COCOA FOUNDATION:
From Eric Rosenquist, WCF consultant: Trip Report for visit to the Cocoa Research Unit (CRU), University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago, WI; June22-27, 2009.
Summary: The CRU at the University of West Indies (UWI), maintains the largest fully international cocoa genebank in the world with over 2000 accessions in the UWI collection at La Reunion, near the UWI campus, begun in 1982. This collection is fully within the control of the CRU. An additional collection, owned by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, Ministry of Agriculture (GOTT), is maintained at the Marper Farm, approximately 100 km. from the campus; Marper probably contains at least 500-600 accessions. Many, if not most of the accessions at both locations were assembled at various locations from disparate Trinitario genotypes augmented by collections made by Dr. Pound in the 1930s-through-1944, in both Ecuador and Peru along with materials from the Chamlers’ Amazonian expeditions. Additional accessions are still collected, primarily from Guyana, French Guiana and occasionally from Venezuela. Material showing resistance to either/or witches’ broom or black pod diseases are sent to the Reading Quarantine facility at the University of Reading, U.K., although some back-up accessions have been also sent to CATIE, Costa Rica; USDA/ARS at Mayaguez, P.R.
History in Brief: The Spanish introduced cacao to Trinidad beginning in 1575. The Spanish introductions were primarily of the Criollo type derived from the Chiapas and Yucatan areas of Mexico. Outbreak of disease led to the cross of Criollo with the wild Amazon Forestero types in the 1700s, leading to the dominant strain in Trinidad today, Trinitario, which is a strong producer and somewhat resistant to witches’ broom disease. By 1921 cocoa was the dominant export at 34,000 metric tons, making the colony one of the world’s primary producers, along with Brazil and Ecuador.
Cacao research began in 1930 in what was then the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), now the University of West Indies in response to an outbreak of witches’ broom disease. An interesting report on a cocoa workshop sponsored by the British Colonial Office in April 1945, outlines many of the problems with disease, sustainability, and farm incomes that remain relevant today.
Program: Core program activities include flavor and quality assessment; curation and maintenance of the collections; plant systematics; breeding for quality and disease resistance; cacao pathology; varietal selection/screening; integrated pest management; farm economics as they relate to Trinidad; and participation in the international cocoa breeding trials (CFC/ICCO/IPGRI). Some of the CRU staff also maintains teaching responsibilities as part of the University of West Indies faculty. Dr. Frances Bekele, in addition to her many other duties, has played a lead role for many years in coordinating the international cocoa genetics group and newsletter (INGENIC) in collaboration with Dr. Michelle End at the University of Reading, UK. Smilja Lambert at Mars, Inc. has begun collaboration on the critical area of drought resistance. Due to the significance of drought in terms of cacao pest and disease resistance, this represents an important and much needed area of enhanced research
Accomplishments: Over 1000 progeny with resistance to either BP or WB (or both) have been put into the field for further evaluation; at the end of the 5 year period, elite selections will be forwarded to Reading. A collaborative research priority with USDA/ARS will be the association of candidate resistant progeny with specific molecular markers; one CRU support scientist has already been trained and another is underway. An additional sabbatical has been supported with Towson State University. At the end of the calendar year, CRU and USDA will publish a paper on progress to date on the correction of cacao taxa and associated labeling issues at CRU.
From Rhodina B. Cena, University of Southern Mindanao, The Philippines.
USDA/WCF Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program Report. I applied for and was awarded the Norman E. Borlaug Science and Technology Fellowship Program sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF). Arrangements were made for me to go to the USDA-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS)-Crop Protection and Management Research Unit (CPMRU) in Tifton, Georgia to obtain training on insect artificial diets under the kind supervision of my mentor, Dr. James E. Carpenter, an Entomologist. The training program started on March 23, 2009, which was preceded by a brief orientation about the USDA-ARS and their research mission, and I was introduced to the heads and staff of the CPRMU laboratory.
During the second week of my fellowship, Dr Carpenter and I visited the Biological Control Rearing Facility of the Department of Plant Industries in Gainesville, Florida. The well-equipped laboratories were buzzing with many things to do especially mass rearing of insects. Staff was at hand to share summaries of their research. A few days later, we went to Petite Bois Island in Mississippi where we conducted a monitoring of cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum).
On April 27-29, 2009, I and Muhammad Junaid, also a Borlaug Fellow, together with Tracey Duffey, WCF Program Director for Southeast Asia and West Africa participated in the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners’ Association (PMCA) 63rd Annual Production Conference at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. During the conference, we were able to meet several cocoa processing companies, including confectionery manufacturers, suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and industry service organizations worldwide. The conference featured a comprehensive half-day supplier exhibition with a variety of manufacturers and suppliers from different countries. The PMCA also organized a Student Outreach Program (SOP) led by committee Chair, Barry Glazier, wherein each student had a conference mentor program. My mentor was Steve Genzoli of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and an Executive Committee Member of the World Cocoa Foundation. I and my fellow students were much honored this year because the number of students had grown from 10 to 28, representing 12 domestic universities and two international universities, including myself representing the University of Southern Mindanao, Philippines and Muhammad Junaid of Hasanuddin University, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. I joined the exciting plant tour at Warrell Corporation in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. A lecture was given first before we toured the plant. A farewell party was organized by the SOP committee to give us a chance to say good-bye to other students and for us to say thank you for the opportunity and participation. Moreover, Brandy Wambold, PMCA, Administrative Assistant took us to the Hershey Story, the Museum on Chocolate Avenue. We learned about the “man behind the chocolate bar” - Milton Hershey.
For part of my 8-week research program with the USDA, the World Cocoa Foundation organized a visit to some of their member companies involved in cocoa bean storage, processing, and chocolate manufacturing, including Camden International Commodities Terminal LLC in Camden, New Jersey, and the Blommer Chocolate Company, Barry Callebaut, and The Hershey Company in Pennsylvania. I had interactions with the other scientists about the technologies used in handling cocoa beans from warehouse to finished products. My ‘bean to bar’ first time experienced enhanced my knowledge on the importance of the cocoa industry.
I was also fortunate to visit the US Department of Agriculture at Beltsville, Maryland, which is one of the largest agricultural research services in the U.S. Junaid and I made a presentation to the ARS Beltsville Scientists and USDA Borlaug Staff. Following that, Dr. Lyndel W. Meinhardt, Research Leader, Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory toured us around the different laboratories. Furthermore, I had a chance to meet and interacted with Dr Fernando E. Vega, Research Entomologist who studied an artificial diet for coffee berry borer; and Dr. Gary J. Samuels, mentor of Junaid.
Research work carried out during the training program:
As cocoa pod borer is not being reared in USDA-ARS Tifton, we used cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) as a model system to study how an artificial diet could be developed and used for mass rearing insects for a sterile insect technique program.
An artificial diet for an insect is a food formulated in the laboratory that allows the insect to complete its lifecycle, i.e. development from egg to larvae to pupa to adult and back to egg again. Once you can develop a suitable artificial diet and mass reared the insects then you have constant supply to be used in integrated pest management programs. There are two components that we consider for artificial diet: 1) Diet should consist of ingredients that the larvae will accept as food and ingredients nutritionally sound for complete development; and 2) the presentation method of diet is important so that the natural behaviors remain in place.
Rearing Cactoblastis cactorum on artificial diet. The diet consisted of water, agar, sucrose, cholesterol, ascorbic acid, potassium sorbate, white kidney bean powder as a main source of protein, brewer’s yeast, malic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, methyl paraben, and mold inhibitors.
Achievements:
- Acquired technical knowledge for the development of artificial diet cactus moth. This can be used for the development of artificial diet for CPB.
- Learned techniques to help me develop appropriate diets and insect rearing management,
- Introduction to sterile insect technique, and
- Study the reproductive morphology and behavior of lepidopteron insects.
Way Forward: Following discussions on the work done above, the following activities should be done:
- Learn/study the feeding biology of cocoa pod borer and review existing literature on existing artificial diets;
- Test different sources of protein for artificial diet of cocoa pod borer; and
- Evaluate the survival and rate of reproduction of laboratory-reared cocoa pod borer for several consecutive generations on artificial diet.
Dr Carpenter and I will continue our collaboration to develop an artificial diet for cocoa pod borer and he will provide a number of chemical additives needed for the diet. He will visit my country some time in 2010.
I am grateful to the efforts of the sponsors for a job well done. I recommend that future fellows should be scheduled to attend or participate in cocoa conferences, seminars or meetings, to have an interaction with people from the cocoa industry, and have the World Cocoa Foundation member company tours; and the funding should also be secured to help fellows apply the techniques learned during the fellowship when back home.
The visit to USDA Washington, D.C. and final presentation of our research activities and achievements during the eight-week period of fellowship training happened on 5 May 2009. The Deputy Director, Norman Borlaug Staff, USDA scientists, Tracey Duffey, delegates from the Embassy of Indonesia, Mr. Ridwan Hassan and Mr. Offy Ismojo witnessed the awarding of certificate and after that a radio interview with Susan Carter.
My fellowship training in Tifton, Georgia was fun and challenging. I learned a lot especially in the field of agriculture. The training allowed me to broaden my knowledge and widen my horizon in entomology. I had the chance to do hands-on activities such as preparation of artificial diet and mass rearing of insects. These activities tickled my interest. On the other hand, I also learned how the American culture works. There may be some differences in our way of living but all are focused on the improvement and development of the institution and country as a whole. It has opened my views on intercultural education and helped me understand the American culture. I can say that the Cocoa Borlaug Fellowship Program is a big part of my professional and personal growth because I gained not only knowledge but also friends.
My wholehearted gratitude is extended to my Mentor Dr. James E. Carpenter and all the USDA-ARS CPRMU staff in Tifton, Georgia for the good working relationship. Bill Guyton, Tracey Duffey, Clementine Leahy, Holly Houston and Virginia Sopyla of WCF for their tremendous support. To my then second family, Dr Bob Kemerait and his family, and other Filipino friends for making my stay more enjoyable. I also thank Dr. Smilja Lambert, Sustainable Cocoa Research Manager of Mars Incorporated, and Dr. Eugenio A. Alcala for recommendation to the fellowship and to my colleagues in USM for their support. To my family and especially my father, Dr. Romulo L. Cena (internationally known cacao expert) who encouraged me to attend the said fellowship.
Rhodina Cena and Dr. James E. Carpenter (far right) and colleagues from the USDA/ARS
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