Farmers led breeding and distribution of green pepper and red pepper varieties

27/11/2016 to 03/12/2016. Tchamba. Togo. Three researchers from Embrapa hortaliças (Brazil): visited the "Local seeds value chain promotion: farmers led breeding and distribution of green pepper and red pepper varieties” of which they are the technical partner: Carlos Francisco Ragassi, Dr Marçal Henrique Amici Jorge, Dr Claudia Silva da Costa Ribeiro

At the beginning of the second year of the project achieved results are:

• Workshops were organized in Togo for planning activities, characterization and identification of problems referent to the production system, involving different actors of pepper value chain;
• 175 farmers were interviewed for assessing information about pepper production in the 5
  
  regions of Togo and it was identified as major problems the lack of seeds in the local market, the occurrence of diseases and pests of plants and the difficulty of access to the market; 
• Introduction of germplasm from Brazil: 18 Brazilian cultivars and 17 Togo local varieties were evaluated (agromorphological characterization) by local farmers in three village of central region (Nimah, Alibi 1, Bago and Kaboli) and at the station of ESA in Lomé;
• Mass selection: Capsicum spp. varieties from Togo e Brazil were tested at the station of ESA in Lomé. Seeds were collected of each local variety tested.
  
  The seeds obtained from the first cycle of mass selection will help to perform the second cycle (mass selection 2) in year 2;
• Five local varieties (Alibi1, Bago, Sokode (PV), Anie2, Lome) and five cultivars from Brazil (Jalapeno M, Jalapeno+, BRS Mari, BRS Moema, Maximus) were selected.

During the stay, the Brasilian and Togolese teams visited pepper trials farms. The group participated in the pepper farmers leaders training and discussions:

• the project activities implementation and provisional results - AGOSSOU Affo Binde
• Pepper breeding - Dr. Claudia Ribeiro
• Production of seeds and seedlings - Dr. Marçal Amici
• Cultivation of peppers and chili - Carlos Ragassi