How can we enhance the capacity of smallholder producers to capture benefits from the national and international markets? How can we ensure sustainable management of natural resources? Does decentralization help to fight poverty? These are the major question posed in the morning session ‘rural development’ on 16 September. ‘If we had many gold we would change it to rice, whatever the price it would be’ a testimony of the presentation of ‘Maria Schwab hints on the necessity to consider multiple livelihoods options seriously under market vulnerability and shocks in Cambodia . 'Institutional factors such as land size matters for smallholder to get the benefit of the producers group. Since smallholders do not have required land size to increase the production, collective marketing approach may not work for the benefit to their livelihoods'- are major conclusions of the presentation of Elisabeth Fischer taking the Banana Market in Kenya as a case.//// Village bylaws, a local institutions in Trygary, Ehiopia, enhanced collective action of the users by driving towards common goals in the management of exlosures and resolving conflicts using monetary sanctions. This presentation of Mastewall Yami, highlights that this type of local institutional mechanisms is constrained by high social capital in villages closer to market and district town and resulted in the negligence among users in exposing free riders indicating that high social capital does not always enhance communal resources. ///

OLUYEDE C. AJAYI: What has Path Dependence got to do with Smallholder Farmers' Decision to Adopt Agricultural Technologies? Lessons from Côte d'Ivoire As the farmers' technology choices are not only determined on geographic and soil characteristics, but also on historical interventions and policies, old habits of the farmers can not just be changed by new technologies. It's important to compare standard practices like the pesticide use in the cotton sector of Côte d'Ivoire with new options: not only the potential of new technologies should be faced, but also incentives to change. ATAHARUL HUQ CHOWDHURY: Learning through Moving Pictures: Farmer-to-Farmer Video to Stimulate Farmers' Innovations about Botanical and Alternative Pest Management Practices in Bangladesh Atarahul Huq Chowdhury, BOKU Vienna (www.cdr.boku.ac), presents his research on learning through videos in Bangladesh

´Tropentag is a perfect place where we meet great diversity of people, scientific presentation and ideas', according to the opinion of Michael Hauser, who represents Agrinatura and BOKU. Agrinatura (http://www.agrinatura.eu/) supports the Tropentag through student grant since it promotes research for development. He is of the opinion that Tropentag is a knowledge intensive event, and it is time to think about how we can put this knowledge into practice for improvement of the livelihoods of millions of poor. He remarks that by innovating ideas of the Student reporter, this year Tropentag enables spreading the message to the researchers, practitioners and development professionals across the geographical boundaries. Watch his conclusive comments and remarks.

Most of you have noticed that this year's Tropentag is being held in Zurich. Therefore, there was a Swiss Session today, giving Swiss organizations from the field of agricultural and rural development like the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation or the Swiss College of Agriculture an opportunity to present their work. One special guest of the Session was a Swiss institution far older than the other organizations that many people do not relate to issues of development at the first glance: Nestlé. The world's largest food company was represented by Hans Jöhr, Corporate Head of Agriculture of Nestlé. Mr. Jöhr delivered an adress on “effective contribution to ensure supply of safe, quality assured and affordable products to consumers”, in short, Nestlé's contribution to global food supplies.

Gum arabic production by growing Hashab trees (Acacia senegal), contributs 12% to the GDP of Sudan and is threatened by drought and insect attack. To solve this problem, Maymoona Ahmed Eisa suggested to increase knowledge diffusion on insect pests in A. senegal and call for governmental and non governmental effort to encourage farmers to reestablish Hashab trees. Broomrape Phelipanche ramosa is an obligate root parasite. It is considered to be the most pestiferous of all Phelipanche spp due to ist high seed production, vigorous growth and lack of natural enemies. In a pot experiment, Tilal Abdelhalim studied arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as a possible biological control agent in tomatoes. Colonization of tomato roots with three myccorhizal fungi Glomus spp suggested a potential to reduce seed germination. Still talking of tomatoes, there is no single control measure for bacterial wilt. Taking on this challenge, Henok Kurabachew tested the effect of silicon and a rhizobacteria. Silicon proved to be more effective than the rhizobacteria. Further, a dual apllication showed antagonistic effects unlike the application of one agent only.

This is a flavour of one of the six presentations that occurred in the Genetic Resources Oral Presentations on Wednesday, September 15th. Genetic Diversity and Adaptation of Date Palm (Pheonix dactylifera L.) – Sakina Elshibli The date palm produces sugar rich fruits which are cultivated in arid areas of the world. One kilogram of dates produces approximately 3000 calories. Palm dates also contain a wide range of nutrients, vitamins, and amino acids. The date palm can tolerate drought, but when the fruit is cultivated irrigation is needed. Date palms are useful because they provide small microclimates through shade. They also have a wide range of social and economic values, such as a housing material. This is especially true in Sudan where this study was carried out. There is an apparent diversity of date palms (fruit shape, side leaf structure, and morphology stages.) Dates are usually divided into two groups: dry and soft. In Sudan there is no genetic characterization of morphological variability in date palms. Over past twenty years production has increased, however stresses have also increased. These stresses include: floods, spread of diseases, desertification, and drought. Propagation is also a main constraint to increased cultivation. Date palm seeds are not suitable for cloning. It is only possible for few cultivars to be cloned, leading to date palm monocultures. A high percentage of off-types increase the risk of contamination for traditional cultivars.

In the light of climate change, GTZ otherwise known as the international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development, lately emphasized their projects on issues dealing with sustainable management of natural resources. The results on four projects of GTZ were presented on Tropentag 2nd day of conference. One project highlighted is presented by Dr. Markus Buerli, SDC Programme Officer for Mongolia, which focused on a project on pasture ecosystem management; with a topic preserving the Green Gold of Mongolia. The main approach of the Green Gold project which started in 2004 was to facilitate the formation of Pasture User Groups (PUGs) which – lately – comprises of 10,000 herders, in order to support these groups in attaining legal recognition, empowerment of the communities, collective actions as well as to develop pasture management plans.

Kanitta Tikam: Digestibility of Nutrients and Evaluation of Energy of Pangola Grass in Sheep as Compared to Napier Grass Roughage is a good source of food for sheep in Thailand. But this type of food is expensive for farmers. Pangola is a tropical grass that can be grown well in Thailand. The research showed that Pangola grass is a good source of roughage for sheep in Thailand, which can also easily be preserved as hay and silage. Siriwan Martens: Growth of Pigs Fed with Vigna unguiculata (Cowpea) Herbage Meal as Protein Supplement Increase demand pork, poultry meat in tropics; this is a market chance for smallholder pig farmers. However limited access to feed and high prices of feed. Cowpea is a crop that is easily grown in (sub)humid tropical environments and is high in protein, so this might be a good protein supplement for pigs in the tropics. The pigs grew well when eating cowpea and thus this might me a good protein supplement. Svenja Marquardt: Intake of Supplementary Feeds by Cattle and Goats in an Indian Pastoral System as Estimated by Direct Observations, Micro-histology and Owner Survey