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Swiss Centre for International Agriculture
Schweizerisches Zentrum für Internationale Landwirtschaft
Centre Suisse pour l’Agriculture Internationale
Annual Report 2004

A portrait of the Swiss Centre for
International Agriculture ZIL
Vision, mission and objectives of ZIL
Organisation of ZIL
Vision
ZIL’s vision is to enhance the contribution of agricultural research
to sustainable development in order to achieve poverty alleviation,
food security and environmentally sound management of natural
resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
President
Board
Management
Mission
ZIL’s mission is to initiate, support, and coordinate collaborative
research by its members and partners that will enable resourcepoor
farmers in low-income countries to achieve sustainable
improvements of their livelihoods. This includes the mobilisation
of Swiss research capacity and the promotion of awareness about
the role of agricultural and food science in meeting the human
and environmental challenges of low-income countries.
Other
institutions
ZIL projects
RFPP
projects
Other ETHZ
projects
Members
D-AGRL,
Professors and
senior scientists
of D-UWIS;
individual
members of
other institutions
General
Assembly
and
Annual
Conference
Objectives
• Promoting high-quality research to overcome the constraints
to sustainable development.
• Fostering interdisciplinary research collaboration and partnerships
between scientists at ETH Zurich and other actors
involved in development-oriented agricultural research.
• Encouraging links and ensuring coordination among ETH
Zurich researchers, and assisting in identifying research needs
to pressing development problems.
• Building capacity and awareness among ETH Zurich students
for their contribution to sustainable development.
• Providing policy support to Swiss decisionmakers on
international agriculture and food security.
• Informing the Swiss public and ZIL’s stakeholders about
the contribution of strategic research to poverty alleviation,
food security and environmentally sound management of
natural resources.
Funding
ZIL is supported primarily by the SDC (Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation/DEZA), by the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) and by its
members. Other contributions come from various donors.
Information
Swiss Centre for International Agriculture ZIL
Scheuchzerstrasse 7, ETH Zentrum / SEC
CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Barbara Becker, Executive Manager
Phone Executive Manager: +41 44 632 5339
Phone Administration: +41 44 632 7935
Fax: +41 44 632 1589
E-Mail:
zil@agrl.ethz.ch
Internet:
www.zil.ethz.ch

Table of Contents
ZIL members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Editorial
F. Escher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
ZIL’s profile and programme
B. Becker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Mutual learning –
Experiences with research partnerships
Contributions by R. Thiraporn and P. Stamp,
J. Brunnschweiler and A. Tschannen, B. Lehmann,
E. Frossard, L. Diby and A. Tschannen,
U. Janßen-Tapken and E. Ouma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
ZIL Research Projects
Livestock Systems Research in Support of Poor People
Overview
M. Egloff, B. Becker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Adaptation of Brachiaria species to low-P soils
A. Louw-Gaume, A. Gaume, E. Frossard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Developing optimised cattle breeding schemes
in sub-Saharan Africa – Economic aspects
E. Ouma, A. Abdulai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Developing optimised cattle breeding schemes
in sub-Saharan Africa – Genetic aspects
U. Janßen-Tapken, H. Kadarmideen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The forage potential of tanniniferous legumes
T. Tiemann, H.-D. Hess, M. Kreuzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Improved feeding systems for
smallholder dairy cattle
K. Bartl, H.-D. Hess, A. Kolff, M. Kreuzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Animal source foods and nutrition
during early life
S. Good, L. Davidson, R. Hurrell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Potential contribution of improvements in the
livestock production system for better livelihoods
D. Dao, M. Dumondel, B. Lehmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Cassava Improvement
Cassava lines with improved resistance to
African Cassava Mosaic Virus
H. Vanderschuren, P. Zhang, W. Gruissem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Integrated Pest Management
Food chain legumes: Combining natural resources
for safe storage and favourable food processing
G. Velten, A. Rott, S. Dorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Research Fellow Partnership Programme for
Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources
Overview
M. Zoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Understanding the growth and yield formation
of two yam (Dioscorea spp.) species
N.L. Diby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Forest management in the walnut-fruit
forests in Kyrgyzstan
K. Schmidt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Variability in Phythophthora infestans and its
potential role in breeding for resistance in potato
G. Chacón . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Effective regional research and development
processes in rural areas of the Andes
T. Bernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Participatory development of cassava green mite
biocontrol in the highlands of Cameroon
C. Zundel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A Decision Support System for
improved irrigation management
N. Roost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Demand and supply for ecosystem services
from tropical forestry
J. Sell, T. Köllner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Fiscal incentives for community forestry
F. Muttenzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Improving resistance to barley scald
M. Abang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Aquaculture health management in
small-scale fish farming in South Africa
R. Knüsel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
The impact of organic cotton cultivation
on the livelihood of Indian smallholders
F. Eyhorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)
for improved yam growth in West Africa
A. Tchabi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Development of a second generation anti-tick
vaccine using a mimotope-virosome approach
D. Odongo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Development of an in vitro protocol for the
production of cassava doubled-haploids
C. Wang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Lists and Tables
Development-related projects of ZIL members . . . . . . . . 48
Development-related teaching activities
at the ETH Zurich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Supervision of development-related
theses and practical work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
ZIL members, collaborators and
partners in research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
1

ZIL members
President
Prof. Dr. Felix Escher
ILW, ETH Zurich
ZIL Board
Prof. Dr. Silvia Dorn
IPW, ETH Zurich
Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Frossard
IPW, ETH Zurich
Dr. Monika Gessler
Office of the Vice-President
for Research, ETH Zurich
Dr. Dominique Guenat
ACADE, Fontanezier
Prof. Dr. Richard Hurrell
ILW, ETH Zurich
Dr. Katharina Jenny
SDC, Bern
Annette Kolff
Intercooperation, Bern
Prof. Dr. Michael Kreuzer
INW, ETH Zurich
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Lehmann
IAW, ETH Zurich
Dr. Jean-Pierre Sorg
D-UWIS, ETH Zurich
ZIL Management
Dr. Barbara Becker
Executive Manager
Mathias Egloff
Scientific Assistant
Manfred Kaufmann
Scientific Assistant
(since February 2004)
Marc Zoss
Scientific Assistant
Rita Bearth
Administrator
(until August 2004)
Dorota Niedzwiecka
Administrator
(since September 2004)
ZIL Members
Institute of
Agricultural Economics
Prof. Dr. Awudu Abdulai
(until March 2004)
Prof. Dr. Bernard Lehmann
Prof. Dr. Peter Rieder
Institute of
Animal Sciences
Dr. Michael R. Goe
Dr. Hans-Dieter Hess
Prof. Dr. Haja Kadarmideen
Prof. Dr. Michael Kreuzer
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Langhans
Prof. Dr. Gerald Stranzinger
Prof. Dr. Caspar Wenk
Institute of Food Science
and Nutrition
Prof. Dr. Renato Amadò
Dr. Lena Davidsson
(until November 2004)
Prof. Dr. Felix Escher
Prof. Dr. Richard Hurrell
Dr. Zakaria Farah
Prof. Dr. Christophe Lacroix
Prof. Dr. Martin Loessner
Prof. Dr. Erich J. Windhab
Institute of
Plant Sciences
Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Amrhein
Prof. Dr. Klaus Apel
Prof. Dr. Nina Buchmann
Prof. Dr. Geneviève Défago
Prof. Dr. Silvia Dorn
Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Frossard
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Gruissem
Prof. Dr. Bruce McDonald
Dr. Astrid Oberson
Dr. Christof Sautter
Prof. Dr. Peter Stamp
Department of
Environmental Sciences
Prof. Dr. Peter Bachmann
Dr. Claudia Binder
Prof. Dr. Harald Bugmann
Prof. Dr. Peter Edwards
Prof. Dr. Hans Rudolf Heinimann
Prof. Dr. Ottmar Holdenrieder
Prof. Dr. Franz Schmithüsen
Prof. Dr. Jean-Philippe Schütz
Prof. Dr. Klaus Seeland
Dr. Jean-Pierre Sorg
NADEL, ETH Zurich
Prof. Dr. Rolf Kappel
CABI Bioscience, Délémont
Dr. Matthew Cock
Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann
Member institutes
All institutes of the
Department of Agricultural
and Food Sciences are
members of ZIL:
Institute of
Agricultural Economics
www.iaw.agrl.ethz.ch
Managerial Economics in
Food Chain and Rural Areas
Agricultural Markets and Policy
Food Economics
Institute of Animal Sciences
www.inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Animal Nutrition
Nutrition Biology
Breeding Biology
Statistical Animal Genetics
Physiology and Animal Husbandry
Institute of Food Science
and Nutrition
www.ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
Food Biotechnology
Food Chemistry
Food Process Engineering
Food Microbiology
Food Technology
Human Nutrition
Institute of Plant Sciences
www.ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Plant Nutrition
Plant Biotechnology
Plant Genetics
Grassland Science
Agronomy and Plant Breeding
Applied Entomology
Phytopathology
Plant Biochemistry and Physiology
2

Editorial
The ever-intensifying communication and accelerating information
exchange characterise our modern science community.
Thereby, many key terms of research and teaching
endeavours emerge and circulate the world without having
been reflected upon in detail. In science policy, these terms
may become “buzzwords” which sound impressive but are
misinterpreted instead of being used as truly well-defined
key terms on which important issues such as research strategies
or educational programmes can be based properly.
In the activities of the Swiss Centre for International Agriculture
(ZIL) “partnership” presents such a term. Partnerships
between research organisations, between research institutes,
between research groups and between individual scientists
are key issues of ZIL research projects. ZIL has been
given the responsibility to administer the Research Fellow
Partnership Programme (RFPP) of the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation. ZIL is an Associate Member
of the Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing
Countries (KFPE) of the Council of the Swiss Scientific
Academies (CASS). But do we know what research partnership
with developing countries really means?
Partnership is more than the mere coordination or collaboration
in research and development. It is neither a one-way
road nor is it a two-way road in which the lane in one direction
is much wider or more important than the one in the
other direction. Partnership means a respectful balance of
giving and taking between the developed and the developing
world. The scientists must accept each other with all their
strengths and weaknesses. Research partnership often
requires more patience and might result in slower progress
than if research is carried out tightly controlled with firm topdown
structures. And yet, research partnership is certainly a
much more sustainable (also a buzzword) model for working
towards the goals of ZIL which are laid
down in its vision to provide scientific and
educational expertise for achieving poverty
alleviation, food security and environmentally
sound management of natural
resources.
The Annual Report 2004 shows that ZIL
does understand partnership in the right
sense. A special chapter of this report
gives examples of partnerships which
have been established successfully over
the last few years with partial or full support
by the ZIL programme. And as stated
above, most other activities which are
Felix Escher, President
reported on also depend on sound partnerships or specifically
involve partnership building.
All these activities depend on dedicated efforts by many individuals
and financial commitments by several institutions.
On behalf of the Board of ZIL, I would like to recognise these
efforts and commitments and in particular mention the continuing
support by the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC) as well as the smooth operation of the ZIL
Executive Office.
Felix Escher, President of ZIL
3

An Introduction to ZIL
ZIL’s profile and programme
Barbara Becker,
Executive Manager
ZIL’s research programme
The year 2004 was characterised by the
consolidation of the livestock systems
programme, as well as many networking
and public relations activities. All activities
contributed in one way or other to
ZIL’s vision to achieve poverty alleviation,
food security and environmentally sound
management of natural resources for the
benefit of current and future generations.
Livestock Systems Research in Support of Poor People
The ZIL research programme is organised in three year funding
cycles, the year 2004 being the second year after a major
shift of focus to one single programme on Livestock Systems
Research in Support of Poor People, complemented by a couple
of stand-alone projects on separate subjects.
The programme on livestock systems was completed and
consolidated with a set of three new projects which started
in 2004 (pp. 28–30).
The socio-economic dimension of the ZIL livestock systems
programme was confronted with the change of position of
two supervisors of ongoing projects: Awudu Abdulai left the
ETH Zurich in April 2004 to take up the position as Chair of
Food Economics and Food Policy at Kiel University, Germany.
Lena Davidsson moved to Vienna, Austria, in December 2004
to become Section Head of the Nutritional and Health-Related
Environmental Studies Section of the International
Atomic Energy Agency. Fortunately, both have agreed to continue
supervising their doctoral candidates, thereby still rendering
their expertise to the ongoing programme. In both
cases the partnership with the International Livestock
Research Institute ILRI is not affected by these changes.
With the full set of projects being established, ZIL worked
towards converting the group of individual projects into an
integrated programme. A big step in that direction was made
with the first so-called Progress Forum on June 4, 2004,
where all ZIL project teams presented their ongoing research
work, and exposed themselves to a critical and lively debate.
The objective of the Progress Forum was to be an occasion for
exchange, social contact and mutual learning on the one
hand and on the other hand for programme development
and facilitating integration into the livestock theme.
Another team building effort was the joint participation in
the German Annual Conference on Tropical and Subtropical
Agricultural and Natural Resource Management (Deutscher
Tropentag, DTT) in October 2004 in Berlin. Nine ZIL members
and collaborators participated in this event. Emily Ouma’s
contribution had been accepted as oral presentation, while
the other ZIL projects were displayed on posters. A corporate
design had been prepared for this first joint presentation of
ZIL projects which increased the visibility of the corporate ZIL
presence at this event. In addition, ZIL had a stall where it presented
itself and the Research Fellow Partnership Programme
RFPP with posters and the distribution of Annual Reports.
In November 2004 the ZIL Board started the process of
preparing the next funding phase. First, it confirmed to continue
the research programme on livestock systems. It
4

An Introduction to ZIL
agreed on a planning week in March 2005, with a series of
events comprising the second Progress Forum, a consultation
with international and national experts, and the external
review of ZIL. As a first step in the preparation of the new
phase, a call for Notes of Intention (NoIs) to all ZIL members
was launched to assess the research interests of our constituency.
The compilation of these NoIs served as input into
the planning week in 2005.
Cassava improvement
The last ten years of cassava research at ETH Zurich were
portrayed in the ZIL Annual Report 2003. The more detailed
internal report on the ZIL cassava research was presented to
the ZIL Board in 2004, and a Board response was prepared
which can be accessed on the ZIL website under
www.zil.ethz.ch/docs/studies.
ZIL’s former largest research priority area on cassava improvement
at present continues with one single project on cassava
biotechnology (p. 31). This research experienced a big boost
in the year 2004. First, Wilhelm Gruissem and Peng Zhang
received not only a grant from the Eiselen Foundation in Ulm,
Germany, but also the special award to the foundation’s 25 th
Anniversary. This price was awarded in a special ceremony
during the German Annual Conference on Tropical and
Subtropical Agricultural and Natural Resource Management
(Deutscher Tropentag, DTT) in October 2004 in which a large
ZIL group participated. ETH Life online reported about this
project in February 2005: www.ethlife.ethz.ch/articles/
cassava.html.
Secondly, their research was granted with a large sum from
the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation to investigate the biofortification
of cassava roots with micro-nutrients such as
zinc, iron or vitamin A. These achievements may be interpreted
as the fruit of ten years’ SDC/ZIL investment into developing
the protocol for cassava transformation.
Investing in future research
In 2004 eight seed money projects were executed or accepted
for commencement in 2005. They are presented in the
Table on page 6. Four of these small projects served to prepare
or revise livestock systems related projects, three of
which were finally approved as full ZIL projects. Two seed
money projects served to prepare EU INCODEV projects, one
of which has a good chance of being accepted after revision.
One seed money project was a follow-up study of a doctoral
thesis at the CSRS to develop implementation strategies of
the promising research results. The last one will create a new
partnership between ETH Zurich, Syngenta as a private sector
institution, and international and national research partners
in South America.
Seed money projects are being evaluated by a small committee
of the ZIL Board. Routinely, Emmanuel Frossard and
Richard Hurrell resigned from this committee after two years
of service. They were replaced by Jean-Pierre Sorg and
Bernard Lehmann.
The seed money investment demonstrates the balance between
activities related to the ZIL programme on livestock
systems research and other subjects which are equally
encouraged by this instrument. Although they may not be
funded directly through the ZIL contracts with SDC, they constitute
an important pillar of the development related
research agenda of the ZIL members. The map on page 6
therefore indicates the different categories of projects in
developing countries with national or international partners.
5

An Introduction to ZIL
Seed money projects accepted or started in 2004
Title Applicant(s), International Partner(s)
Institution
Improved productivity of small ruminants in dry areas Kreuzer / Hess ICARDA / ICRAF
(Preparation of RFPP proposal)
D-AGRL, INW
Improved feeding systems for smallholder dairy cattle with Kolff PASOLAC / Livestock Keepers Association/
emphasis on dry season feeding and its effect on milk quality Intercooperation Parmalat / Central American University /
INTA
Animal source foods and nutrition during early life: An evaluation Davidsson ILRI
of the possible links between livestock keeping and nutritional D-AGRL, ILW
status of young children (6–18 months) in resource-poor areas
Interface of subsistence farming and market integration in Lehmann CSRS Abidjan
livestock systems in Ivory Coast (Revision of ZIL project proposal) D-AGRL, IAW
Implementation and further development of methodologies for Escher / Brunnschweiler CSRS Abidjan
quality evaluation of fresh and processed yam in West Africa
D-AGRL, ILW
Realising the benefits of neglected tropical or subtropical legumes: Frossard Univ. La Frontera, Temuco, Chile /
Improving rural livelihoods through intensification and D-AGRL, IPW INRA, Montpellier, France /
diversification of crop-livestock systems of Latin America The Ministry of Agriculture, Cuba /
(Preparation of INCO-DEV proposal)
Univ. Autonomous of Yucatan,
Mexico / Univ. National La Pampa,
Argentina / CIAT, Colombia /
Fed. Univ. of Pernambuco, Brazil /
Univ. of Göttingen, Germany
Waxy maize of Southeast Asian uplands Stamp Partners from Vietnam, Thailand,
(Preparation of INCO-DEV proposal) D-AGRL, IPW Lao / CIAT Asia / CIRAD France /
University of Bologna
Strategies for optimising the use of pesticides: Integrating farmers’ Binder CIP, Ecuador /
decisionmaking with dynamic risk assessment models. D-UWIS UNIBOYACA, Colombia /
Case study: Vereda la Hoya, Tunja, Colombia
Syngenta, Switzerland and Colombia
Belarus
Switzerland/
global
Kyrgyzstan
Syria
Pakistan
China
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Colombia
Ecuador
Mali
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Cameroon
Ethiopia
Kenya
Bangladesh
India
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Peru
Bolivia
Madagaskar
ZIL projects
RFPP projects
Other
South Africa
6

An Introduction to ZIL
Conferences
Part of the ZIL mission is the promotion of awareness about
the role of agricultural and food science in meeting the
human and environmental challenges of low-income countries.
To fulfil this mission, ZIL was involved in several conferences
or their preparation.
New rules introduced in October 2003 enabled ZIL members
to access its limited resources for financial support of conferences
and studies. Under this new mechanism two conferences
were accepted for ZIL support. On March 12, 2004, ZIL
supported a workshop jointly organised by the Institute of
Agricultural Economics (IAW) and the Centre for International
Studies (CIS) on Agricultural Biotechnology in Developing
Countries: Perception, Politics, and Policies. A report on this
event can be found under www.ethlife.ethz.ch/articles/ news/
agrbiotech.html. The symposium on the occasion of 25 years
of collaboration between Peter Stamp and his Thai colleagues
in Spring 2005 is presented in the chapter on partnership
(pp. 14–22).
Key speakers of the ZIL Annual Conference:
Julia Tagwireyi, Director of the Food and Nutrition Council in Zimbabwe and
Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Chair of the Science Council of the CGIAR
ZIL Annual Conference:
Food Security for Better Health in Developing Countries
The ZIL Annual Conference of June 11, 2004, Food Security
for Better Health in Developing Countries, addressed the
challenge of overcoming malnutrition, food insecurity and
poverty. This theme referred to the first UN Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) to reduce by half the proportion of
people who suffer from extreme poverty and hunger by the
year 2015.
The central theme of the Conference was highlighted in two
keynote lectures, followed by presentations of ZIL members
7

An Introduction to ZIL
on strategies to combat malnutrition and poverty, and to
achieve food security and food safety. The key speakers were
Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Chair of the Science Council of the
CGIAR, who spoke on Achieving the Millennium Development
Goal for hunger alleviation: Are we on track and what needs to
be done? Per Pinstrup-Anderson was complemented by Julia
Tagwireyi, Director of the Food and Nutrition Council in
Zimbabwe. She presented the topic Towards a comprehensive
approach to food security in sub-Sahara Africa: A call to refocus
on nutrition and health aspects. The conference was concluded
by a panel discussion with expert statements from
the WHO, the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC), the Swiss Tropical Institute (STI, Basel),
and the Institute of Food Sciences (ILW) at the ETH Zurich.
Some 25 posters were on display, covering the themes
Food and nutrition, Livestock, Plant science, and Agricultural
technology. The Conference was attended by more than 100
participants. ETH Life online reported on the Conference
under www.ethlife.ethz.ch/articles/tages/hunger.html. The
documentation of the Conference can be found on the
ZIL website under www.zil.ethz.ch/news/pastevents/annual_
conference04.
World Food Day 2004: Biodiversity for Food Security
World Food Day Panel from left: H.-J. Lehmann (BLW), M. Sommer (SDC),
E. Hofer (BLW), J. Chavaz (BLW), S. Jutzi (FAO), P. Ankers (VsF); not visible:
H. Kadarmideen and U. Janßen-Tapken (ETH Zurich), K. Wohlfender (BLW)
On behalf of the Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW) and SDC,
ZIL organised a Symposium on the occasion of the World
Food Day 2004 on October 14, 2004. This event on Biodiversity
for Food Security was very well attended, and received
good media coverage with a radio feature in “Echo der Zeit”,
two articles in newspapers and two online reports (English:
www.ethlife.ethz.ch/e/articles/sciencelife/worldfoodday.html).
The focus of the Symposium was on genetic resources for
food and agriculture, in particular on animal genetic
resources. Key speaker was Samuel Jutzi, Head of the Animal
Production and Health Division of the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organisation FAO. He presented elements of
FAO’s global strategy to conserve animal genetic resources
8

An Introduction to ZIL
through improved utilisation of these resources and targeted
conservation measures. His presentation was embedded in
contributions by representatives of BLW and SDC who
explained various components of Switzerland’s policy and
strategy on the conservation and sustainable use of genetic
resources.
The accompanying poster exhibition and the complete
documentation of the symposium can be downloaded
from the ZIL website under www.zil.ethz.ch/news/pastevents/
welternaehrungstag2004. Alternatively, a copy of the brochure
may be requested from the ZIL office.
EFARD Conference:
European Responses to Changing Global Needs
The European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development
(EFARD) is a platform for strategic dialogue among
European stakeholder groups in order to promote research
partnerships between European and Southern research communities.
The ETH Zurich will host the third EFARD tri-annual
conference from April 27–29, 2005. On behalf of the Swiss
Forum for International Agricultural Research (SFIAR), ZIL has
taken the responsibility to organise and convene the
Conference.
Manfred Kaufmann was recruited as conference manager
and commenced his work in February 2004 with an EFARD
Programme Committee meeting, hosted by the EFARD
Chairman Hans Hurni at the CDE in Berne. At the national
level an organising committee with SFIAR members from various
stakeholder groups supported the preparatory process
throughout the year.
The Conference will address European Responses to
Changing Global Needs. Each day will be held under a general
theme:
• Global challenges and responses of Agricultural Research
for Development (ARD)
• Innovations through partnerships in Agricultural Research
for Development (ARD)
• The future agenda of Agricultural Research for Development
(ARD).
A Conference Issues Paper was commissioned to a drafting
team in order to stimulate the discussion at the Conference,
and to produce a final Conference Statement.
The complete documentation can be found on the Conference
website: www.efard2005.org.
Public Relations
Besides this series of conferences, ZIL contributed to the
promotion of awareness through its presence at public
events, its website and the publication and distribution of its
Annual Report.
Dare to Share Fair
From March 30 to April 2, SDC organised a “Dare to Share
Fair” on “Managing Knowledge and Skills for Development”,
and a subsequent Conference “Learning across Borders”. The
aim of these events was to facilitate sharing of developmentoriented
experiences among interested actors. Around 200
people from SDC and its partner organisations from more
9

An Introduction to ZIL
Cinfo forum
ZIL was again present at the Cinfo forum on September 4 in
Biel/Bienne. More than 150 development-related agencies
presented themselves at this biannual fair. In 2004 it attracted
some 1200 visitors interested in development cooperation.
As two years before, ZIL, NIDECO (Network for
International Development and Cooperation) and NADEL
(Postgraduate Course on Developing Countries) had neighbouring
stalls showing the close relationship between these
three ETH Zurich-based institutions.
Preparation of the exhibition “Welten des Wissens”
Dare to Share Fair: Thomas Bernet explains the Participatory Market
Chain Approach to Micheline Calmy-Rey at the RFPP-ZIL stall
than 30 countries came together to share the ways in which
they learn from experience. ZIL presented the Research
Fellow Partnership Programme for Agriculture, Forestry and
Natural Resources (RFPP) as an instrument for capacity building
together with one of the fellowships funded through this
instrument. The fellowship selected was Thomas Bernet’s
participatory market chain approach, which in itself is a
mechanism for targeted knowledge management. By documenting
both the project itself and the funding instrument,
an attractive market stall was presented. It was one of the
few which was visited by the Federal Councillor, Micheline
Calmy-Rey.
On the occasion of the 150-year anniversary of the ETH
Zurich in 2005, an exhibition aimed at a broader public
“Welten des Wissens” (Worlds of Knowledge) is planned for
April 2005. After the successful participation in the “Dare to
Share Fair”, ZIL decided to present two of its RFPP fellowships
documenting the collaboration between the ETH Zurich and
the International Potato Center (CIP) in Peru (pp. 36–37). In
2004, ZIL started conceptualising the exhibition stall on the
ZIL contribution to poverty reduction through agricultural
research, based on potato as the most important staple food
in its native Andean region.
New ZIL and RFPP websites
In 2004 ZIL restructured and redesigned its websites on ZIL
and RFPP which can now be accessed separately under
www.zil.ethz.ch and www.rfpp.ethz.ch. Both websites follow
the new corporate web design of ETH Zurich, and have been
updated with the actual projects. In addition, the ZIL website
10

An Introduction to ZIL
reflects the new programme structure with the focus on livestock
systems research. In August 2004 the ZIL webmaster
Marc Zoss received the ETH Zurich award for the best website
of the month for these new web pages.
Networking
Networking as a means to achieving ZIL’s objectives of fostering
interdisciplinary research collaboration and partnerships and
encouraging links and ensuring coordination among ETH Zurich
researchers forms an important pillar of the ZIL activities.
Networking within the ETH Zurich
ZIL is actively involved in two networks within the ETH
Zurich: NIDECO and S-ENETH. The Network for International
Development and Cooperation NIDECO (www.nideco.ethz.ch)
is managed jointly with ZIL within one administrative office.
ZIL constitutes a major proportion of the NIDECO membership.
Emmanuel Frossard represents ZIL in the NIDECO
Steering Committee. This close cooperation between the two
units has proved very constructive and efficient. One of
NIDECO’s activities, an interdisciplinary colloquium for doctoral
students in the summer semester, is well attended by
ZIL doctoral students and RFPP fellows.
In 2004 the preparation of the consortium between the three
Departments on Earth Science, Environmental Sciences, and
Agriculture and Food Sciences continued. It evolved into the
School Domain for Earth, Environment and Natural Resources
S-ENETH, which will be officially launched in 2005. A number
of ZIL members were actively involved in the preparatory
process. Together with the majority of ZIL members, the ZIL
Executive Manager participated in the major planning event,
the so-called Coherence Conference in July 2004.
Beyond these two consortia, ZIL has maintained close linkages
with the management (Schulleitung) of the ETH Zurich,
the Postgraduate Course on Developing Countries (NADEL),
and individual contacts with other ETH colleagues.
Networking with Swiss Partners
Two networks at the national level have evolved into important
platforms for ZIL’s collaboration with other Swiss colleagues:
SFIAR and LivestockNet. The Swiss Forum for International
Agricultural Research SFIAR is the national multistakeholder
platform of Swiss institutions and individuals
interested in international agricultural research. SFIAR is the
most appropriate platform for collaboration at the national
level. Since SFIAR mandated ZIL to organise the EFARD
Conference in April 2005, the collaboration between SFIAR
and ZIL has been very intensive throughout the year 2004.
ZIL remained an active partner in the Swiss Network for
Livestock in Development LivestockNet. The objective of LivestockNet
is to improve Swiss actions and strengthen the
Swiss position in livestock and development issues. With its
focus on Livestock Systems Research in Support of Poor People,
the ZIL activities are at the very heart of this network. ZIL
actively participated in the LivestockNet meetings and in the
strategic development of the association.
Numerous other linkages were maintained or intensified,
among others with the Swiss College of Agriculture (SHL),
InfoAgrar, Intercooperation, the Centre for Development and
Environment CDE of the University of Berne, the Commission
11

An Introduction to ZIL
for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE),
the Syngenta Foundation, or the Federal Office for Agriculture
(BLW).
Last but not least, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
SDC remains ZIL’s most important partner. A close
working relationship at the operational level has been maintained
with Katharina Jenny. She represented SDC on the ZIL
Board. A visit of the ZIL President Felix Escher and the ZIL
Executive Manager to the Head of the Section Natural
Resources and Environment, Martin Sommer, and his colleague
Katharina Jenny in May 2004 served to discuss the
continuation of the two contracts between SDC and ZIL.
Networking with international partners
Networking with international partners is the core of ZIL
activities at the level of individual research partnerships. The
flavour of these partnerships is given in the special chapter
on this topic (pp. 14–22), as well as in each of the project
descriptions.
At the institutional level, the predominant partnerships are
the European Forum for Agricultural Research for Development
EFARD and the Consultative Group for International
Agricultural Research CGIAR.
Through the preparation of the EFARD tri-annual conference,
this European network was in the centre of ZIL’s international
relations. Inter alia, this materialised through the hosting
of a meeting of the EFARD Steering Committee and the
Conference Programme Committee in December 2004.
Through the EFARD conference preparation, ZIL also established
direct links to the Global Forum for Agricultural
Research GFAR through a visit by the GFAR Secretary Ola
Smith. The same holds true for the CGIAR with visits from its
Director Francisco Reifschneider and his colleagues Salah
Brahimi and Fiona Douglas.
In December 2004, the European Commission accepted a
project on the European Research Area in Agricultural
Research for Development (ERA-ARD) in the 6 th EU
Framework Programme. This new project will allow more
focused interaction of the European players involved in agricultural
research for development. SDC has entrusted ZIL to
manage and coordinate the Swiss contribution to this initiative.
ZIL leads a Swiss consortium for ERA-ARD, including the
Swiss College of Agriculture SHL (Zollikofen), and the Centre
for Development and Environment CDE (Berne).
The ZIL Executive Manager participated routinely in the
Annual General Meeting AGM of the CGIAR in Mexico in
October 2004. AGM has developed into a very large event
with more than 1000 participants. The presence of all international
research partners is a unique networking opportunity.
The most important items on the agenda were the discussion
on new system priorities and on restructuring the
CGIAR presence in sub-Saharan Africa. The AGM 2004
marked the 40 th anniversary of the CGIAR.
Several representatives of CGIAR centres visited ZIL, among
them John McDermott (Director of Research at ILRI, Nairobi)
and Joachim von Braun (Director General of IFPRI,
Washington).
In August, the ZIL Executive Manager represented the
Department for Agriculture and Food Sciences (D-AGRL) at
the NATURA General Assembly in Copenhagen, Denmark.
12

An Introduction to ZIL
NATURA is the Network of European Agricultural (Tropically
and Subtropically Oriented) Universities and Scientific
Complexes related with Agricultural Development.
Capacity building
As an association within the ETH Zurich, each ZIL member is
involved in the regular teaching commitment of their department.
This is an explicit objective of ZIL’s mission to build
capacity and awareness among ETH Zurich students for their
contribution to sustainable development.
Within the ZIL management team, the secretariat was handed
over from Rita Bearth to Dorota Niedzwiecka in September.
We thank Rita Bearth for her valuable service to ZIL in all
administrative matters. Dorota Niedzwiecka very quickly
took over full responsibility for the ZIL administration. She
immediately became an expert in conference preparations
with the World Food Day one month after her recruitment
and the final phase of organising the EFARD conference.
Barbara Becker, June 2005
The teaching programme related to international agriculture,
food and forestry sciences, and the supervision of theses at
the graduate, doctoral or post-doc level in these fields is documented
in the respective chapters (p. 50, 52).
Internal developments
ZIL is an association based at the ETH Zurich. Members are all
institutes and professors of the Department of Agriculture
and Food Sciences (D-AGRL), the Forestry chairs within the
Department of Environmental Sciences (D-UWIS), and some
individuals from other entities. Minor shifts in membership
composition are indicated on p. 2, where all ZIL members are
listed. The organisational structure is shown on the inside
cover.
The ZIL Board has a crucial role in discussing ZIL’s strategic
orientation. In 2004 it met three times. In addition to other
topics, it discussed the strategic direction of the next contract
phase starting in 2006, and the external review scheduled
for March 2005.
13

Research Partnerships
Mutual learning –
Experiences with research partnerships
The essence of research collaboration is the partnership
between individual researchers and – evolving from these
personal relationships – institutional cooperation with or
without formal agreements. ZIL members have been
involved in various partnerships for many years, covering
a broad range of institutional arrangements, research topics,
geographical areas, and, of course, personalities. Some of
these experiences are shared in the individual examples
below. They range from a long-standing partnership with
hardly any formal agreement and with minimum funding
between an ETH and a Thai colleague to a series of examples
between ZIL members and researchers of the Centre Suisse
de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS) in Ivory Coast, and
conclude with the story of a Kenyan-German tandem of
two doctoral students in a truly interdisciplinary research
project.
By coincidence, none of these examples covers a partnership
with colleagues and institutions in Latin America. From the
project descriptions on the pages 24, 27, 28, 31 and 32 it is
obvious that the experiences of the longstanding relationship
with CIAT and universities in Latin America could have
served equally well to draw conclusions and highlight successes
and lessons learned.
All of the examples below show that each team of research
partners had to go through similar experiences. At the
same time, they illustrate some ingredients of successful
partnerships, among them careful selection, mutual interest
in the same research topic, learning together, and last but
not least dedication and mutual trust. Although intercultural,
interdisciplinary, inter-institutional partnerships
demand time, patience and open minds, they are highly
rewarding and not least joy.
25 years of dedicated partnership on a shoestring
History of the KK Cooperation 1
In 1979 Dr. Rachain Thiraporn, a PhD from the University of
Kiel, Germany, obtained the information that the Thai and
the German government had signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to strengthen the scientific competence by
supporting research cooperation between the two countries.
A project proposal written by him and Peter Stamp, then also
University of Kiel, was granted at the end of 1979. Their focus
was then and still is now maize. Why so? For several decades,
a considerable shift towards urbanisation occurred in developing
countries and this trend is expected to continue. It is
well known for the tropics that a more sustainable agriculture
is likely to cope with this situation and to provide long
term benefits with respect to achieving increased production,
sustainable development of economies, food security
and poverty reduction in these regions. The foundation for
a more sustainable agriculture is the utilisation of the
best adapted genotypes and the maintenance of the biological
production potential of agricultural land. Maize is
and has been an important food crop in Asia. Today, with
increasing consumption of animal products due to increasing
development, Asia is experiencing a shift from food
maize to feed maize.
The small project was granted at the end of 1979, which
allowed the two partners to take up scientific work in March
1980. This was indeed a promising marriage between the
excellently managed field facilities of Suwan Farm and the
laboratory and growth chamber facilities of the European
partner. Scientifically, it was a success from the start on, due
to the commitment of the then young partners who wanted
14
1 The original collaboration between the Universities of Kiel and Katsetsart was called KK Cooperation, a brand-name which
still stands for the successful partnership in physiologically based maize breeding between the Thai partner and now ETH Zurich.

Research Partnerships
to achieve their best within two years. But success comes
with dedicated work, thus the two years led to new ideas and
new funded project phases of two years’ duration. Looking
back, it was almost a miracle that on a common budget of
12’000 USD per year, including personnel, field and lab
expenses as well as traveling, so many growth chamber runs,
intensively sampled field plots and thousands of nutrient
samples could be managed. In truth, it was not easy at that
time for both partners, as the minds were influenced by
development programmes and the expectations of their
superiors were more at the level of millions of dollars than of
ten thousands, creating misunderstandings from time to
time.
Throughout the duration of the 25 years the major themes of
collaborative research were temperature tolerance, nitrogen
efficiency and drought tolerance of maize. It is quite fascinating
to see that with increasing yield expectancies, new
quality types and new research tools, some of these themes
are coming back to us, a development that hopefully is not
going in circles but upwards in spirals.
What was the take-home message at the scientific managerial
level that could be of value until today? The dedication to
solve scientific problems and to enjoy scientific work can be
much more important for the scientific success than the
details of a financial budget. It was this dedication that
inspired them to continue their cooperation to their mutual
interest and not least their scientific benefit throughout
their ongoing careers at newly evolving topics and varying
degrees of funding.
Throughout these 25 years of cooperation the exchange of
students was surely a major part of the activities. With
increasing experience of the instigators of the cooperation
the opportunities increased to combine scientific progress
with the education of young scientists, providing them with
the chance to enlarge their visions in new environments. It
was and is surely always a motivation again when students
returning home are the ones who insist that this cooperation
must go on, a compliment to all the people who supported
them far from home.
Phupimarn Resort Farm, an irrigated oasis for
drought tolerance discussions in Northeast Thailand
15

Research Partnerships
The very rewarding contacts throughout the region were a
strong motivation for Peter Stamp to spend his sabbatical
2003/2004 at institutes in Vietnam and Thailand, intensifying
the exchange of students and discussing new programmes,
for example into the direction of the maintenance
and evaluation of genetic resources. A very promising aspect
for the future of the KK cooperation consolidated at the conference
commemorating the 25 years of cooperation in
March 2005. We are confident to state that today the perspectives
are good for extending the cooperation from
Thailand to the regional neighbors from Vietnam to southern
China in partnerships that are more and more driven by mutual
scientific strength at an internationally high scientific
standard. 25 years ago, Suwan Farm had a strong role as the
major Asian Centre for maize research with a strong developing
country focus; now it is well respected in the region as a
highly qualified training centre. Therefore let us go on with
strong new partners, listening and acting.
Rachain Thiraporn (Katsetsart University, Bangkok) and
Peter Stamp (IPW, ETH Zurich)
Multidisciplinary institutional collaboration
with the CSRS in Abidjan
Individual and institutional ingredients of
scientific partnerships: Examples of food science
The Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques in Ivory Coast
(CSRS, Abidjan) is a regional North-South platform for partnership
in scientific research. By providing infrastructure and
a network of local partners and services, the CSRS contributes
largely to facilitate collaborative projects more efficiently
between research institutions from both, so-called
developing and developed countries independent of the
research discipline.
The Institute of Food Science and Nutrition (ILW) at ETH
Zurich is a prime institution that acts as research partner
for scientific research institutions in Ivory Coast. The first
scientific project of the ILW through the platform CSRS
was launched in the early nineties between the former
Laboratory of Dairy Science and the Laboratory of Food Technology
at ETH Zurich, and the Laboratory of Biochemistry at
the University of Cocody in Abidjan. The researchers investigated
ways to reduce post-harvest losses during storage of
yam (Dioscorea spp.) which is an important staple food of
West Africa. Dr. Zakaria Farah, a member of the Laboratory of
then Dairy Science, administrated the collaboration between
the ILW and the CSRS, and continues doing so in further projects
between the ILW and the CRSR. It was Dr. Olivier
Girardin, after his doctorate on the mentioned topic, who
became the Director of CSRS from 1998 to 2004, and who
during this time spearheaded the positive development of
research partnerships at the CSRS. Research on the yam tuber
is still going on, and has been extended from post-
16

Research Partnerships
harvest technology to an in-depth investigation of food yam
quality and processing behaviour.
Next in line, when it comes to seniority, is the continuous link
between the Laboratory of Human Nutrition at the ILW, and
the Ivorian Institute of Public Hygiene. Since ten years,
research has been carried out around the topics food, iron
and iodine, their respective deficiencies and the potential
interventions in poor rural communities. Particular attention
was being given to infants and their mothers, who suffer
most from anaemia, which can be food-related. The present
research activities are increasingly geared towards intervention
efficiency in sub-Saharan Africa, and the investigation of
fortification of salt with both iron and iodine for deficiency
prevention.
The third main research field is due to the collaboration of
the Laboratories of Food Biotechnology (formerly Dairy
Science) and Food Chemistry at the ILW, and the University of
Cocody, Abidjan. It focuses on the processing and microbiological
characteristics of the important traditional, fermented
cassava product, named Attiéké. All relevant processing
factors are being investigated, beginning with the raw material,
determination of the toxic cyanides as well as screening
of fermenting microorganisms through to the optimisation
of the end use quality of the product.
In the three briefly described scientific areas, where scientists
of the ILW collaborate with researchers of Ivory Coast, numerous
diploma and doctoral theses have been carried out by
both Ivorian (4 doctoral degrees) and Swiss students (9 doctoral
degrees) with the support of senior scientists at the
respective institutions. Scientific progress is also furthered by
exchange visits, for durations from weeks to several months,
from both partner institutions. Thereby the CSRS plays an
important role for the well-being and thus effectiveness of
researchers coming from the ILW to the Ivory Coast.
When scientists from North and South work together at the
same place and on the same topic, the transfer of knowledge
and experience in both directions is greatly enhanced, and
thus largely contributes to the success of a research partner-
Two students from the Ivory Coast doing experimental work
at the laboratory of the CSRS in collaboration with the ILW
17

Research Partnerships
ship. Furthermore, at the start-up of new, or for the continuation
of existing research projects, more than once mutually
agreeable solutions between research partners have been
negotiated at the CSRS. At the end of individual projects, the
formulation of new research questions and the search for
financial resources might be provided by the scientific network
created by these projects themselves. Ideally, the success
of the research partnerships characterised above hinges
on the personal commitment and interest of many senior
and junior scientists. Through dialogue and mutually respective
action, viable and wealthy ways to create “win-win”
solutions for all partners are created at the interface of ILW,
CSRS and Ivorian research institutions.
In order to facilitate the entry of new teams and to secure
funding, it is desirable to create more elaborate institutional
frameworks between North-South partners. In the case of
ETH and CSRS, taking into account the funding possibilities
and institutional competencies of organisations like KFPE
and ZIL will be of utmost importance. Nevertheless, research
activities and progress resulting from partnerships between
North-South partners will continue to depend largely on
individual interests, skills, and commitments of the persons
in charge.
Judith Brunnschweiler (ILW, ETH Zurich) and
Andres Tschannen (CSRS, Abidjan)
Agricultural economics North-South
The collaboration between the Institute for Agricultural Economics
(IAW) and the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques
(CSRS) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, started in 1997 on the
initiative of Olivier Girardin. Since then, Dao Daouda and
Norbert Béhi 2 , two doctoral students of the University of
Cocody, spent several months as academic visitors at our
institute and acquired the methodological knowledge in the
domain of agricultural economics. As a result, the group of
agricultural economics has been increasingly involved in cosupervising
theses and research projects of the CSRS that are
related to socio-economic issues, the collaboration has been
intensified, and the two collaborators of the CSRS could
accomplish several research stays at ETH Zurich.
The research focus is on improved varieties of yam and cassava,
and their diffusion in Western Africa. In this context, the
functioning of markets is being investigated and analysed in
detail. This revealed the asymmetry of information as the
most limiting factor for development.
Since 2004, the collaboration has been intensified with a
project in the field of livestock systems research with two
theses partially funded by ZIL. The main objective of this project,
which unites four African researchers from economics,
sociology and agronomy lies in the assessment of limiting
factors for generating farm household income, while taking
into account the diversity of farming systems. The first
results look very promising, and their implementation into
practice has been initiated. In addition, several diploma theses
of students from ETH Zurich have been completed in
Ivory Coast and in collaboration with the CSRS.
Bernard Lehmann (IAW, ETH Zurich)
18
2 Unfortunately, in November 2001 we had to mourn the death of
Norbert Béhi due to a tragic accident.

Research Partnerships
Improved understanding of yam (Dioscorea spp.)
crop physiology: A success story of partnership
It all began in 1998 with Dr. Olivier Girardin – then Director
of the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS)
in Ivory Coast – who was highly interested in yam, a staple
crop for a large fraction of the population of West Africa.
O. Girardin, who was working on the conservation of yam
tubers, observed that very little was done worldwide on the
crop physiology of this plant, i.e. to understand how this
plant was producing its yield. He considered that it was indispensable
to go in this direction to establish high-yielding
sustainable yam-based cropping systems in West Africa. As
he attempted to convince Prof. Emmanuel Frossard to work
on this subject, the latter remained extremely cautious as
this was far, far away from his research area. However, as the
subject appeared relevant and challenging, and as E. Frossard
was recognising the need to train African students at the
doctoral level, he prepared with his group a short notice on
how to test the effect of mineral fertiliser on yam tuber yield.
This notice was used then by O. Girardin and by Prof. Ayémou
Assa from the University of Cocody (Abidjan) to start a few
field experiments with selected Ivorian students. A few
months later, in September 1998, Dr. Sokrat Sinaj from the
group of plant nutrition of the ETH Zurich visited the field
experiments in Ivory Coast and was able to see what was
working well and what less well. Afterwards, in July 1999,
E. Frossard visited the CSRS and together with O. Girardin
they agreed to prepare an RFPP proposal with the student
who had conducted the nicest field experiment: Lucien N.
Diby. The project, that was at this time extremely naïve, was
also discussed with Dr. Tié Bi Tra from the Ecole Supérieure
d’Agronomie de Yamoussoukro, with A. Assa, and per e-mail
with Dr. Robert Asiedu, the head of the yam programme of
IITA. A few months later, the project was accepted and started
in Spring 2000 with a note from a reviewer that the group
of E. Frossard was well known for their work under controlled
conditions, but that we had to make our proofs in field conditions.
From this time on, Dr. Robert Carsky was designated
by R. Asiedu as the IITA contact for the project and L. Diby
started his field experiments in Bringakro, the outpost of the
CSRS located 200 km north of Abidjan, which then attracted
Yam dinner at Bringakro (from left to right: Tié Bi Trac, Bernard Comoe, Lucien N. Diby,
Olivier Girardin and Robert Carsky, who was killed in November 2004)
19

Research Partnerships
quite a lot of Ivorian and Swiss students. During the three following
years, L. Diby worked in the field for nine months per
year, and during January to March at the ETH Zurich in the
laboratory of plant nutrition, to carry out statistical analyses,
literature studies and to present his work in seminars. He did
tremendous work in the field. Once a year (September), the
group of supervisors met in Abidjan at the CSRS and in
Bringakro to check the state of the work, to discuss the experimental
techniques, the problems encountered, and to give
more realistic orientations to the work. Thanks to a good
management of the finances L. Diby was able to keep
enough money to come to Zurich during his fourth year to
write his dissertation and prepare a follow-up project. In
between, thanks to the publicity he had generated, many
students had been working with him, and together with
O. Girardin we could select a second student, Mr. Hgaza
Kouassi Valérie Kouame for whom we wanted to prepare
a project that would deepen the information gathered in
L. Diby’s work. Between May and September 2004, L. Diby
prepared this second RFPP project with the support of Dr.
Christian Nolte (at this time at IITA), Dr. Andres Tschannen,
the new Vice-Director of CSRS, Dr. Guéladio Cissé, the
Director of the CSRS and E. Frossard. The project was submitted
in September and accepted in December 2004. In
between, our colleague R. Carsky, who was then working for
WARDA, died in Bouaké on the 8 th of November in the bombings
of the Ivorian army – to our great sadness and consternation.
His contribution to agricultural research in Africa is
invaluable and we will remember him as a fine partner to
work with. V. H. Kouamé’s project was launched by the beginning
of March 2005 with a first meeting which gathered
A. Assa, Tié Bi, A. Tschannen, L. Diby, V. H. Kouamé, and
E. Frossard to find the field for the experiment and to decide
on the work to be done to install the yam crop in time in May.
L. Diby is paid by the group of plant nutrition during the first
year of V. H. Kouamé’s project. During this period he will
defend his dissertation that he submitted in February 2005
to the University of Cocody; he will be able to write publications;
and he will help V. H. Kouamé to start his work. In 2006,
L. Diby will have to find a position by himself. This should be
straightforward as during the presentations he was giving in
international meetings, he realised that he had obtained
unique data during his field experiments, and that he is
among the few specialists in yam crop physiology worldwide.
What can we learn from the above “experiment”? Both L. N.
Diby and V. H. Kouamé were chosen to spearhead an expensive
research project after a thorough evaluation under real
conditions. Their aptitude for conducting a doctoral dissertation
using Swiss funding and quality requirements was not
based on a traditional selection process using CVs and
assessment talks, but by spending one to two years “onfarm”,
doing experiments, and achieving a diploma thesis
matching the aspirations of the Swiss partner. And they were
not the only ones to be evaluated … just the ones to be chosen!
In brief, funding local diploma theses or practical stages
within a continuing program proved to be a highly efficient
way to identify excelling students able to conduct a project
to a successful end.
Altogether this shows that partnership needs to be put in
context, it takes time, patience, open minds and a good deal
of funding. We hope we will continue to build capacity on the
crop physiology of yam in Africa, and that it will also become
useful at some point for the farmers of West Africa.
Emmanuel Frossard (IPW, ETH Zurich),
Lucien Diby and Andres Tschannen (CSRS, Abidjan)
20

Research Partnerships
Cross-breeding two minds from
different disciplines and cultures
Working as partners
The project on developing cattle breeding schemes for resource
poor farmers in Eastern Africa with a special focus on trypanotolerance
under socio-economic and genetic aspects (pp.
25–26) is undertaken in collaboration with colleagues of the
ILRI Biotechnology Theme. The two aspects of this project
combine the expertise of two scientific fields, economics and
animal breeding, by means of two doctoral students working
hand in hand: Emily Awuor Ouma, based at Kiel University in
Germany and currently working in the field in Ghibe Valley,
Ethiopia, and Ulrike Janßen-Tapken, stationed at ETH Zurich
in Switzerland. While the collaboration and interdisciplinary
nature of the project has great advantages, it also brings
some difficulties along, distance being one of the key obstacles
in communication and exchange of ideas.
How does the interaction work?
The positive and negative sides of a partnership
The most important means of communication is the computer.
We stay in frequent contact via e-mail, exchanging and
sharing recent research results, logistical information, data
and ideas. Even more valuable is personal contact. When the
project started, the two of us were stationed in Zurich, followed
by a four-month overlap in Kenya and Ethiopia. During
this time, we had the opportunity to get to know each other
and collaborate very closely, benefiting from each other’s
strengths. It showed that Emily Awuor Ouma, who is a citizen
of Kenya and well trained in household survey work, was
of extraordinary help especially during the fieldwork and
ongoing data collection. The way she handled the logistics
and scientific questions geared towards data collection was
very efficient, leading to quick and useful results while Ulrike
Janßen-Tapken, German citizen, took charge of logistics during
workshops or conferences in German speaking countries.
This way, both of us benefited from the multicultural staff
appointment.
During the initial field
work, consisting mostly of
focus group discussions in
different districts of Kenya
and Ethiopia, the division
of work according to the
personal strengths of the
two doctoral students was
labour-saving, time-saving
and resource-saving. While
Ulrike Janßen-Tapken was
able to drive the car through
Kenya, leaving Emily Awuor
Ouma free to discuss and
write down the next steps
for the focus group discussions,
Emily Awuor
Ouma organised the onsite
groups which were
interviewed with two parallel
questionnaires. Each
doctoral student was taking
over the part which
best fitted her expertise,
again making great use of
the combined strengths of
the two partners.
Ulrike Janßen-Tapken and Emily Awuor Ouma,
Muthaiga, Nairobi
21

Research Partnerships
After returning to our home bases, we have had to rely mainly
on e-mail and postal mail for communication due to the
fact that we had to be registered as doctoral students in two
different countries corresponding to the locations of our
supervisors. However, we have had good opportunities for
sporadic personal contacts during jointly attended conferences
and workshops. The distance slows down the interaction,
decisionmaking and frequent exchange of ideas immensely
but we try to maintain communication as frequently
as possible, however time-consuming. We both regularly
update each other on our schedules, our future plans and
research results and use the time of personal contact for very
intensive discussions with our project colleagues and other
ZIL project teams.
Another significant challenge to the interdisciplinary research
is the ability to understand the methodologies applied in the
different disciplines especially when this is needed as an
input to each others’ work. This can be highly beneficial as it
allows each discipline to understand the other one and identify
advantages and disadvantages and decide on the best
way forward. Our supervisors made all efforts possible to
make that link visible and workable.
Institutional partners
The project is in collaboration with ILRI, the CGIAR centre with
a mandate in international livestock research. ILRI has built a
well-functioning network in Kenya and Ethiopia due to its
many years of involvement in livestock research in these
countries. Through the collaboration with ILRI, the two doctoral
students are able to use and benefit from already existing
infrastructure and facilities, such as access to the internet
and vehicles enabling them to reach their target groups in a
short time without difficulties. Through the ILRI staff, we
could easily connect with the communities using their existing
links with ILRI. Sometimes we would simply follow the
advice of experienced research staff. This approach saved a lot
of time and energy needed to create the bonds with the target
groups, in our case farmers in Kenya and Ethiopia. Since
these bonds already exist between the communities and ILRI,
it is easy for us to simply fit in and go ahead with the research
due to the communities’ trust and confidence in ILRI. We have
also been able to benefit from the training and wealth of
experiences of ILRI scientists in terms of scientific advice.
The negative side of the collaboration is that sometimes we
have to carry out research in areas where a lot of research has
already been done without proper feedback to the communities,
and therefore the farmers are not willing to accommodate
yet another research group. This has strengthened our awareness
of the necessity of feedback to the communities that are
involved in the survey. The farmers would like to know what
happens with their data and the impact of their input.
Overall, interdisciplinary research can be challenging and can
slow down the research process through communication obstacles
and time-consuming logistics. On the other hand it is
highly beneficial to all parties, giving the scientists from each
field the chance to interact and learn different methodologies,
enabling them to find new routes together complementing
one another. For working in developing countries,
the interdisciplinary approach that we have taken in this project
is needed and appreciated because the problems poor
farmers face are complex and multi-factorial. Collaborative
research with organisations such as the CGIAR centres is
highly beneficial due to their proper establishment, good reputation
and mandate, as well as the high caliber of scientists
in these centres.
Ulrike Janßen-Tapken (INW, ETH Zurich) and
Emily Awuor Ouma (ILRI / University of Kiel)
22

ZIL Research Projects
Livestock
Systems
Research
Livestock Systems Research in Support
of Poor People – Overview
Livestock keeping creates opportunities in developing countries
to generate high quality food, income and economic
security. It can make an important contribution to reaching
several of the UN Millennium Development Goals, primarily
the reduction of hunger and poverty. ZIL has started its programme
Livestock Systems Research in Support of Poor People
to advance this cause and to focus on a research area where
ETH Zurich is traditionally competent.
In 2004, the programme on livestock systems was completed
and consolidated with a set of three new projects. All projects
are portrayed individually in the following section. Each
of the ongoing projects belongs to one of six disciplinary
clusters, all with strong linkages to other clusters and all contributing
to the central theme of “asset management as
livelihood strategy of poor rural households”. Due to the
forthcoming retirement of Peter Rieder in 2005 without reappointment
of his chair, no project was submitted in the
cluster of “pro-poor policies”, a gap which is recognised with
regret by the ZIL members and management as well as by
our external partners.
The first so-called Progress Forum took place on June 4, 2004.
This was the first event ever where all ZIL project teams presented
their ongoing research work. The Steering Committee
1 of the livestock systems programme was instrumental
in conceptualising and preparing this event. As intended,
most project groups participated with several members. The
projects were presented either by the doctoral students or
by the group leaders. The main part of the programme consisted
of brief project presentations with extended time for
discussion. For all project presentations one member of
another group had been asked to open the discussion as
“challenger”, which worked out very well to stimulate frank
and critical discussions.
Further
disciplines /
collaborators
Geobotany
Forest Science
Feeding
strategies
Discipline /
institute
Plant Science
Animal Science
Fodder
resources
Common core /
individual fields
of research
Asset management
as livelihood strategy of
poor (rural) households
Animal
genetic
resources
The meeting concluded with a plenary discussion on
Strength, Weaknesses, Threats, and Opportunities (SWOT). In
this discussion we tried to establish a status quo perception
that would document this particular moment in the progress
of the ZIL programme with its emphasis on livestock. The
major strength is clearly in the individuals who make up the
groups, in their networks with international research institutions,
and in the facilities that the ETH Zurich provides. The
areas of economy and policy research were identified as
weaknesses. Implementation of results was felt to be weak
at the current early stage of the programme.
All participants of the first Progress Forum agreed that it was
a very worthwhile experience which should be continued
and expanded to the international project partners on the
next occasion.
Mathias Egloff and Barbara Becker
Discipline /
institute
Agricultural
Economics
Enhanced
competitiveness
Human
nutrition
Food Science
and Nutrition
Pro-poor
policies
Further
disciplines /
collaborators
Socio-cultural research / Macroeconomics
1 Members of the Steering Committee are Michael Kreuzer (Chair, INW),
Emmanuel Frossard (IPW), Richard Hurrell (ILW) Annette Kolff
(Intercooperation, Bern) and Bernard Lehmann (IAW).
23

ZIL Research Projects
Livestock
Systems
Research
Project leader
Emmanuel Frossard
Contact persons
Annabé Louw-Gaume
Alain Gaume
Sergio Mejía Kerguelén
Collaborators
Idupulapati Rao, Manabu Ishitani
and Carlos Lascano, CIAT, Colombia /
Michael Kreuzer, INW,
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Duration
August 2003 – August 2006
Adaptation of Brachiaria species to low-P soils
Brachiaria grasses are extensively used in the tropics for pasture
development. However, mechanisms of Brachiaria that
contribute to successful adaptation to low-fertility acid soils
are poorly understood. Since phosphorus (P) availability
in soil is a major limitation to pasture productivity in the
tropics, the main focus of this project is on understanding P
uptake and use efficiency in these grasses.
An established pasture of the Brachiaria hybrid cv. Mulato 1 which is the world’s
first commercial Brachiaria hybrid. The release of new Brachiaria genotypes
provides farmers with new forage options.
Using a fertilised sand-culture growth system, differences
between the two species, grown from seedling stage,
regarding several plant growth parameters were found
under different levels of potassium phosphate supply. These
include biomass production, plant allocation of dry matter,
root length, total plant P content and, carbon and nitrogen
content. More specifically, B. decumbens produced more leaf
area and finer roots (higher values of specific root length,
SRL) under lower P growing conditions, presenting
B. decumbens as a species with better low-P adaptation.
Evaluation of mycorrhizal effects revealed similarities as
well as differences in species responses to mycorrhizal inoculation:
firstly, reduced root length production and
increased plant P content in both species in cases of high
mycorrhizal root colonization and secondly, the identification
of a mycorrhizal strain where low levels of mycorrhizal
colonization resulted in increased biomass production and
more plant P for B. decumbens. Plant material from 120
Brachiaria hybrids has been regenerated. Stem cuttings
from parent and hybrid material are grown hydroponically
under low-P supply and subjected to phenotype analysis
using leaf area and root length production as selection criteria.
Initial results indicate towards higher root length
rather than leaf area variation between hybrids.
Research objectives focused firstly on the role of root architecture
and mycorrhizal association in phosphorus acquisition
of two Brachiaria species, B. decumbens and B. ruziziensis
and secondly on the establishment of a hybrid population of
Brachiaria decumbens x Brachiaria ruziziensis in pots.
Analysis of P uptake from less available P forms together
with the role of organic acids and phosphatases in P acquisition
will be considered in future experiments. Also, the
phenotypic data will be used to determine gene expression
profiles and to identify candidate genes responsible for low
phosphorus adaptation.
24

Project leader
Awudu Abdulai, IAW, ETH Zurich
(until March 2004)
Kiel University, Germany
(from April 2004)
Contact person
Emily Awuor Ouma
Collaborator
Adam Drucker, ILRI, Kenya
Duration
September 2003 – September 2006
ZIL Research Projects
Developing optimised cattle breeding schemes based
on the demands and opportunities of poor livestock
keepers in sub-Saharan Africa – Economic aspects
The broad objective of the study is to assess the contribution
of economic valuation of cattle keepers’ trait preferences for
design of sustainable cattle breeding programmes in pastoral
and crop-livestock systems in selected sites in Eastern
Africa. Further, ways by which farmers can make efficient use
of improved genetic materials will be assessed. This project is
being carried out together with the Statistical Animal
Genetics Group of the ETH Zurich. The research design is
mainly through the use of farm-level surveys. Pilot surveys
have been done in selected sites in Ethiopia and Kenya
between February and March 2004. The selected sites
include Ghibe valley in Ethiopia and Narok, Kajiado and Suba
districts in Kenya. The second stage is the farm-level choice
experiment surveys which have already been carried out on a
sample of 303 households in Narok and Suba districts in
Kenya between November and December 2004. The same is
being planned for Ghibe valley, Ethiopia between April and
May 2005.
The preliminary descriptive results from Kenya indicate that
adaptation traits (including disease resistance, drought tolerance,
and walking ability) are important cattle traits for a
high proportion of cattle keepers in pastoral systems compared
to the crop-livestock systems. On the other hand, production
traits such as traction ability, milk production and
fertility are important for a higher proportion of farmers in
the crop-livestock systems compared to the pastoral systems.
Farmers in the pastoral systems have large cattle herd sizes
averaging 72 animals compared to 12 in the crop-livestock
system. However, overall cattle density per square kilometre
in pastoral systems of Kajiado and Narok districts is lower
than the crop-livestock system found in Suba district due to
the larger surface areas of the districts compared to Suba. In
both systems, the households are located far from market
centres. The average distance to the nearest market centre is
about three kilometres. This has a bearing on the potential
for market-oriented production in the areas. High illiteracy
levels abound in the pastoral areas. On average, the head of
Suba
Narok
Kajiado
0 500 km
Cattle density in surveyed districts in Kenya. Source: ILRI, 2004
Cattle density / m 2
0
0 – 50
50 – 100
100 – 1329.536
no data
the household in pastoral systems have a maximum of two
years of schooling compared to nine years in the crop-livestock
system. This has implications on the type of intervention
strategies that need to be developed from the study. The
next step is a more in-depth analysis using econometric
modelling and cost-benefit analyses.
25

ZIL Research Projects
Project leader
Haja Kadarmideen
Contact person
Ulrike Janßen-Tapken
Collaborators
John P. Gibson, Institute for Genetics
and Bioinformatics in Armidale,
New South Wales, Australia /
Yongjun Li, Institute of Animal Sciences,
Statistical Animal Genetics,
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Duration
August 2003 – August 2006
Developing optimised cattle breeding schemes based on
the demands and opportunities of poor livestock keepers
in sub-Saharan Africa – Genetic aspects
The overall objective of the study is to develop demand-driven
sustainable breeding schemes for resource-poor farmers in
Eastern Africa and evaluate their potential for genetic improvement
under pastoral and crop-livestock production systems.
Following focus group discussions which identified farmers’
needs and preferences for cattle traits, questionnaires were
developed to be used in five different districts of Kenya (3)
and Ethiopia (2) to identify the environmental conditions for
cattle production and breeding.
The preliminary results from Kenya show a considerable difference
between crop-livestock and pastoral systems. Croplivestock
systems are characterised by an average herd size of
25.3 cattle and an average household land size of 22.5 acres
among others, whereas pastoral systems are characterised
by an average herd size of 80.1 cattle and communal ranches
among others. Uncontrolled mating dominates both systems
and the use of an own bred bull is the common source of
genetic improvement. Trypanosomosis is the most recognised
disease overall.
From this baseline a breeding goal (BG) for pastoralists with
five traits (Y = BG traits, a = economic values) was designed:
milk yield (MY), calving interval (CI), weight gain (WG),
trypanotolerance (TT) and tick-resistance (TR).
BG = A MY v MY + A CI v CI + A WG v WG + A TT v TT + A TR v TR
The constructed selection indices (SI) differed in packed red
blood cell volume (PCV) as a measurement for trypanotolerance
to compare the impact on the breeding goal which
showed that a selection index including PCV (SI-II) is superior
to a selection for production traits only (SI-I). (X = SI traits, b =
selection criterion coefficients, LW = live weight)
SI-I and [II] = b MY *X MY + b LW *X LW + b CI *X CI + [b PCV *X PCV ]
Focus group discussion: Lower Ghibbe Valley, Ethiopia, womens’ group
The environmental conditions suggest that a breeding programme
will be more sustainable in crop-livestock systems
than in pastoral systems and preliminary results show that
breeding for trypanotolerance could be successful.
26

Project leaders
Hans-Dieter Hess
Michael Kreuzer
Emmanuel Frossard
Contact person
Tassilo Tiemann
Collaborators
Rolando Barahona, Corpoica, Colombia /
Juan E. Carulla, Universidad Nacional
de Colombia / Carlos E. Lascano and
Michael Peters, CIAT, Colombia /
Fernando Rodríguez, Corpoica, Colombia
Duration
January 2004 – December 2006
ZIL Research Projects
The forage potential of tanniniferous legumes:
Search for sustainable ways to cope with
nutritional limitations in smallholder livestock
As part of an extensive search for forage legumes that could
be used as supplement to improve protein supply for livestock,
a series of in vitro experiments has been performed,
using the Gas Transducer Technique (GTT) and the Rumen
Simulation Technique (RUSITEC).
Results of a RUSITEC experiment demonstrated a substantial
impact of the growing site on feeding value of Calliandra
calothyrsus var. Patulul. Although the two provenances of
Calliandra tested in this experiment (Kenya, high-fertility soil
and Colombia, acid, low-fertility soil) had similar contents of
organic matter, crude protein and fibre, they differed in nearly
all fermentation properties and the material from the
Kenyan site showed a higher apparent nutrient degradability.
These results indicate that foliage from C. calothyrsus var.
Patulul cultivated at the Kenyan site had a clearly higher
nutritional value than foliage from the same variety cultivated
in the Colombian site, which was mainly due to a much
lower concentration of condensed tannins in the foliage produced
in Kenya.
Experiments carried out using GTT confirmed the high
potential of Vigna unguiculata and Cratylia argentea as
In vitro assessment of the ruminal fermentation dynamics using the
Gas Transducer Technique (GTT). Forage samples are incubated with
ruminal fluid and mineral solution in serum bottles, and gas production
is continuously measured over a period of 144 hours.
Tassilo T. Tiemann and CIAT staff collecting legume foliage for an in vitro experiment
protein supplements for ruminants. Both legumes clearly
improved protein supply and enhanced N turnover.
Furthermore, the results indicated that the tanniniferous
legumes C. calothyrsus and Flemingia macrophylla, when
supplemented in a mixture with V. unguiculata, may be
included in the diet at a proportion of up to 13 % without
negative effects on rumen fermentation. When higher
proportions of the tanniniferous legumes were included, the
apparent degradation of crude protein was drastically
suppressed. It is likely that this decrease would result in a
greater flow of non-ammonia nitrogen to the lower digestive
tract of ruminants fed such mixtures which in turn could
result in improved animal performance. This hypothesis will
be tested in future feeding trials, using sheep fitted with
ruminal and duodenal cannulas.
27

ZIL Research Projects
Project leaders
Hans-Dieter Hess
Michael Kreuzer
Annette Kolff, Intercooperation (IC), Berne
Contact person
Karin Bartl
Collaborators
Carlos Gómez, La Molina, Peru / Christoph
Morger, IC, Switzerland / Carlos J. Pérez,
IC, Nicaragua / Urs Scheidegger, SHL,
Switzerland / Axel Schmidt, CIAT, Nicaragua /
Hans-Rudolf Wettstein, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Duration
July 2004 – June 2007
Improved feeding systems for smallholder dairy cattle
with emphasis on dry season feeding
and its effect on milk production and quality
However, although it may increase milk protein, it significantly
decreases milk fat content. In several developing countries,
particularly in South America and Asia, pastures reach
altitudes of up to 4000 m. First, preliminary results from the
project suggest adverse effects on milk quality in the
Peruvian highlands, particularly in the dry season. However,
it is still unexplored whether unfavorable effects of altitude
can be linearly extrapolated in terms of milk yield and quality.
On the other hand, the main limitation to increased productivity
of small scale dairy systems is the deficient supply
and quality of feed, particularly during the dry season.
Milk production from cattle is an important activity of small-scale farmers in
most regions of tropical Latin America, particularly in the hillsides and
high mountainous regions, where possibilities for crop production are limited.
Dairy cattle husbandry is an important activity of small-scale
farmers in most regions of tropical Latin America, particularly
in the hillsides and high mountainous regions, where possibilities
for crop production are limited. However, traditional
systems are often marginal in an economic sense and follow
land use practices that are not considered sustainable in the
long-term.
Milk production has the potential to become a reliable
income source for small-scale farmers, if fodder resources
and feeding strategies particularly for the dry season are
improved, and productivity thus increased. The overall aim of
this project is the participatory development of more efficient
feeding systems in the hillsides and high mountainous
regions of tropical Latin America based on local knowledge
and locally available feed resources. These feeding systems
will contribute to sustained milk production and improved
milk quality during the dry season and reduce the dependence
on purchased supplements.
Preparation of experimental plots with participation
of community farmers in the highlands of Peru
From European studies it is known that grazing of dairy cows
on pastures at altitudes of 2000 m causes significant depressions
in milk yield and shifts milk composition towards
reduced milk protein contents and, consequently lower
cheese yield and quality. Supplementary feeding is known to
alleviate metabolic stress and to improve nutrient utilisation.
28

Project leaders
Richard Hurrell
Lena Davidsson, ILW, ETH Zurich
(until November 2004)
IAEA, Vienna, Austria
(from December 2004)
Contact persons
Stephanie Good / Yoseph Shiferaw
Collaborators
Thomas Fitz Randolph,
ILRI, Kenya / Belay Kassa,
Alemaya University, Ethiopia
Duration
September 2004 – August 2007
ZIL Research Projects
Animal source foods and
nutrition during early life
Ethiopia is among the least developed countries in the world
with major problems related to inadequate food security and
with a high prevalence of undernutrition. For the population,
farming including livestock keeping is one of the most important
sources of income.
This project will evaluate the possible link between livestock
keeping, food intake and nutritional status of young children
(6–18 months old). It will improve our understanding of the
role that animal source food (ASF: milk, eggs, meat, liver)
plays in the nutritional status of young children in resourcepoor
areas. The importance of ASF as sources of energy, high
quality protein and bioavailable micronutrients in infants
and young children consuming complementary foods will be
evaluated. The availability of ASF in households with young
children, the pathway by which livestock keeping influences
the consumption by young children, and the influence ASFs
have on their growth, morbidity and nutritional status will be
investigated.
Field work started in March 2005. Families with 6 month-old
infants were identified, and low income households (200)
with small livestock (sheep, goats, chickens) and households
with no livestock (200, as a control) are now being recruited.
The families will be visited every two months during one
year for the collection of dietary intake information and
information on the introduction and consumption of ASF.
Parallel to this, nutritional status will be evaluated as growth,
morbidity will be monitored and information on agro-economic
factors will be collected.
recommended as part of nutritional extension messages
that will improve the nutrition and health of young children
in Ethiopia. By describing the pathways between livestock
keeping and the availability of ASF for consumption by young
children, the results will provide preliminary baseline information
for identifying, designing and evaluating livestockbased
interventions.
Field worker measuring body length of a child participating in the study
(Dire Village, Debre Zeit area, Ethiopia)
The study results will provide the basis for subsequent
intervention studies to determine the appropriate types,
amounts, and frequency of consumption of ASF that can be
29

ZIL Research Projects
Project leader
Bernard Lehmann
Contact person
Michel Dumondel, IAW
Daouda Dao, CSRS
Collaborators
Andres Tschannen, CSRS / Youan Bi
Athanase, University of Cocody /
Gisèle Sedia A, University of Bouaké,
Ivory Coast / O. Girardin,
Agricultural School, Switzerland /
Jakob Zinnstag, STI, Switzerland
Duration
July 2004 – January 2006
Analysis of the potential contribution of improvements
in the livestock production system to better livelihood
of small farmers’ households
The main research question of this project is as follows: How
can the living conditions of small households involved in livestock
production be improved through the production
process, and along the supply chain?
The objectives of the first project phase were the identification
of actors of the supply chain and its periphery, as well as
the organisation of the first group modeling workshop.
Desktop research and collaboration enabled us to obtain a
database from 1996. Being relatively complete, it originates
from an extensive household survey and relates to agricultural
activities, including livestock rearing. Some households
mentioned in this database were visited during the first field
survey.
The methodology for sampling has been devised using this
existing database and preliminary surveys. The sampling
process is presently being conducted in collaboration with
the agricultural extension service in seven rural centres of
the Toumodi area. Each centre is composed of approximately
five villages or camps. A village-wide census is being
completed, allowing us to identify all farmers who mentioned
livestock as their principal or secondary activity, as
well as their subsidiaries relating to livestock production. The
latter were also identified along the supply chain by backtracing
from meat markets in Abidjan to producers in the
target area.
In the villages mentioned in the database, two types of field
surveys will eventually be carried out: an updating household
survey based on the existing dataset, and a specific survey
concerning the breeding and livestock rearing activities. The
former survey will allow for an longitudinal component in
the analysis of socioeconomic status, and help relate present
findings to the pre-crisis situation.
The first group modeling workshop was held in March 2005,
uniting the main actors. Subsequently, the first model of livestock
systems in Central Ivory Coast was made available. On
this basis, a finalised questionnaire is being established. The
surveys will be carried out firstly in South-Central Ivory Coast,
Toumodi, i.e. in the study zone relatively recently colonised by
livestock production. It will focus on chain supply and household
structure. The activities in the Northern traditional
cattle rearing zone will begin in May 2005.
Participants in the first workshop on modeling of the livestock system
30

Project leader
Wilhelm Gruissem
Contact persons
Peng Zhang
Hervé Vanderschuren
Collaborators
Hernan Ceballos and Martin Fregene,
CIAT, Colombia / Alfred Dixon,
IITA Nigeria / Thomas Hohn,
University of Basel /
Linda Hanley-Bowdoin, NCSU, USA
Duration
March 2003 – December 2005
ZIL Research Projects
Cassava
Improvement
Development and testing of cassava lines with
improved resistance to African Cassava Mosaic Virus
African cassava mosaic disease causes great losses in cassava
cultivation in Africa. So far, completely resistant plants
could not be produced using classical breeding. We are testing
two improved molecular strategies to achieve African
cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) resistance in cassava cultivar
TMS60444: (i) Interference with viral replication by stable
expression of antisense RNA targeting regions of the viral
genome with key roles in replication and transcription. (ii)
Development of RNA interference (RNAi)-based virus resistance
by expressing dsRNA specific to virus sequences to
silence the virus gene expression via e.g. post transcriptional
gene silencing (PTGS) and/or gene specific methylation (TGS).
The ultimate objective is to contribute to food security in
Africa by providing novel cassava lines with stable and genotype
independent ACMV resistance.
will be screened using stable transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana
and cassava plants. Our primary results showed that
ACMV replication was reduced up to 90 % in transgenic cassava
expressing the hairpin RNAs of promoter region of
ACMV. More transgenic cassava will be produced using
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to test the feasibility
of the RNAi approach.
a
b
Current research focuses on the evaluation of ACMV resistance
of transgenic plants expressing viral antisense genes by
the infection with cloned ACMV viruses, and the designation
of most effective RNAi constructs to produce transgenic cassava.
In the antisense project, we had identified several transgenic
lines showing resistance to ACMV infection after the
screening of transgenic lines by in vitro and in vivo assay systems.
Strongly reduced viral DNA was detected from the
leaves of these ACMV infected lines. Transgenic plants now
need to be further analysed and tested for resistance to
ACMV infection under the natural infection pressure in
Nigeria or Kenya. Recently we have pioneered the RNAi mediated
ACMV resistance in transgenic cassava. Several different
RNAi constructs, which are designed to target the promoter
regions and coding regions of ACMV proteins, have been constructed.
The efficacy of these RNAi constructs against ACMV
Resistance of transgenic cassava plants to African cassava mosaic virus infection
a: wildtype; b: transgenic line 3-31
31

ZIL Research Projects
Integrated Pest
Management
Project leader
Silvia Dorn
Contact persons
Guido Velten
Anja Rott
Collaborators
Cesar Cardona, CIAT, Cali, Colombia /
Béatrice Conde Petit, ILW, ETH Zurich
Duration
January 2003 – January 2006
Food chain legumes:
Combining natural resources for safe storage
and favourable food processing
This transdisciplinary project (IPW and ILW ETH Zurich, and
CIAT) aims to elucidate host-plant related favourable physical
and chemical traits, which, in concert with a parasitic wasp,
suppress post-harvest damage by the bruchid pest
Acanthoscelides obtectus, and allow for good food processing.
Using the tritrophic system of bean, the pest A. obtectus and
the parasitoid Dinarmus basalis, it is investigating which
A first instar larva of the common bean beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus
penetrates a bean. Physical properties of dry seeds are known to constrain
the ability of larvae to enter a seed due to low larval energy reserves.
bean plant resistance factors are optimal in combination
with the parasitoid to suppress bruchid damage, and how
they influence food processing. The host-plant related traits
to be studied comprise of physical traits, in particular seed
coat parameters, and the chemical traits, in particular the
storage protein arcelin. The effect of arcelin on insect development
was evaluated in bioassays, showing that the
sub-lethal effect is considerable, and that increasing levels of
arcelin do not change the direct effect on this pest species.
In 2004, dry bean genotypes in regard to physical seed traits
were analysed, with the aim of detecting favourable traits for
pest management. The mechanical properties of 22 bean
genotypes (including 4 commercially available arcelin-free
standard varieties, as well as the 7 arcelin-containing bean
genotypes) were characterised by penetration simulation.
We determined the initial moisture content of the bean
genotypes, and for ten genotypes (7 arcelin and 3 arcelin-free
genotypes) the hydration rate of blanched beans during
soaking was assessed. The initial moisture content of the
tested bean genotypes ranged from approx. 7 to 13 %. The
moisture content of genotypes with arcelin was well within
the range of those without arcelin, indicating no effect of the
turnover in protein composition on seed moisture content.
We also characterised bean genotypes with respect to their
mechanical strength. Again, the range of material characteristics
of beans with arcelin is comparable to that of beans
without arcelin.
In a next step we will quantify the physical seed traits on the
performance of both the bruchid and parasitoid. The aim is
to characterise optimal physical parameters with respect to
parasitism success and bruchid suppression. This will involve
bioassays with both the bruchid and parasitoid with different
genotypes ensuring a maximum range of physical properties.
This will provide data on the effect of seed coat parameters
on parasitoid performance. Together with the results
from the first part of the project (dose-response of arcelin
and parasitisation), the study will be the first to reveal possible
synergisms or incompatibilities between these types of
plant resistance and the use of biological control.
32

Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Research Fellow Partnership Programme for Agriculture,
Forestry and Natural Resources – Overview
By supporting development-oriented research, the Research
Fellow Partnership Programme for Agriculture, Forestry and
Natural Resources (RFPP) aims to build the human and institutional
capacity to improve the often desperate living conditions
in developing countries. Young qualified researchers
from developing countries and from Switzerland are encouraged
to conduct a doctoral or post-doctoral research project.
By embedding the project in a partnership between a Swiss
research institution and an institution of the CGIAR or a similar
international research centre, RFPP aims at institutional
capacity building and contributes to fostering and sustaining
the ties between Switzerland and the international agricultural
research community.
Four new fellowships have started in 2004. Atti Tchabi started
his PhD on the potential of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi (AMF) to improve yam growth and reduce yam
nematode infestation. The fellowship is based on a partnership
between the University of Basel and IITA . Close collaboration
between the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel and ILRI
led to the post-doctoral fellowship of David Odongo which
aims at developing a vaccine against ticks and tick-borne diseases
on cattle using a mimotope-virosome approach. The
post-doctoral fellowship of Changhu Wang is in line with ZIL’s
longstanding and rewarded tradition (see Introduction, p. 5)
in biotechnological research on cassava. The research consortium
between ETH Zurich and CIAT seeks to develop an in
vitro protocol for the production of doubled-haploids cassava
and its use in cassava breeding. Finally, the doctoral candidate
Frank Eyhorn analyses the impact of organic cotton
farming on the livelihoods of Indian smallholders.
yield potential of two yam species at the University of Cocody
(see Partnership, pp. 19–20). Through his active collaboration
a proposal for a follow-up project was developed to explore
the potential of yam to fertiliser application. This project
proposal was accepted by the RFPP Selection Committee in
December 2004.
In order to emphasise its autonomy and improve its visibility,
RFPP has re-launched its website and has received a new
domain. The RFPP website in the corporate design of ETH
Zurich is located on the internet under www.rfpp.ethz.ch.
The first external evaluation of RFPP was conducted between
December 2004 and January 2005. It concluded that the programme
was of outstanding scientific quality. However,
budget adjustments will have to be made in the next contract
phase.
Marc Zoss
One fellowship has been successfully concluded in 2004.
Lucien Diby submitted his doctoral thesis on the growth and
33

Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Research fellow
Diby N’guessan Lucien, CSRS, Ivory Coast
Supervisors
Emmanuel Frossard, IPW, ETH Zurich /
Assa Ayémou, University of Cocody,
Ivory Coast / Robert Carsky, IITA, Benin
(deceased on November 4, 2004) / Olivier
Girardin, CSRS, Ivory Coast / Tié Bi Trac, Ecole
Supérieure d’Agronomie, Ivory Coast
Collaborators
Kouamé Hgaza Kouassi Valéry, CSRS, Ivory Coast
Duration
January 2001 – December 2004
Understanding the growth and the yield formation
of two yam (Dioscorea spp.) species
Field experiments were conducted in the Centre of Ivory Coast
from 2001 to 2003 with the aim of achieving a better understanding
of the growth and the yield formation of two yam
species: D. alata and D. cayenensis-rotundata. One cultivar
from each species was used as a plant model, and grown in
two sites (savannah and forest) located on different soil types
but exposed to the same climate, and at two levels of fertiliser
Yam field experiment in the savannah (from right to left: Tié Bi Tra, Valery Kouame,
Bakayoko Sidiki, L. Diby, Bernard Comoe)
(with and without). Higher total leaves number and Leaf Area
Index (LAI) were obtained for D. alata compared to D. cayenensis-rotundata,
showing probable genetic differences between
species. These parameters were also higher in the forest site
which might be attributed to the better soil fertility of this site
(e.g. higher pH, higher clay and organic matter). The leaves of
D. alata covered the ground rapidly and during a long period,
resulting in a higher amount of photosynthetically active radiation
(PAR) intercepted by the canopy of this species compared
to D. cayenensis-rotundata. The higher values of LAI and life
span, and the higher amount of PAR intercepted by D. alata
resulted in higher dry matter (DM) production and accumulation
in all organs of this species in both sites, confirming the
genetic difference between the species. Fertiliser application
increased significantly the total DM production and the fresh
tuber yield only for D. alata in the savannah site in 2002 at harvest
time. During early growth, 80–90 % of the total dry matter
was partitioned into the aboveground organs, thereafter
the tubers became the most important sink for dry matter.
Both species grown in the forest site took up significantly
more nutrients than in the savannah site. Significant differences
were also observed between species, with higher nutrient
uptake by D. alata. At the whole plant level, uptake of N
and K increased rapidly with plant age. Uptake of Ca increased
until it reached a plateau from 103 to 163 days after planting
(DAP) and decreased during the rest of the growth cycle.
Uptake of Mg and P was low and almost constant during the
entire growth period. Growth and yield formation in yams varied
greatly depending on both internal (genetic) and external
(environmental) factors. Most results from this study are the
first to quantify the cross effect of these factors on the growth
and yield formation in yams. They highlight growth parameters
that might help the breeders in the selection of high yielding
varieties. Further investigations are to be conducted to
better understand the partitioning of the dry matter between
the aboveground and the underground organs, as well as the
nutrient uptake by the crop.
34

Research fellow
Kaspar Schmidt
Supervisors
John Northridge, IRDD, University of Reading,
United Kingdom / Jean-Pierre Sorg, ETH Zurich,
Switzerland / Bronislav I. Venglovsky,
Forest Research Institute, Kyrgyzstan
Collaborators
Carol J. Colfer and Ravi Prabhu, CIFOR,
Indonesia and Zimbabwe / Jean-Marie Samyn,
Intercooperation, Switzerland / Nurlan R.
Akenshaev, Gulnaz T. Jalilova and Nurbek N.
Mamatov, Forest Research Institute, Kyrgyzstan
Duration
May 2001 – December 2005
Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Knowledge and strategies of local people
involved in forest management in the
walnut-fruit forests in Kyrgyzstan
This interdisciplinary project aims at contributing to sustainable
forest management involving local people in the walnut-fruit
forests in Southern Kyrgyzstan. The research fellow
and two Kyrgyz postgraduate students conduct research on
(i) local knowledge and forest use practices, (ii) the role of
forest resources in local livelihood systems and (iii) the linkage
between biodiversity and forest management.
The results clearly demonstrate the varying importance of
forest products in local livelihood systems and underline the
significance of forested areas for subsistence agriculture. The
walnut-fruit forests provide a wide range of non-timber forest
products (NTFPs) and agricultural products. A small, but
increasing number of NTFPs, such as walnut or wild apples, is
marketed thus generating cash income for local people. The
revenues from forest products vary however considerably
from year to year, as the yields of some NTFPs fluctuate
strongly. Poor households depend significantly more on forest
resources than wealthier households, who have more
diversified livelihood systems. Securing access to forest
resources to poorer households seems therefore an important
precondition for poverty reduction in the walnut-fruit
forest area.
Findings concerning local knowledge show that some older
people have considerable forestry knowledge. The younger
generation often lacks this expertise. This emphasises the
importance of the advisory role of the forest service in the
future. The conclusions of the project are fed back to local
project partners working on the management of these
remarkable forest ecosystems.
Number of points (Y out of 20) allocated to
available sources of revenue
20
15
10
5
0
2002 2003
Livestock rearing
Tillage, horticulture, beekeeping
Forest products
Off-farm revenues
Social benefits
Results of participatory scoring exercises of the importance of different sources
of revenue for local households for the calendar years 2002 and 2003
2002: good walnut harvest, N = 94 households
2003: hardly any walnut, N = 63 households
35

Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Research fellow
Gabriela Chacón, CIP, Quito, Ecuador
Supervisors
Cesare Gessler, IPW, ETH Zurich /
Gregory Forbes, CIP, Lima, Peru
Collaborator
Meridith Bonierbale, CIP, Lima, Peru
Duration
August 2001 – August 2004
Variability in Phytophthora infestans and its
potential role in breeding for resistance in potato
Looking for Phytophthora infestans lesions on the tree species Solanum hispidum
Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of late blight, is the
most important pathogen of potato and tomato worldwide.
In the tropical highlands of Ecuador, the pathogen attacks
several host species in the Solanaceae, including wild potatoes.
Some hosts can be attacked by different pathogen lineages
or groups, but generally only one of these groups is
highly aggressive on each host species. Since wild potatoes
have been used as sources of resistance to late blight, it is
important to establish if wild and cultivated potatoes are
attacked by the same pathogen group. The main objective of
this project was to establish if wild potatoes and other
solanaceous hosts are attacked by specific populations of P.
infestans and, if any host-specificity exists, determine the
heritability of this trait. To address these questions P. infestans
isolates were collected in Ecuador and characterised
with a set of phenotypic and genotypic markers, as well with
pathogenicity and aggressiveness tests; crosses between
wild and cultivated potatoes were also made.
The results obtained demonstrate that the host-pathogen
relationship in Ecuador is complex and that a high level of
host specificity exists, although both cultivated and wild
potatoes are probably attacked by the same pathogen group.
In the last year we increased the list of naturally infected
hosts to 19 solanaceous species. The most recent identified
host is a tree, Solanum hispidum, which harbors a new undescribed
pathogen group with the A2 mating type. The
molecular characterisation of isolates on certain hosts, as
S. ochranthum and S. quitoense, revealed the existence of
several pathogen groups attacking a single host. The characterisation
also suggests that certain pathogen groups attacking
some hosts are atypical and may eventually be described
as one or more new species of Phytophthora. The highlands
of Ecuador represent a centre of diversity for the genus
Phytophthora and the Solanaceae, an ideal combination for
late blight research.
36

Research fellow
Thomas Bernet, CIP, Lima, Peru
Supervisors
André Devaux and Oscar Ortiz,
CIP, Lima, Peru
Collaborators
Albéric Hibon, ASO-SDC, Lima, Peru /
Graham Thiele, CIP-Papa Andina,
Cochabamba, Bolivia / Thomas Zschocke,
CIP-Training, Lima, Peru /
Ueli Scheuermeier, LBL, Lindau, Switzerland /
Bernhard Lehmann, IAW, ETH Zurich
Duration
August 2001 – May 2005 (extended)
Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Understanding and fomenting effective regional research
and development processes in rural areas of the Andes
This RFPP project has developed and tested the “Participatory
Market Chain Approach” (PMCA), a new participatory
research and development (R&D) method to generate
demand-oriented market chain innovations by involving
actors from the supply chain and support institutions:
producers, wholesalers, processors, retailers, government
agents, NGO staff, and researchers. PMCA is structured into
three methodological phases, to accordingly (i) identify, (ii)
analyse, and (iii) implement joint marketing opportunities on
the bases of trust that is built along this participatory
process.
The two pilot applications of PMCA in Peru, within the SDCfinanced
“INCOPA” potato project, reveal the method’s effectiveness
in generating different kinds of innovations – commercial,
technological, and institutional – depending on the
context and the shared interests among involved stakeholders.
In its first application, PMCA engendered the following
innovations: “Papy Bum” (yellow potato chips), “Mi Papa”
(standardised wholesale bag), “Papa al día” (daily price information
bulletin), a flexible potato grader, and CAPAC PERU as
a new market chain association (www.capacperu.org). In a
second application, PMCA’s outcome involved: “Puré Andino”
(instant mashed potato made out of yellow potatoes),
“T’ikapapa” (a 1.5 kg supermarket bag for selling different
native potato varieties), “Tunta andina” (a marketing concept
for “chuño blanco”, freeze-dried Andean potatoes), and recipe
booklets for all these products elaborated by distinguished
chefs (see cover photo). After one year of collaborative work,
these innovations were launched to the public at a big final
event, where market chain actors themselves presented their
products, who are now responsible to introduce these successfully
into the market.
These promising results in Peru have caused interest to use
PMCA in other contexts. Thanks to the Papa Andina project,
another CIP project supported by SDC, PMCA is already successfully
used in Bolivia and training workshops are currently
taking place to start using PMCA in Uganda in 2005.
Peruvian farmers harvesting native Andean potatoes
37

Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Research fellow
Christine Zundel, SHL, Zollikofen,
Switzerland
Supervisor
Peter Nagel, NLU, University of Basel,
Switzerland
Collaborators
Rachid Hanna, IITA Cotonou, Benin /
Urs Scheidegger, SHL, Zollikofen,
Switzerland
Duration
March 2002 – February 2005
Participatory development of cassava green mite
biocontrol in the highlands of Cameroon
Cassava is a main staple in many parts of Africa. In the
processed form of “gari”, it constitutes an essential income
source for the rural women in certain areas. This holds
certainly true for the target area of this project, the North-
West Province (NWP) in Cameroon. There, one of the most
important biotic constraints to cassava cropping is the cassava
green mite Mononychellus tanajoa. The objective of the
project is to develop respective biocontrol strategies acceptable
to farmers.
Our main approach is based on an exotic predatory mite, the
phytoseiid Typhlodromalus aripo. It was released in the NWP
in 1997, but it has never established as well as in other parts
of Cameroon. The cool mid-altitude climate is likely to be one
of the causes. In field releases, we tested a new strain of
T. aripo, which may be better adapted, and studied its ecological
requirements in various environments.
We found that the predators were able to persist for one
year or longer, despite of a population cycle asynchronous
to its prey. However, long-term establishment requires the
predators to spread to other fields, which only occurred
in areas below 1000 m asl. Another critical period was the
dry season, when T. aripo populations dropped to very low
levels. The dry season effects could be moderated if the
predators were released in humid and fertile habitats, and
on cassava varieties with hairy apices. In the higher altitudes,
though, they were not able to recolonise the typical “cassava
hills” (dry hillsides and tops with low soil fertility, where
cassava is extensively grown), which are more prone to
pest problems.
Our results indicate that T. aripo is a powerful and selfcontaining
control agent of cassava green mite in the lower
altitudes, and in specific sites of the mid-altitudes, given that
the cassava varieties are suitable. For the less favourable
areas, resistant cassava varieties may be the better option.
Farmers identifying cassava varieties
Considering the important role varieties are playing in direct
and indirect green mite control, we are now working on a
strategy to make new genetic material available to farmers
that builds on their skills, possibilities and indigenous ways
to test new varieties.
38

Research fellow
Nicolas Roost, IWMI, Sri Lanka
Supervisor
David Molden, IWMI, Sri Lanka
Collaborators
André Musy, EPFL, Switzerland /
Yuanlai Cui and Bin Dong,
Wuhan University, China
Duration
November 2002 – June 2005
Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Water savings and improved productivity in water-scarce
basins: A DSS for improved irrigation management
Increasing water scarcity calls for a better understanding of
the water balance within irrigated agriculture – by far the
largest user of water worldwide. This project focuses on
large-scale irrigation systems in China and Sri Lanka. Using
innovative modelling tools, it aims at developing new
insights into ways to save water and increase the productivity
of water (achieving “more crop per drop”) in agriculture.
At the end of 2004, the research has entered a finalisation
stage, with a simulation model and supporting datasets
ready for exploring scenarios at both locations. The scenario
analysis work will concentrate efforts during the last few
months of the project. Results will be discussed with irrigation
managers and a set of generic recommendations for irrigated
agriculture will be drawn.
A novel simulation model has been developed during this
project. This model, OASIS, is designed to help water managers
to make a more efficient and productive use of water in
irrigation. OASIS is based on water balance and includes a
strong management component. It is primarily innovative
because it: (i) captures irrigation return flows; (ii) integrates
recycling of water; and (iii) also factors in the influence of
non-irrigated areas such as natural vegetation and fallow
lands. These aspects are critical but not adequately
addressed in water management decisions. With its features,
OASIS provides a flexible platform for testing a broad range
of strategic options in a variety of irrigation systems.
In the Zhanghe Irrigation System (southern China), where
cities and industries place increasing pressure on agricultural
supplies, the modelling exercise explores ways to cope by
looking into the impacts of farm storage (ponds) and rice
water-saving irrigation practices. In Uda Walawe (southern
Sri Lanka), emphasis is on the analysis of water reallocation
options to help mitigate the effects of scarcity following the
implementation of a large extension project.
Empty farm pond, Zhanghe Irrigation System, China
39

Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Research fellows
Joachim Sell
Thomas Köllner
Supervisor
Roland Scholz, ETH Zurich
Collaborators
Lucio Pedroni, CATIE, Turrialba,
Costa Rica / Markku Kanninen, CIFOR,
Bogor Barat, Indonesia /
Carmenza Robledo, EMPA,
Dübendorf, Switzerland
Duration
January 2003 – January 2006
Demand and supply for ecosystem services
from tropical forestry
Tropical forests provide valuable ecosystem services (ES) such
as biodiversity or carbon sequestration. Private investments
for ecosystem services from tropical forestry are innovative
and corresponding markets are just beginning to develop.
The requirements and preferences of market actors and involved
stakeholders are therefore not well known. In addition,
there are deficiencies in the integrated assessment of
Workshop “Demand and Supply for Ecosystem Services from Tropical Forestry
Projects” at CATIE 2003. Participants from Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Nicaragua,
Japan and USA
project management, marketing as well as sustainability
performance (composed of economic, social, and environmental
performance) of forestry projects that provide ecosystem
services.
Our objectives are (i) to determine and compare decision criteria
and preferences of market actors from the supply side,
demand side and the perspective of local people, (ii) to develop
a multi-criteria based method that allows an integrated
assessment of projects, and (iii) to propose measures that
foster market activities and balance the needs of actors of
the supply and demand side while assuring quality control.
Within two subsequent questionnaire surveys realised in
2003 and 2004 we first collected decision criteria important
for the involvement of European and Latin American market
actors in tropical forestry projects that provide ecosystem
services. Social and environmental criteria appear to be most
important for the involvement of European market actors.
Latin American market actors put emphasis on markets
(development and access) and information management.
The criteria collected in this first survey helped to define a set
of twelve criteria that are highly relevant for the market
actors’ decisionmaking in this field. The second survey
revealed that criteria associated with sustainability aspects
only are important when weighted directly. When participants
chose between two hypothetical projects, market and
profitability aspects seemed much more important than sustainability
aspects. The next steps will include a survey on
requirements of local people in Colombia and Indonesia, the
operationalisation of the criteria and the modelling of biodiversity
and carbon in selected forestry projects.
40

Research fellow
Frank Muttenzer
Supervisor
Marc Hufty, IUED,
Geneva, Switzerland
Collaborator
Bruno Ramamonjisoa,
University of Antananarivo,
Madagascar
Duration
March 2003 – March 2006
Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Fiscal incentives for community forestry:
Procedural legitimacy in co-management
of forests by multiple stakeholders
Community forestry has become a key policy principle of biodiversity
conservation in Madagascar. However, it continues
to be practiced much like in the 1980s to justify local aid projects.
Although a contractual forest management law was
enacted in 1996, no management plan has been negotiated
without project intervention and funding. The reason is that
transaction costs of resource access through customary institutions
are lower than those of contractual forest management.
When villagers express an interest in such contracts,
they do so to secure access to forest lands and resources, not
to establish clear boundaries or to reduce consumption of
common pool resources.
Customary law can be analysed in terms of two of its basic
functions: institutionalisation and legitimation. Starting
from that definition, I studied the cases of (i) agrarian colonisation
of forested lands, (ii) rural charcoal markets and (iii)
palm fibre extraction to understand how the property relations
of production in the rural economy were established by
social practice. For each of the three cases, I researched how
people secure, contest and justify those property relations
with reference to commonly held social representations concerning
productive activities, kin relations and a transethnic
citizenship.
repositioning of actors’ strategies and thus to a reinterpretation
of integrated conservation policy as currently understood
in Madagascar.
To reduce transaction costs of community forestry, the administration
is required to share taxes with village user associations,
such as to create local incentives to implement contractual
management plans. But this measure does not affect the
economy of illegal transactions and authorisations since powers
to attribute, tax and control the productive uses of forest
resources remain in the hands of the central government.
Charcoal production and agrarian colonsation: forest-related ongoing concerns
One of the conclusions of the study is that contractual community-based
resource management is ineffective because
its objectives and procedures are incompatible with social
representations of labour, ancestrality and transethnic identity.
Another conclusion is, however, that this failure to effectively
implement state law is no impediment to its political
legitimacy, given that contractual “recognition” leads to a
41

Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Research fellow
Mathew Musumbale Abang,
ICARDA, Syria
Supervisors
Bruce McDonald and Celeste Linde,
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Collaborators
Amor Yahyaoui, Salvatore Ceccarelli,
Stephania Grando and Michael Baum,
ICARDA, Syria
Duration
March 2003 – February 2006
Improving resistance to barley scald through
understanding the processes that govern the evolution
of Rhynchosporium secalis populations
This ETH/ICARDA collaborative research project is utilising an
innovative replicated mark-release-recapture field experiment
to obtain fundamental knowledge of the population biology
of R.secalis as a basis for understanding the pathogen’s evolutionary
potential and for advising breeders on the choice of an
appropriate resistance breeding strategy. This type of advice is
likely to be an especially useful priority-setting tool for making
the most efficient use of limited resources in the barley-breeding
programme at ICARDA, which has the global mandate for
barley improvement within the CGIAR.
“Marked” R. secalis isolates (with rare alleles at different
microsatellite loci) that were used as inoculants in field
experiments predominated in the pathogen populations
from inoculated plots, indicating the significant role of asexual
reproduction in the epidemics. In the population from the
uninoculated plots, all individuals had unique genotypes. No
inoculated isolates were found, a clear indication that isolates
in the control plots originated from outside of the
experimental plots. An immigrant population is strong evidence
that a sexual stage exists, and is most likely producing
ascospores with the potential for wind dispersal and subsequent
long distance movement. Inoculants with complementary
mating types have been identified as putative parents
of the novel strains assigned to the category “recombinant”,
indicating that the novel isolates are likely to have
resulted from sexual recombination between these inoculated
strains. If further tests confirm the novel strains to be
recombinants between the inoculated isolates, this will be
the first ever unequivocal evidence that recombination
occurs during the growing season. A sexual stage makes possible
immigration of new genotypes into barley fields during
the growing season. It also means that virulent mutants
have the potential for rapid dissemination across entire
regions. Significant differences were observed in genotype
frequencies of the eight inoculated isolates on the different
barley hosts (P < 0.05). Selection was further evidenced by the
linear changes in genotype frequency of particular isolates on
barley cultivars such as WI2291 over the growing season. The
ranking of the inoculated R. secalis isolates based on their fitness/selection
coefficients changed dramatically depending
on the barley host on which these coefficients were estimated,
which provided good evidence of host adaptation of
particular pathogen strains during the growing season.
The combination of selection driven by host, sexual and asexual
reproduction provides a chance for pathogen populations
to adapt rapidly to fluctuating environments. The finding
that sexual recombinants of R. secalis emerge during the
growing season, if confirmed, would have significant implications
for scald resistance breeding worldwide. In particular,
barley breeders would have to rethink their strategy for identifying
and deploying scald resistance genes, and consider
focusing on quantitative resistance, as well as by increasing
diversity in host populations. Further tests to confirm recombinants,
and analysis of data from the current growing season,
will throw more light on our findings.
Field experiment with a checkerboard pattern in randomised
complete block design showing each individual barley plot
separated by aisles and neighbouring wheat (non-host) plots
42

Research fellow
Ralph Knüsel
Supervisors
Helmut Segner and Thomas Wahli, FIWI,
University of Berne, Switzerland /
Louw Hoffmann and Danie Brink,
University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
Collaborators
Anna Mouton, Stanford, South Africa /
Hafizah Chenia, University of Stellenbosch,
South Africa / Daniel Jamu, National
Aquaculture Centre, Zomba, Malawi
Duration
April 2003 – March 2005
Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Development and implementation of an aquaculture
health management plan in support of the small-scale fish
farming programme in rural communities of South Africa
The project promotes joint research and practical measures
to overcome an important bottleneck in current aquaculture
production in Southern Africa, i.e. fish losses due to diseases.
Health status plays a major role in growth performance, survival
rate and therefore overall production of fish in aquaculture.
Infectious diseases are a particular threat because of
the high stocking density of susceptible individuals.
Objectives of the project include:
International collaboration was intensified by a two-week
visit of a researcher from the German Reference Laboratory
of Fish Diseases in February 2005. During this visit the first
series of molecular diagnostic tests for fish diseases in South
Africa was established. Reliable testing methods are obviously
a very important step to improve fish health management.
Several meetings with researchers from different institutions
involved in fish diseases were held in order to stimulate
future collaboration.
• Hands-on training of local researchers, technicians and
students in fish disease diagnostics.
• Training fish farmers in recognition, prevention and therapy
of the most common and economically important
local fish diseases and develop a fish health management
plan.
• Publishing results in scientific and popular papers as well
as giving presentations at meetings.
• Improving collaboration of key players in aquaculture
(local, regional and international).
The second and final year of the project focused on the most
prevalent and economically important diseases in freshwater
aquaculture based on the results of the first year of the
project.
Workshop participants with administrative authorities
and key actors of the small-scale fish farming project in Malawi
In order to overcome the obvious lack of information on
prevalent fish diseases, a lot of effort was put in rendering
the results gained during this project available to all interested
parties. Presentations were held at several meetings and
scientific and popular publications were produced or are in
preparation respectively, often in collaboration with local and
regional colleagues.
43

Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Research fellow
Frank Eyhorn,
FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Supervisors
Urs Wiesmann,
University of Berne, Switzerland /
Ruedi Baumgartner,
NADEL, ETH Zurich
Collaborators
Mahesh Ramakrishnan, Maikaal bioRe,
Madhya Pradesh, India /
Tushaar Shah, IWMI, Anand, India
Duration
December 2003 – December 2006
The impact of organic cotton cultivation on
the livelihood of Indian smallholders
The aim of this PhD project is to provide relevant results and
insights from an analysis of the Maikaal bioRe organic cotton
project in Central India. This shall help to better utilise the
organic production system for the livelihood improvement of
smallholder cotton farmers in India and elsewhere. The specific
project objectives are:
• To provide a frame for a livelihood-oriented design and
analysis of organic cotton production projects;
• To generate profound data and knowledge on the agronomic
performance and the socio-economic impact of
organic cotton cultivation on different socio-economic
groups of farmers in the project region, compared to the
prevailing conventional production system;
• To develop a strategy for the dissemination of organic cotton
production to Indian smallholders, indicating under
which conditions organic farming is a viable option.
The question whether organic cotton production is a viable
option for the improvement of certain farmers’ livelihooods
does not only depend on farm economy, but requires a comprehensive
consideration of the various aspects and functions
within a farm household. To capture this complexity,
the project team elaborated and field tested a new livelihood
framework based on approaches developed by the Postgraduate
Studies on Developing Countries (NADEL) and the
Department for International Development (DFID, UK). With
support of the Indian research team, elaborate agronomic
data of 120 farms have been collected for the cropping period
2003/04. Interview-based field research involving a master
thesis of a social anthropology student provided important
insight in farmers’ motivations and obstacles for the
conversion to organic cotton. Data collection for the second
cropping period and the remaining field research will be
completed by mid-2005, and publication of first results can
be expected by end of 2005.
The PhD thesis is linked to a research project mandated by
the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Switzerland):
http://www.fibl.org/english/cooperation/projects/maikaal.php
The Maikaal research team processing data from the field
44

Research fellow
Atti Tchabi
Supervisors
Andres Wiemken and Fritz Oehl,
University of Basel, Switzerland /
Danny Coyne, IITA, Nigeria
Collaborators
Fabien Hountondji,
IITA, Cotonou, Benin /
Paul Mäder, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland /
Robert Asiedu, IITA, Nigeria
Duration
September 2004 – August 2007
Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)
from the “yam belt” for improved yam growth and
reduced yam nematodes infestation in West Africa
Beneficial plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere play
a crucial role for plant health and soil fertility. The arbuscular
mycorrhiza (AM) is the most widely occurring and important
microbial symbiosis for agricultural crops. It is well known to
facilitate plant mineral nutrient uptake, particularly under
conditions of P-limitation – as usual in tropical soils due to
leaching or/and severe immobilisation – and, moreover, it is
believed to improve plant water relations and resistance
against pathogens. Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is the most important
tuber crop in terms of area of coverage in West Africa,
particularly in Benin and Togo. Alarmingly, over the last years,
the annual yam production per hectare has been decreasing
considerably due to a loss of soil fertility and nematode
damage.
The present project aims to study indigenous AM fungi with
respect to yam growth promotion and yam nematode damage.
The specific goal of the first phase of the present project
was to isolate AM fungi from soils of various agro-ecosystems
of the West African yam belt, in Togo and Benin.
From September to October 2004, 144 soil samples were
taken. The sampling sites included natural forests (48), yam
fields (48), fallow land (12), as well as fields with peanuts
(12), peanut-maize mixed crops (12), and cotton (12). At 20
additional sites, 80 further soil samples were taken including
fields with sorghum (8), peanuts (4), cacao (8), coffee (4), cassava
(4), maize (4), cassava-maize mixed crops (4), yam (28),
and natural forests (16). Currently, AM fungal trap cultures
are in progress at the Botanical Institute Basel (BIB) using a
grass-legume co-culture (Stylosanthes guianensis and
Bracharia humidicola) and yam tissue-culture plants as AM
fungal hosts for producing new AM fungal spores. These will
be used for both AM fungal identification and isolation.
At the first sampling date, two months after the establishment
of the trap cultures, neither root AM colonization nor
new spores were observed. It is possible that the time of
sampling was too early – normally, new spores are formed
only after about four months of trap culturing. We are confident
that AM fungi will be observed at the next sampling
date, which will enable us to isolate strains for the founding
of a West African AM fungal gene bank and for initiating
functional studies of AM fungi at IITA-Benin.
Trap culture experiment for AMF isolation and identification using a mixture
of Stylosanthes guianensis and Bracharia humidicola as host plants
45

Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Research fellow
David Odongo,
ILRI, Kenya
Supervisors
Claudia Daubenberger,
STI, Switzerland /
Richard Bishop, ILRI, Kenya
Collaborators
Gerd Pluschke, STI, Switzerland /
Rinaldo E. Zurbriggen,
Pevion Biotech, Switzerland /
Evans Taracha, ILRI, Kenya
Duration
September 2004 – August 2006
Development of a second generation anti-tick vaccine
using a mimotope-virosome approach
Tick and tick-borne diseases are a major constraint to livestock
production within the smallholder sector in developing
countries. The development of anti-tick vaccines represents a
promising alternative to chemical control and has a number
of advantages including environmental safety and lack of
human health risks. Currently the only marketed commercial
vaccine against ticks is TickGARD PLUS , protecting cattle against
infestation with Boophilus microplus and B. decoloratus which
are major ecto-parasites of cattle causing important economic
losses due to the diseases they transmit and high costs
necessary for their control. The vaccine is based on a hidden
tick-gut antigen, and requires multiple boosting in order to
achieve sufficiently high antibody titres in cattle to control
tick populations, and might therefore benefit from a mimotope
approach by more rapid induction of higher quality antibodies
targeted on protective epitopes, thus allowing a
reduced number of vaccine inoculations required per animal.
This project is pursuing a novel approach to synthetic vaccine
design, optimisation and delivery by using a mimotopevirosome
strategy. The aim is to improve the already existing
anti-tick vaccine in terms of its efficiency, handling, user
friendliness and pricing for farmers. We have used PepScan
methodology to assay binding of anti-sera from animals
immunised with TickGARD PLUS and identify immuno-dominant
epitopes that generate strong antibody responses compared
with epitopes that are recognised by pre-immunisation
sera and sera from unprotected animals. This approach has
led us to identify and select four distinct epitopes reacting
with anti-sera from protected animals only. Based on these
epitopes, synthetic mimotopes are being generated, and will
initially be assessed on their capacity to induce tick gut-cell
binding antibodies in mice. The capacity of selected mimotopes
in conjunction with influenza virosomes as an antigen
delivery system, to induce protective antibody responses in
cattle will then be assessed on small-scale tick challenge
experiments. The experience gained during this project will
pave the way to apply this technology platform for vaccine
development to a range of livestock diseases.
O. D 405 nm
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
7
10
13
16
19
22
25
28
31
34
37
40
43
46
49
52
55
58
61
64
67
70
73
76
Pre-immunised
Immunised
Linear B-cell epitope mapping determined
by PepScan analysis
The average PepScan results of data from
anti-sera of five cattle prior to immunisation
and immune sera from the same animals after
immunisation with TickGARD PLUS vaccine
0.10
0.00
1
79
4
Peptide Number
46

Research fellow
Changhu Wang, CIAT, Colombia
Supervisor
Zaida Lentini, CIAT, Colombia /
Peng Zhang, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Collaborators
Hernán Ceballos, CIAT, Colombia /
Jan Custer, University of Wageningen,
The Netherlands
Duration
October 2004 – October 2007
Research Fellow Partnership Programme (RFPP)
Development of an in vitro protocol for the production
of cassava doubled-haploids and its use in breeding
Cassava is an important crop for subsistence farming in the
tropical and subtropical regions. The globalisation of world
economy offers cassava new opportunities for becoming an
even more important source of raw materials for different
industrial uses. Productivity must increase steadily and reliably
on an efficient breeding approach.
Cassava breeding is cumbersome and inefficient compared
to other crops. Inbreeding cassava would facilitate the generation
of diversified improved breeding lines, the implementation
of marker assisted selection and the identification of
useful commercial mutants. But developing inbred lines
through self-pollinations would require in cassava about
9–12 years. Rapid and complete homozygous plants can be
reached by using in vitro haploid technology.
The aim of this project is to develop a protocol for the generation
of doubled haploids from cultured anthers or
microspores of elite varieties. The outputs of this RFFP project
includes: (i) a protocol for the production of doubledhaploids
of cassava
via androgenesis using
Young male flower buds at the tip of a model genotype; (ii)
the inflorescence, optimal stage for
a protocol adapted to a
microspore culture
broader number of diversified
genotypes (including
S n lines from a
recurrent selection population
with increased
tolerance to inbreeding);
(iii) capacity building
of a young scientist
from a non-OECD country in new methodologies of cassava
biotechnology by CIAT-ETH collaboration; and (iv) strengthened
North-South collaboration through technology transfer
of new knowledge applied to breeding of a major neglected
commodity in less developed countries. This work will be conducted
in collaboration with another project funded by the
Rockefeller Foundation, New York, aimed at setting up a
Mature male flowers at optimal stage for pollination
genetic recombination scheme in cassava to develop breeding
populations with increased tolerance to inbreeding
depression. These partially inbred-populations jointly with
the doubled haploids would serve as a baseline for introducing
a novel and more efficient breeding in cassava.
47

Other International Projects of ZIL Members
Projects at the ETH Zurich related to agriculture,
food and nutrition, and forestry in developing countries
Agricultural Economics (IAW)
Auswirkung von boden- und wassererhaltenden Massnahmen
auf die landwirtschaftliche Produktivität und das Einkommen
im Reisanbau in Nord-Ghana
Project leader: Awudu Abdulai
Project partner: University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
Supervisor: Awudu Abdulai
Collaborator: Liane Faltermeier
Funding source: University of Kiel, Germany
Politikreformen und Produktivitätsentwicklung
in Chinas Landwirtschaft
Project leader: Awudu Abdulai
Supervisors: Awudu Abdulai / Thomas Glauben
Collaborator: Xiaobing Wang
Funding source: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Animal Sciences (INW)
Impact of natural and human-induced disasters on livestock production,
including Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) and HIV/AIDS
Project leader: Michael R. Goe
Project partner: FAO, Rome, Italy
Supervisor: Gerald Stranzinger
Funding sources: Velux Foundation / ETH Zurich
Disaster risk management and livestock in urban planning
Project leader: Michael R. Goe
Project partner: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), Cambridge, MA
Supervisor: Gerald Stranzinger
Funding sources: Velux Foundation / ETH Zurich
Development and use of rumen molecular techniques for
predicting and enhancing livestock productivity
Project leaders: Michael Kreuzer, Hans-Dieter Hess, Carla
R. Soliva (Research Agreement Holders)
Project partners: Nadide Hulya Ozdemir, Turkey / Keith Joblin,
New Zealand / Roderick Mackie, USA /
Makoto Mitsumori, Japan / Devki Nandan
Kamra, India / Charles J. Newbold, UK /
Jian-Xin Liu, China / Adibe L. Abdalla, Brazil /
Denia C. Delgado Fernandez, Cuba / Rolando
Barahona Rosales, Colombia / A.B. Zeleke,
Ethiopia / Rui-Jun Long, China /
C. Wachirapakorn, Thailand
Supervisor: Michael Kreuzer
Collaborator: Harinder M.P. Makkar, IAEA
Funding source: International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), Vienna
Project type: Coordinated Research Project of IAEA
Characterisation of the value and utilisation of forage plants
on tropical wood pastures: The case of the Bolivian Chaco
and Subandino
Project leader: A.C. Mayer
Project partners: Eidgenössisches Institut für Schnee und
Lawinenforschung (SLF) /
Universidad Católica de Bolivia /
Herbario Nacional de Bolivia
Supervisor: Michael Kreuzer
Collaborators: S. Marquardt / H. Alzérreca / S. Beck /
C. Vacaflores / M. Mendoza
Funding source: Velux Foundation
Project type: Doctoral dissertation
Investigation of the anti-methanogenic potential of foliage
from African multipurpose trees used as supplements
to improve livestock productivity
Project leader: Carla R. Soliva
Project partners: National Veterinary Institute of Ethiopia /
International Livestock Research Institute,
Ethiopia
Supervisor: Michael Kreuzer
Collaborator: A.B. Zeleke
Funding sources: NIDECO / International Atomic Energy
Agency, Vienna
Project type: Doctoral dissertation
Condensed tannins as part of an integrated concept to control
gastrointestinal parasites in ruminants in organic farming:
effects on palatability and nutrient utilisation
Project leader: F. Dohme
Project partners: Swiss Federal Research Station for Animal
Production and Dairy Products (ALP) / Swiss
Federal Research Station for Agroecology
and Agriculture (FAL) / Research Institute of
Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
Supervisor: Michael Kreuzer
Collaborators: A. Scharenberg / A. Gutzwiller / U. Wyss
Funding sources: Public institutions
Project type: Doctoral dissertation
Efficacy of secondary constituents of tropical plants to
manipulate rumen fermentation and metabolism in ruminants
Project leader: Hans-Rudolf Wettstein
Supervisor: Michael Kreuzer
Collaborator: B.J. Sliwinski
Funding source: Own resources of the professorship
Project type: Doctoral dissertation
48

Other International Projects of ZIL Members
Einfluss dreier unterschiedlicher Konzentrationen von
chinesischem Rhabarber im Futter auf die Nährstoff- und
Energieverwertung wachsender Schweine
Project leader: Regine Straub
Project partner: Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich
Supervisors: Caspar Wenk / Markus Wanner
Project type: Doctoral dissertation
Food Science and Human Nutrition (ILW)
The usefulness of ferrous fumarate and ferric pyrophosphate
as food fortificants for infants and young children in
developing countries
Project leader: Lena Davidsson
Project partners: Shafiqual Alam Sarker / Kazi Mohammad
Asif Jamil, International Centre for
Diarrhoeal Disease Research (ICDDR, B)
Dhaka, Bangladesh / James D. Cook,
Division of Hematology, Kansas University
Medical Center, Kansas City, USA /
Niklaus Gyr, Department of Internal Medicine,
University of Basel, Switzerland
Supervisor: Richard F. Hurrell
Funding sources: Nestlé Foundation, Lausanne /
Nutrition Third World, Brussels
Iron bioavailability from a traditional Pakistani
complementary food: The effect of added ascorbic acid
Project leader: Lena Davidsson
Project partners: Zulfiqar Bhutta / Aziz Jiwani, Department
of Pediatrics, The Aga Khan University,
Karachi, Pakistan
Supervisor: Richard F. Hurrell
Collaborator: Christophe Zeder
Funding source: IAEA, Vienna
Iron fortification of rice
Project leader: Diego Morreti
Project partner: T.C. Lee, Rutgers University
Supervisors: Richard F. Hurrell /
Michael B. Zimmermann
Collaborator: St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, India
Funding sources: Miscellaneous
Project type: Doctoral dissertation
Dual fortification of salt with iron and iodine in Ivory Coast
Project leader: Rita Wegmueller
Project partner: Pierre Adou, Health Ministry, Ivory Coast
Supervisors: Richard F. Hurrell /
Michael B. Zimmermann
Funding source: ETH Zurich
Project type: Doctoral dissertation
Plant Sciences (IPW)
Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal diversity on
plant growth and phosphorus (P) uptake in crop plants
Project leader: Mathimaran Natarajan
Project partner: ICRAF
Supervisors: Emmanuel Frossard / Jan Jansa
Collaborator: ICRAF
Funding source: ETH Zurich
Project type: Doctoral dissertation
Practical modelling of pollutant uptake on agricultural land
Project leaders: Tiziana Centofanti / Nadelzhda
Goncharova / Uladzimir Ivaniukovich
Project partner: International Sakharov Environmental
University, Minsk, Belarus
Supervisors: Emmanuel Frossard / Hannes Flühler
Collaborator: Intern. Sakharov Environmental University
Funding sources: SCOPES / Swiss National Science
Foundation
Processes controlling the P acquisition efficiency and
the P use efficiency of plants growing in low-P soil
Project leader: Alain Gaume
Supervisor: Emmanuel Frossard
Funding source: Group of plant nutrition
Project type: Research programme
Environmental Sciences (D-UWIS)
ORECH-LES: Biodiversity and sustainable management
of Kyrgyzstan’s walnut-fruit forests. Development of new
silvicultural approaches
Project leaders: Jean-Pierre Sorg /
Bronislav Ivanovitch Venglovsky
Project partners: Chair of Silviculture, ETH Zurich /
Forest Research Institute Bishkek /
Academy of Agriculture, Bishkek /
KIRFOR Kyrgyrstan / Intercooperation
Funding sources: Various sources
Project type: Applied research
Aménagement et gestion de la forêt dense sèche à Madagascar
Project leaders: Jean-Pierre Sorg / Gabrielle Rajoelison
Project partners: Chair of Silviculture, ETH Zurich / Ecole
Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques
Antananarivo, Centre de Formation
Professionnelle Forestière, Morondava,
Madagascar
Funding sources: Various sources
Project type: Applied research
49

Teaching Activities Related to Developing Countries
Teaching activities at the ETH Zurich related to
agriculture, food and nutrition, and forestry
in developing countries
Title of Key Type of % related to Responsible
teaching unit words teaching unit dev. countries person(s)
Animal Sciences (INW)
Sustainable livestock production Smallholder livestock production systems Lecture 100 % M. R. Goe
in non-European countries
Systems for sustainable Tropical livestock systems, environment, Seminar 90 % M. Kreuzer
livestock production sustainability, development W. Langhans
(Systeme zur nachhaltigen
H. Kadarmideen
Erzeugung tierischer Produkte)
C. Wenk
G. Stranzinger
Animal nutrition and environment Secondary plant constituents, Lecture 10 % M. Kreuzer
(Tierernährung und Ökologie) tropical plants C. Wenk
C. Soliva
Livestock nutrition in the tropics; Forage quality in hot climates, assessment Lecture 100 % H.-D. Hess
SHL Zollikofen of forage quality, nutrient requirements, Exercise
forage production and conservation
in hot climates, silvopastoral systems
Animal nutrition in the tropics Tropics, animal nutrition, feed resources Block course 100 % K. Samarasinghe
C. Wenk
Rindviehzucht Rinderzucht, Tropen Lecture 10 % U. Janßen-Tapken
(Rinderzucht in den Tropen) (2 h) H.N. Kadarmideen
(M. Schneeberger)
Food Science and Nutrition (ILW)
Nutrition in Undernutrition, micronutrient Lecture 100 % L. Davidsson
developing countries
deficiencies, vulnerable population groups,
breast feeding, complementary foods
Human nutrition Micronutrients in nutrition, food Lecture 5 % R.F. Hurrell
(Undergraduates in
processing and nutrition, nutrition
Food Science Engineering, of different population groups,
Agriculture and Pharmacy) diet and health
50
Nutrition of different Dietary reference values, nutrition during Lecture 10 % R.F. Hurrell
population groups
life cycle, nutritional issues (e.g. breast
(Post-graduate course
feeding, infant formula, weaning,
in human nutrition)
eating disorders, weight control, sports
nutrition, vegetarianism, functional food,
nutrition in developing countries)

Teaching Activities Related to Developing Countries
Title of Key Type of % related to Responsible
teaching unit words teaching unit dev. countries person(s)
Public health nutrition Undernutrition, Lecture 10 % M.B. Zimmermann
(Undergraduates in
micronutrient deficiencies
Food Science Engineering)
Nutrition-related diseases Undernutrition, Lecture 5 % M.B. Zimmermann
(Postgraduate course micronutrient deficiencies Seminar
in human nutrition)
Plant Sciences (IPW)
Ökologische und ökonomische Bodendegradierung und Massnahmen Lecture 100 % E. Frossard
Problemfelder der zur Wiederherstellung der A. Oberson Dräyer
Entwicklungsländer II
Bodenfruchtbarkeit in den Tropen
Environmental Sciences (D-UWIS)
Weltforstwirtschaft l Waldtypen, -flächen, Fragen der Lecture 70 % J.-P. Sorg
Walderhaltung und -bewirtschaftung,
Holzproduktion, Handelsströme
Weltforstwirtschaft ll Mensch, Wald und Baum im Süden Colloquium 80 % J.-P. Sorg
und Osten, Agroforstwirtschaft,
Brennholzkrise, Entwicklungspolitik,
Forschung, Fallbeispiele
Forstwirtschaft Forest resources, forest products, Colloquium 70 % J.-P. Sorg
human-forest interface, agroforestry
R. Felber
international initiatives
Interdisciplinary
Ernährungssicherung in Food security, development scenarios, Seminar 100 % B. Becker
Entwicklungsländern und resource management, biotechnology U. Egger
tropische Landwirtschaft
C. Sautter
51

Development Related Theses
Supervision of theses and practical work
related to agriculture, food and nutrition,
and forestry in developing countries
Supervisor Candidate Title of thesis Key words Study type Country
Agricultural Economics (IAW)
A. Abdulai Sabine Reist-Marti Analysis of methods for efficient Biodiversity, Doctoral Zimbabwe /
biodiversity conservation with sustainability, Africa dissertation Kenya /
focus on African cattle breeds
South Africa
A. Abdulai Geraldine Jahnke Cultural diversity and Poverty alleviation, Master
economic growth economic growth, thesis
development
T. Bernet Olivia Bucher PMCA – Evaluating a new Participatory R&D, Semester Peru
participatory method used to market chain, innovation, study
innovate market chains in the potato sector, Peru
Peruvian potato sector
Animal Sciences (INW)
M. Kreuzer Svenja Marquardt Characterisation of the value and Wood pasture, Doctoral Bolivia
utilisation of forage plants on transhumance, dissertation
tropical wood pastures: The case of dry season, forage
the Bolivian Chaco and Subandino
H.-D. Hess Monica Lorena Efecto de leguminosas forrajeras Tannins, methane, Diploma Colombia
Mera Alvarez tropicales ricas en taninos sobre tree legumes, thesis
la fermentación ruminal y la
RUSITEC, sheep
producción de metano en un
sistema in vitro (RUSITEC)
H.-D. Hess Fabio Noto Einfluss des Herkunftslandes Tannins, legumes, Diploma Colombia /
(Kolumbien oder Kenia) auf die protein, site effects on thesis Kenya /
ruminalen Fermentations- forage quality, RUSITEC Switzerland
eigenschaften von Calliandra
calothyrsus (var. Patulul)
H.-D. Hess Christoph Stürm Effect of combinations of legumes Tannins, legumes, Diploma Colombia
with contrasting contents of tannins protein, ruminal thesis
on in vitro ruminal fermentation fermentation
A. Schmidt Franklin Rigoberto Survey on dry season feed resources Feed resources, Semester Nicaragua
Real Posada / Omar in three different livestock regions dry season, study
Antonio Rayo of Nicaragua supplementation
Carazo / Edwin José
Ramirez Ramirez /
Cheyla Matilde Lopez
Suarez / Juan Adán
Romero Duarte / Álvaro
José Luna García
52

Development Related Theses
Supervisor Candidate Title of thesis Key words Study type Country
H.-R. Wettstein Manolo Romero Influence of production system, High altitude, Semester Peru
Endara altitude and season on milk yield milk composition, study
and milk solids of dairy cows
cattle feeding
in the Peruvian highlands
Food Science and Nutrition (ILW)
R.F. Hurrell / Tuntipopipat Effect of spices and herbs on Iron bioavailability PhD Mahidol /
T. Walczyk Siriporn iron absorption Thailand Thailand
R.F. Hurrell / T. Prashanth Iron absorption in chronically Iron absorption, Doctoral Bangalore /
T. Walczyk undernourished women regulatory mechanisms dissertation India
of reproductive age
R.F. Hurrell / Diego Morreti Iron fortification of rice Iron, fortification, rice, Doctoral India
M.B. Zimmer- anemia dissertation
mann
R.F. Hurrell / Rita Wegmueller Dual fortification of salt Dual fortification, salt, Doctoral Ivory Coast
M.B. Zimmer- with iron and iodine iron, iodine, Ivory Coast, dissertation
mann in Ivory Coast anemia, goiter
Z. Farah Tina Spiess Studies on manufacturing Camel cheese, chymosin, Semester Niger
G. Vias camel cheese using camel camel health, milk study
chymosin in a dairy unit in
collection, Agadez
Agadez-Niger
Z. Farah Anita Limacher Influence of traditional smoking Pastoralists, traditionally Semester Kenya
M. Younan treatment on the hygenic quality smoked raw camel milk, study
of raw camel milk in Kenya
antibacterial effects
Z. Farah Valeria Galetti Application of the activated Antibacterial factors, LPS- Semester Kenya
M. Younan lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate- system, keeping quality study
hydrogen peroxide system in
improving the keeping quality
of raw camel milk
Z. Farah Katrin Alder Detoxification of cassava during Cassava root, Diploma Ivory Coast
processing of attiéké and garba fermentation, cyanide thesis
levels, attiéké, garba
53

Development Related Theses
Supervisor Candidate Title of thesis Key words Study type Country
Plant Sciences (IPW)
E. Frossard R. Kohler Status und Dynamik Soil protection, Diploma Ethiopia
landwirtschaftlicher Produktion crop productivity, thesis
und Produktivität eines
crop production, land use
konservierten Kleineinzugsgebiets
in Nordwestäthiopien
E. Frossard N. Pavillard Adaptation of Brachiaria species Phosphorus availability, Semester Colombia
to low-P soils. Development of Brachiaria decumbens, study
a screening methodology
Brachiaria ruzizienzis,
Brachiaria hybrids, oxisol
S. Dorn G. von Mérey Host suitability of Ceratitis capilata Insects, pasasitoid, Semester Kenya
for development of Tetrastichus ecology, biological control study
giffardi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)
P. Zhang / Sonia Ouadi Cassava protein improvement and Cassava, protein content, Semester France
W. Gruissem study on ACMV replication organelle targeting, study,
interfered by RNAi constructs ACMV replication, Montpellier II
RNA interferencing
University,
UFR des
Sciences
Environmental Sciences (D-UWIS)
P. Bachmann / Oly Analyse des produits des forêts Secondary forests, Doctoral Madagascar
J.-P. Sorg / Raolinandrasana secondaires sèches et de leurs afforestation, dissertation
B. Ramamonjisoa utilisations et comparaison forest management,
avec ceux des reboisements
non-timber products
G. Rajoelison / Eliane L. Analyse de l’interface homme-forêt. Secondary forests, Doctoral Madagascar
J.-P. Sorg Raminoarisoa Elaboration de modèles de gestion forest management, dissertation
participative de forêts secondaires non-timber forest
très dégradées dans le nord-ouest products
de Madagascar
P. van Damme / Amadou Une monographie de Sudan-Sahelian zone, Doctoral Mali
J.-P. Sorg M. Kouyaté Detarium microcarpum native species dissertation
J.-P. Sorg / Davlet K. Investigation and selection of Silviculture, selection, Doctoral Kyrgyzstan
B.I. Venglovsky Mamadjanov promising varieties and forms of provenances, afforestation, dissertation
European walnut for the purpose walnut fruit forests
of plantation in the walnut fruit
forest area of Southern Kyrgyzstan
54

Development Related Theses
Supervisor Candidate Title of thesis Key words Study type Country
J.-Ph. Schütz / Isabelle Gambetta L’importance des produits forestiers Non-timber forest products, Doctoral Ecuador
J.-P. Sorg / non ligneux pour les communautés forest management, dissertation
R. Steppacher villageoises des environs de la man-forest interface
cordillère Huacamayos, province de
Tena, Amazonie équatorienne
J.-P. Sorg / G.L. Rajoelison Les forêts littorales de la région Rain forests, interface, Habilitation Madagascar
D. Raveloson orientale de Madagascar: human-forest interface
vestiges à conserver et à valoriser Madagascar
Ch. Rajeriarison / Samuel Razanaka La forêt des Mikea: un espace et Local knowledge, Habilitation Madagascar
J. Faramalala / des ressources assiégés. Diversité dry forest, human-forest
J.-P. Sorg / des types de végétation et interface, slash-and-burn
E. Le Floc’h dynamique post-culturale d’une
forêt dense sèche du sud-ouest de
Madagascar
T. Köllner Laura Würtenberger Import and export of agricultural Sustainability, Diploma Zurich
land use. Quantification and food imports, thesis
sustainability assessment
land use impacts
L. Pedroni / Pablo Imbach GIS for environmental services GIS, biodiversity, CO 2 , Diploma Costa Rica
T. Köllner scenic beauty, water thesis
T. Köllner / Sandro Glanzmann Quantification of companies’ Ecosystem services, Diploma Costa Rica
J. Sell / Madeleine Guyer demand for ecosystem services contingent valuation thesis
G. Navarro / from tropical forestry method
F. Alpizar
J. Sell / Thomas Ziltener Modelling the carbon sink potential Carbon sequestration, Diploma
T. Köllner of selected tropical forestry projects tropical forestry thesis
T. Köllner / Manuela Gähwiler Marketing for ecosystem services Marketing, Diploma Latin
O. Weber from tropical forestry ecosystem services thesis America
C. Binder Matthias Tuchschmid GIS-basierte räumliche Risiko- GIS, pesticides, Diploma Colombia
abschätzung von Pestizideinsatz spatial explicit risk thesis
in der Landwirtschaft: Fallstudie assessment, Colombia
Vereda la Hoya, Kolumbien
55

Publications
Publications
Refereed publications
ZIL funded projects
Braunschweig, T., Becker, B., 2004: Choosing research priorities by
using the analytic hierarchy process: an application to international
agriculture. R&D Management 34 (1): 77–86.
Bünemann, E., Bossio, D. A., Smithson, P.C., Frossard, E., Oberson, A.,
2004: Microbial community composition and substrate use in a
highly weathered soil as affected by crop rotation and P fertilisation.
Soil Biology & Biochemistry 36: 881–901.
Bünemann, E., Smithson, P.C., Jama, B., Frossard, E., Oberson, A.,
2004: Maize productivity and nutrient dynamics in maize-fallow
rotations in western Kenya. Plant and Soil 264: 195–208.
Bünemann, E., Steinebrunner, F., Smithson, P.C., Frossard, E.,
Oberson, A., 2004: Phosphorus dynamics in a highly weathered soil
as revealed by isotopic labeling techniques. Soil Science Society of
America Journal 68: 1645–1655.
Frei, A., Bueno J. M., Diaz-Montano, J., Gu, H., Cardona, C., Dorn, S., 2004:
Tolerance as a mechanism of resistance to Thrips palmi in common
beans. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 112: 73–80.
Jenet, A., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Kreuzer, M., Langhans, W., Werling, D.,
Saurer, M., Senn, M., 2004: Relationship of body fat stores and leptin
expression in adipose tissue in African cows of different genotype.
Journal of Animal and Feed Science 13 (Supp. 1): 409–412.
Jenet, A., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Tegegne, A., Yimegnuhal, A., Osuji, P. O.,
Kreuzer, M., 2004: Growth and feed conversion of Boran (Bos indicus)
and Holstein x Boran heifers during three physiological states
receiving different levels of a tropical diet. Livestock Production
Science 89: 159–173.
Jenet, A., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Wettstein, H.-R., Kreuzer, M., Langhans,
W., Werling, D., Senn, M., 2004: Effect of feeding history on milk
production and plasma IGF-1 level in indigenous Ethiopian and
crossbred cows. Journal of Animal and Feed Science 13 (Supp. 1):
495–498.
Jenet, A., Yimegnuhal, A., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Tegegne, A., Osuji, P. O.,
McCrabb, G., Kreuzer, M., 2004: Long-term response to feeding
level in lactational performance of Boran (Bos indicus) and Boran x
Holstein cows. Animal Science 78: 331–343.
Jenet, A., Yimegnuhal, A., Tegegne, A., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Kreuzer,
M., 2004: Water intake and nutrient balances of Holstein x Boran
cows fed a low-quality tropical diet. Ethiopian Journal of Animal
Production 4: 1–10.
Taylor, N., Chavarriaga, P., Raemakers, K., Siritunga, D., Zhang, P.,
2004: Development and application of transgenic technologies in
cassava. Plant Molecular Biology 56: 671–688.
RFPP projects
Abang, M., Udupa, S., Baum, M., McDonald, B., Ceccarelli, S., Grando,
S., Linde, C., 2004: Evolutionary potential of Rhynchosporium secalis
populations and resistance breeding strategies. Czech Journal of
Genetics and Plant Breeding (Special Issue) 40: 609–614.
Abreu, A., Carulla, J.E., Lascano, C.E., Diaz, T.E., Kreuzer, M., Hess,
H.D., 2004: Effects of Sapindus saponaria fruits on ruminal fermentation
and duodenal nitrogen flow of sheep fed a tropical grass
diet with and without legume. Journal of Animal Science 82:
1392–1400.
Adler, N.E., Erselius, L.J., Chacón, M.G., Flier, W.G., Ordoñez, M.E.,
Kroon, L.P.N.M., Forbes, G.A., 2004: Genetic diversity of Phytophthora
infestans sensu lato in Ecuador provides new insight into
the origin of this important plant pathogen. Phytopathology 94:
154–162.
Butler, G., Bernet, T., Manrique, K., 2004: Mechanisation of potato
grading on small-scale farms: a case study from Peru. Experimental
Agriculture 41: 1–12.
Hess, H.D., Beuret, R., Lötscher, M., Hindrichsen, I.K., Machmüller, A.,
Carulla, J.E., Lascano, C.E., Kreuzer, M., 2004: Ruminal fermentation,
methanogenesis and nitrogen utilisation of sheep receiving tropical
grass hay-concentrate diets offered with Sapindus saponaria
fruits and Cratylia argentea foliage. Animal Science 79: 177–189.
Hess, H.D., Valencia, F.L., Monsalve, L.M., Lascano, C.E., Kreuzer, M.,
2004: Effects of tannins in Calliandra calothyrsus and supplemental
molasses on ruminal fermentation in vitro. Journal of Animal
and Feed Science 13 (Supp. 1): 95–98.
Koellner, T., Hersperger, M.A., Wohlgemuth, T., 2004: Rarefaction
method for assessing plant species diversity on a regional scale.
Ecography 27 (4): 532–544.
Roth, T., Jalilova, G., 2004: First confirmed breeding record of
Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola in Kyrgyzstan.
Sandgrouse 26 (2): 141–143.
Würtenberger, L., Binder, C. R., Koellner, T., 2004: Nachhaltige Landwirtschaftspolitik
macht an der Grenze nicht halt. GAIA 13:
191–196.
Other international projects (non ZIL funded)
Ackermann, K., 2004: Utilisation of wild growing yams as supplementary
nutrition and its impact on the dry forest ecosystem in
northwestern Madagascar. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen
155 (3–4): 80–88.
Bohn, T., Davidsson, L., Walczyk, T., Hurrell, R.F., 2004: Phytic acid
added to white-wheat bread inhibits fractional apparent magne-
56

Publications
sium absorption in humans. The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition 79 (3): 418–423.
Carulla, J. E., Kreuzer, M., Machmüller, A., van Dorland, H.A., Hess,
H.D., 2004: Nitrogen utilisation and methanogenesis of sheep fed
ryegrass silage supplemented with ensiled legumes and tannins.
Grassland Science in Europe 9: 678–680.
Davidsson, L., Jamil, K.A., Sarker, S.A., Zeder, C., Fuchs, G., Hurrell, R.,
2004: Human milk as a source of ascorbic acid: No enhancing
effect on iron bioavailability from a traditional complementary
food consumed by Bangladeshi infants and young children. The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79 (6): 1073–1077.
Davidsson, L., Ziegler, E.E., Kastenmayer, P., van Dael, P., Barclay, D.,
2004: Dephytinisation of soyabean protein isolate with low native
phytic acid content has limited impact on mineral and trace element
absorption in healthy infants. British Journal of Nutrition 91
(2): 287–293.
Egli, I., Davidsson, L., Zeder, C., Walczyk, T., Hurrell, R., 2004:
Dephytinisation of a complementary food based on wheat and soy
increases zinc, but not copper, apparent absorption in adults. The
Journal of Nutrition 134 (5): 1077–1080.
Fidler, M. C., Davidsson, L., Zeder, C., Hurrell, R. F., 2004: Erythorbic
acid is a potent enhancer of nonheme-iron absorption. The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79 (1): 99–102.
Fidler, M., Davidsson, L., Zeder, C., Walczyk, T., Marti, I., Hurrell, R.,
2004: Effect of ascorbic acid and particle size on iron absorption
from ferric pyrophosphate in adult women. International Journal
for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 74: 294–300.
Fidler, M.C., Walczyk, T., Davidsson, L., Zeder, C., Sakaguchi, N.,
Juneja, L.R., Hurrell, R.F., 2004: A micronised, dispersible ferric
pyrophosphate with high relative bioavailability in man. British
Journal of Nutrition 91 (1): 107–112.
Hindrichsen, I.K., Osuji, P.O., Odenyo, A.A., Madsen, J., Hvelplund, T.,
2004: Effect of supplementation of maize stover with foliage of
various tropical multipurpose trees and Lablab purpureus on
intake, rumen fermentation, digesta kinetics and microbial protein
supply of sheep. Animal Feed Science and Technology 113: 83–96.
Hurrell, R.F., 2004a: Improved technologies enhance the efficacy of
food iron fortification. International Journal for Vitamin and
Nutrition Research 74: 385.
Hurrell, R.F., 2004b: Phytic acid degradation as a means of improving
iron absorption. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition
Research 74: 445–452.
Hurrell, R., Lynch, S., Bothwell, T., Cori, H., Glahn, R., Hertrampf, E.,
Kratky, Z., Miller, D., Rodenstein, M., Streekstra, H., Teucher, B.,
Turner, E., Yeung, C., Zimmermann, M., 2004: Enhancing the
absorption of fortification iron. International Journal for Vitamin
and Nutrition Research 74: 387–401.
Jaturasitha, S., Thirawong, P., Leangwunta, V., Kreuzer, M., 2004:
Reducing toughness of beef from Bos indicus draught steers by
injection of calcium chloride: Effect of concentration and time
postmortem. Meat Science 68: 61–69.
Nambena, S.M., 2003: Using geographic information systems to
assess possibilities of expanding traditional agroforestry in
slash-and-burn zones in Madagascar. Mountain Research and
Development 23 (4): 329–333.
Sarker, S.A., Davidsson, L., Mahmud, H., Walczyk, T., Hurrell, R.F., Gyr,
N., Fuchs, G.J., 2004: Helicobacter pylori infection, iron absorption,
and gastric acid secretion in Bangladeshi children. The American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition 80 (1): 149–153.
Sliwinski, B.J., Kreuzer, M., Sutter, F., Machmüller, A., Wettstein,
H.-R., 2004: Performance, body nitrogen conversion and nitrogen
emission from manure of dairy cows fed diets supplemented with
different plant extracts. Journal of Animal and Feed Science 13:
73–91.
Wu, J.C., Qiu, H.M., Yang, G.Q., Dong, B., Gu, H., 2004: Nutrient
uptake of rice roots in response to infestation of Nilparvata lugens
(Stål) Homoptera: Delphacidae). Journal of Economic Entomology
96: 1798–1804.
Wu, J.C., Qiu, Z.H., Ying, J.L., Dong, B., Gu, H., 2004: Changes of
zeatin riboside content in rice plants due to infestation by
Nilparvata lugens (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Journal of Economic
Entomology 97: 1917–1922.
Zimmermann, M.B., Wegmueller, R., Zeder, C., Chaouki, N.,
Biebinger, R., Hurrell, R.F., Windhab, E., 2004: Triple fortification of
salt with microcapsules of iodine, iron, and vitamin A. The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 80 (5): 1283–1290.
Zimmermann, M.B., Wegmueller, R., Zeder, C., Chaouki, N., Rohner,
F., Saissi, M., Torresani, T., Hurrell, R.F., 2004: Dual fortification of
salt with iodine and micronised ferric pyrophosphate: A randomised,
double-blind, controlled trial. The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition 80 (4): 952–959.
Book chapters and monographs
ZIL funded projects
Turner, B.L., Frossard, E., Baldwin, D.S., 2004: Organic Phosphorus in
the Environment. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxford, 399 pp.
57

Publications
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Production of transgenic cassava
(Manihot esculenta Crantz). In: Curtis, I. S. (ed.), Transgenic Crops of
the World – Essential Protocols. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The
Netherlands: 301–319.
Zhang, P., Puonti-Kaerlas, J., 2004: Regeneration of transgenic
cassava from transformed embryogenic tissues. In: Peña, L. (ed.),
Transgenic Plants: Methods and Protocols. Humana Press Inc.,
Totowa, NJ: 165–176.
Other international projects (non ZIL funded)
Ayalew, W., van Dorland, H.A., Rowlands, J., 2004: Design, Execution
and Analysis of the Livestock Breed Survey in Oromiya Regional
State, Ethiopia. OADB (Oromia Agricultural Development Bureau),
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and ILRI (International Livestock Research
Institute), Nairobi, Kenya, 260 pp.
Rao, I.M., Barrios, E., Amezquita, E., Friesen, D.K., Thomas, R.,
Oberson, A., Singh, B.R., 2004: Soil phosphorus dynamics, acquisition
and cycling in crop-pasture-fallow systems in low fertility
tropical soils of Latin America. In: Delve, R.J., Probert, M.E. (eds.),
Modelling Nutrient Management in Tropical Cropping Systems.
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR),
Canberra, Australia: 126–134.
Romney, D., Utiger, C., Kaitho, R., Wokabi, A., Njoroge, L., Chege, L.,
Kirui, J., Kamotho, D., Staal, S., 2004: Effect of intensification on
feed management of dairy cows in the Central Highlands of Kenya.
In: Owen, E. et al (eds.), Responding to the Livestock Revolution. The
Role of Globalisation and Implications for Poverty Alleviation. British
Society of Animal Science Publication No. 33, Nottingham
University Press, Nottingham, UK: 167–177.
Varia
ZIL funded projects
Bartl, K., Gómez, C., 2004: Memorias del taller sobre mejora de sistemas
de alimentación para ganado lechero con énfasis en alimentación
en época seca y su efecto sobre la producción y calidad
de leche en la sierra central del Perú. Universidad Nacional Agraria
La Molina, Lima, Peru and ETH Zurich; Fundo IDR Sierra San Juan de
Yanamuclo, Jauja-Huancayo, Peru: 8 pp.
Bünemann, E., Frossard, E., Smithson, P.C., Jama, B., Bossio, D.,
Oberson, A., 2004: Influence of legume fallows on P transformations
in tropical soils. ZIL Annual Report 2003: 40.
Hess, H.D., Gómez, J., 2004: Taninos en la nutrición de rumiantes en
Colombia. Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) y
Instituto de Ciencia Animal ETH Zurich: 63 pp.
Hess, H.D., Romero, H.M., Gomez, C.A., Wettstein, H.-R., Kreuzer, M.,
2004: Effect of dry and wet season feeding on milk production and
quality of cows kept at high altitude in the Peruvian Andes. In:
Peters, K. J. et al (eds.), Deutscher Tropentag 2004: Rural Poverty
Reduction through Research for Development and Transformation.
Book of Abstracts: 236.
Hess, H.D., Schmidt, A., Pérez, C., 2004: Alimentación de ganado
durante la estación seca. In: Memorias del Taller Planificación
Participativa. Intercooperation (Bern), CIAT (Columbia), ETH Zurich,
Managua, Nicaragua: 18.
Hess, H.D., Schmidt, A., Pérez, C., Gómez, C.A., Romero, H.M.,
Wettstein, H.-R., Holmann, F., Kreuzer, M., 2004: Improved dry season
feeding systems for smallholder dairy cattle in the hillsides
and high mountainous tropics of LAC. In: CIAT Annual Report 2004.
Project IP-5 Tropical Grasses and Legumes: Optimising Genetic
Diversity for Multipurpose Use. Centro Internacional de Agricultura
Tropical (CIAT), Cali, Colombia: 158–159.
Hess, H.D., Tiemann, T.T., Kreuzer, M., 2004: The forage potential of
tanniniferous legumes: Search for sustainable ways to cope with
nutritional limitations in smallholder livestock. In: Peters, K. J. et al
(eds.), Deutscher Tropentag 2004: Rural Poverty Reduction through
Research for Development and Transformation. Book of Abstracts: 235.
Hess, H.D., Tiemann, T.T., Kreuzer, M., Lascano, C.E., Carulla, J.E.,
Barahona, R., Frossard, E., 2004: The forage potential of tanniniferous
legumes: Search for sustainable ways to cope with nutritional
limitations in smallholder livestock. ZIL Annual Report 2003: 31.
Hess, H.D., Tiemann, T.T., Noto, F., Stürm, C., Kreuzer, M., Franzel, S.,
Lascano, C.E., Franco, L.H., Plazas, C., Peters, M., Frossard, E., Avila, P.,
Ramírez, G., Mera Álvarez, M.L., 2004: Assessment of the potential
of tanniniferous legumes to improve ruminant nutrition. In: CIAT
Annual Report 2004. Project IP-5 Tropical Grasses and Legumes:
Optimising genetic diversity for multipurpose use. Centro Internacional
de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali, Colombia: 7–15.
Janßen-Tapken, U., Kadarmideen, H.N., Gibson, J. P., 2004:
Evaluation of smallholders’ breeding strategies in production systems
of Kenya and Ethiopia. In: Peters, K.J. et al (eds.), Deutscher
Tropentag 2004: Rural Poverty Reduction through Research for
Development and Transformation: 316.
Jenet, A., Kreuzer, M., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Tegegne, A., Senn, M.,
Langhans, W., Werling, D., Saurer, M., 2004: A comparative evaluation
of response to and carry-over effects of undernutrition in
indigenous tropical and Western dairy breeds. ZIL Annual Report
2003: 37.
Kadarmideen, H.N., Janßen-Tapken, U., 2004: Entwicklung nachhaltiger
Zuchtprogramme in Ostafrika. In: Biodiversität im Dienste
der Ernährungssicherheit. Proceedings of the World Food Day 2004
Symposium. Zurich, Switzerland, October 14: 17–23.
58

Publications
Keller, S., Hartwig, U., Sautter, C., Udvardi, M., Frossard, E., 2004:
Approach to overcome low phosphorus-caused inhibition of root
nodulation in legumes. ZIL Annual Report 2003: 39.
Louw-Gaume, A., Gaume, A., Rao, I., Ishitani, M., Lascano, C.,
Kreuzer, M., Frossard, E., 2004: Adaptation of Brachiaria species to
low-P soils. ZIL Annual Report 2003: 29.
Tiemann, T. T., 2004: Proyecto de investigación: Potencial de leguminosas
forrajeras con taninos en explotaciones ganaderas de
pequeños productores. In: Hess, H. D., Gómez, J. (eds.), Taninos en
la Nutrición de Rumiantes en Colombia, Memorias del Taller sobre
Taninos. Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali,
Colombia, May 18: 3–8.
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Genotype independent gene transfer
techniques for cassava. ZIL Annual Report 2003: 35.
Zhang, P., Vanderschuren, H., Gruissem, W., 2004: Development
and testing of cassava lines with improved resistance to African
Cassava Mosaic Virus. ZIL Annual Report 2003: 32.
RFPP projects
Bernet, T., Amoros, W., 2004: Comercializando la biodiversidad.
LEISA Revista de Agroecología 20 (3): 8–9.
Bernet, T., Amoros W., 2004: Marketing biodiversity. LEISA
Magazine 20 (3): 18–19.
Bernet, T., Hibon, A., Bonierbale, M., Hermann, M., 2004: Market
approach to conserving agrobiodiversity. BeraterInnen News (2),
LBL, Lindau, Switzerland.
Chin, A., Knüsel, R., 2003: A survey on parasites in small-scale fish
farms in Malawi. Aqua-Fish Technical Report (2), Bunda College of
Agriculture, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Diby, N.L., Assa, A., Carsky, R., Girardin, O., Tié B.T., Comoé Kini, B.,
Kouamé Hgazat, K.V., Koffi Yao, E., Frossard, E., 2004: Assessing
factors controlling the growth and the potential yield of yam
(Dioscorea spp.). ZIL Annual Report 2003: 43.
Diby, N.L., Carsky, R., Assa, A., Tié, B.T., Girardin, O., Frossard, E., 2004:
Understanding soil factors limiting the potential yield of yam
(Dioscorea spp.). In: Fischer, T. et al, (eds.), Proceedings of the 4 th
International Crop Science Congress: New directions for a diverse
planet. The Regional Institute Ltd., Brisbane, Australia, September
26–October 1.
Fisher, R.J., Schmidt, K., Steenhof, B., Akenshaev, N., 2004: Poverty
and forestry. A case study of Kyrgyzstan with reference to other
countries in West and Central Asia. LSP Working Paper 13. Rome,
FAO, Livelihood Support Programme (LSP): 62 pp.
Hess, H.D., Beuret, R., Kreuzer, M., Lascano, C.E., Lötscher, M.,
Machmüller, A., Monsalve, L.M., Valencia, F.L., 2004: Assessment of
the potential of legumes with tannins to reduce methane in ruminants.
In: CIAT Annual Report 2003. Project IP-5 Tropical Grasses and
Legumes: Optimising Genetic Diversity for Multipurpose Use. Centro
Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali, Colombia: 4–11.
Hess, H.D., Kreuzer, M., Lascano, C.E., Carulla, J.E., Diaz, T.E., 2004:
Strategies to increase feed utilisation and to limit methane emission
of tropical smallholder livestock using the potential of native
plants. ZIL Annual Report 2003: 56.
Hess, H.D., Valencia, F.L., Monsalve, L.M., Lascano, C.E., Kreuzer, M.,
2004: Improvement of tropical grass diets by the tanniniferous
legume Calliandra calothyrsus: Effects of tannins and supplemental
molasses on rumen fermentation and methanogenesis.
In: Kreuzer, M., Wenk, C., Lanzini, T. (eds.), Lipide in Fleisch, Milch und
Ei – Herausforderung für die Tierernährung. Schriftenreihe Institut
für Nutztierwissenschaften, Ernährung – Produkte – Umwelt, ETH
Zurich, 25: 240–243.
Jalilova, G., de Groot, J., 2004: Birds of the walnut-fruit forests. Field
Feathers, Annual Report of Birdwatchers in Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek:
34–42 (Russian).
Knüsel, R., 2004: Koi herpes virus KHV – Carp nephritis and Gill
necrosis virus CNGV. Newsletter. Aquaculture Association of
Southern Africa (AASA), September: 6–11.
Knüsel, R., 2004: Module 6, fish diseases and health management.
Lecture and update for aquaculture students of University of
Stellenbosch and fish farmers, June: 130 pp.
Knüsel, R., 2004: Survey on external parasites in small-scale fish
farms in Malawi. Report to World Fish Center.
Knüsel, R., Chijere, A., Khota, G., 2004: Fish health management in
small fish farms in Malawi. Research and Extension Bulletin (14),
National Aquaculture Center, Malawi.
Manrique, I., Hermann, M., Bernet, T., 2004: Yacon – Fact Sheet.
International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru.
Sell, J., Köllner, T., 2004: Demand and supply of environmental
services derived from tropical forestry. Project Newsletter No. 1.
Sell, J., Köllner, T., Scholz, R.W., 2004: Demand and supply for
ecosystem services derived from tropical forestry. Project
Newsletter No. 2.
Sell, J., Köllner, T., Scholz, R.W., 2004: Demand and supply for
ecosystem services from tropical forestry projects. Workshop
report: Decision criteria of market actors and design of products.
59

Publications
Other international projects (non ZIL funded)
Borrero, G., Friesen, D.K., Oberson, A., Rodriguez, M., Rao, I.M., 2004:
Comparación del método de oxalato de amonio para determinar
disponabilidad de fósforo en Oxisoles de los Llanos Orientales de
Colombia. In: Proceedings on CD of the XVI th Latin American Soils
Congress. Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, Sept. 27–Oct. 1.
Borrero, G., Friesen, D.K., Oberson, A., Rodriguez, M., Rao, I.M., 2004:
Destinos de fósforo aplicado como fertilizante en Oxisoles de los
Llanos Orientales de Colombia. Fraccionamento secuencial. In:
Proceedings on CD of the XVI th Latin American Soils Congress.
Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, September 27–October 1.
Bosshard, C., Manolov, I., Frossard, F., Dubois, D., Mäder, P., Oberson,
A., 2004: Distribution of 15 N in different soil organic matter pools
of organically and conventionally managed soils after addition of
15N-labelled organic and mineral fertilisers. In: Abstracts Eurosoil
2004. Freiburg, Germany, September 4–12: 319.
Dorn, S., Gu, H., 2004: Optimisation of codling moth dispersal characteristics
for SIT. In: Improvement of codling moth SIT to facilitate
expansion of field application. Proceedings of the FAO/IAEA
Meeting, March 8–12. IAEA, Vienna: 37–39.
Hurrell, R. F., Hess, S. Y., 2004: Role for micronutrient interactions in
the epidemiology of micronutrient deficiencies: Interactions of
iron, iodine and vitamin A. Nestlé Nutrition Workshop Series.
Jaturasitha, S., Khiaosa-ard, R., Pripwai, N., Sunthornneth, A.,
Leangwunta, V., Kreuzer, M., 2004: Influence of sex, weight and
muscle on fatty acid profile, cholesterol content and shelf life of
meat from Thai native and crossbred chickens (Gai Baan Thai). In:
Kreuzer, M., Wenk, C., Lanzini, T. (eds.), Lipide in Fleisch, Milch und Ei
– Herausforderung für die Tierernährung. Schriftenreihe Institut für
Nutztierwissenschaften, Ernährung – Produkte – Umwelt, ETH
Zurich, 25: 164–167.
Mauderli, U., 2004: Nussbaumwälder im Süden Kirgistans – Eine
kommentierte Bibliographie. Interner Bericht: 20 pp.
Mauderli, U., 2004: Trockenwälder im Westen Madagaskars – Eine
kommentierte Bibliographie. Interner Bericht: 70 pp.
Pfund, J.-L., Kistler, P., Guidese, S., 2004: Gestion de la forêt tropicale
en zone rurale: le transfert de technologies peut-il être le catalyseur
de partenariats durables? Schweizerische Zeitschrift für
Forstwesen 155 (3–4): 97–105.
Rao, I.M., Friesen, D.K., Oberson, A., Amézqita, E., Borrero, G.,
Rodriguez, M., 2004: Phosphorus cycling in crop-pasture systems
in low fertility tropical soils of the Llanos of Colombia. In:
Proceedings on CD of the XVI th Latin American Soils Congress.
Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, September 27–October 1.
Razafy Fara, L., 2004: Les intérêts des différents acteurs dans la gestion
des ressources naturelles forestières. Etude de cas dans la
région de Beforona, est de Madagascar. Schweizerische Zeitschrift
für Forstwesen 155 (3–4): 89–96.
Scheeder, M.R.L., 2004: Food of animal origin as a source of functional
fatty acids. In: Mekchay, S. et al (eds.), Proc. 4 th Animal
Science Conference in Kitchen of the World: Role and Trend of the
Thai Livestocks. Ming Muang Publisher, Chiang Mai, Thailand: 3–5.
van Dorland, H.A., Ayalew, W., Tolossa, A., 2004: Understanding the
purpose of keeping cattle and their perceived traits by farmers in
Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. In: Yimegnuhal, A., Degefa, T.
(eds.), Farm animal biodiversity in Ethiopia: status and prospects.
Proceedings of the 11 th Annual Conference of the Ethiopian Society
of Animal Production. Ethiopian Society of Animal Production,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: 191–201.
Wetterwald, O., Zingerli, C., Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Non-timber forest
products in Nam Dong District, Central Vietnam: Ecological and
economic prospects. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen
155 (2): 45–52.
Posters
ZIL funded projects
Bünemann, E., Steinebrunner, F., Smithson, P.C., Frossard, E.,
Oberson, A., 2004: Microbial uptake and dynamics of phosphorus
in a Ferralsol. Food security for better health in developing countries,
Annual Conference of the Swiss Centre for International
Agriculture (ZIL), Zurich, Switzerland, June 11.
Frossard, E., Bünemann, E., Oberson, A., Sinaj, S., 2004: Integrated
nutrient management as a tool to combat soil degradation. 32 nd
International Geological Congress, Florence, Italy, August 20–28.
Hess, H.D., Romero, H.M., Gomez, C.A., Wettstein, H.-R., Kreuzer, M.,
2004: Effect of dry and wet season feeding on milk production and
quality of cows kept at high altitude in the Peruvian Andes. Rural
Poverty Reduction through Research for Development and
Transformation, Deutscher Tropentag 2004, Humboldt University
Berlin, Germany, October 5–7.
Hess, H.D., Tiemann, T.T., Kreuzer, M., 2004: The forage potential of
tanniniferous legumes: Search for sustainable ways to cope with
nutritional limitations in smallholder livestock. Rural Poverty
Reduction through Research for Development and Transformation,
Deutscher Tropentag 2004, Humboldt University Berlin,
Germany, October 5–7.
Janßen-Tapken, U., Ouma, E.A., Kadarmideen, H.N., Abdulai, A.,
Obare, G., Drucker, A., Gibson, J., 2004: Development of demanddriven
sustainable cattle breeding schemes as a strategy for
improving livelihoods of resource-poor farmers in Eastern Africa.
Food security for better health in developing countries, Annual
Conference of the Swiss Centre for International Agriculture (ZIL),
Zurich, Switzerland, June 11.
60

Publications
Janßen-Tapken, U., Ouma, E.A., Kadarmideen, H.N., Abdulai, A.,
Obare, G., Drucker, A., Gibson, J., 2004: Sustainable cattle breeding
schemes to improve livelihoods of resource-poor farmers. Rural
Poverty Reduction through Research for Development and
Transformation, Deutscher Tropentag, Humboldt University,
Berlin, October 5–7.
Jenet, A., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Kreuzer, M., Langhans, W., Werling,
D., Saurer, M., Senn, M., 2004: Relationship of body fat stores and
leptin expression in adipose tissue in African cows of different
genotype. X th International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology,
Copenhagen, Denmark, August 30–September 4.
Jenet, A., Fernandez-Rivera, S., Wettstein, H.-R., Kreuzer, M.,
Langhans, W., Werling, D., Senn, M., 2004: Effect of feeding history
on milk production and plasma IGF-1 level in indigenous Ethiopian
and crossbred cows. X th International Symposium on Ruminant
Physiology, Copenhagen, Denmark, August 30–September 4.
Vanderschuren, H., Gruissem, W., Zhang, P., 2004: RNAi-mediated
resistance to cassava mosaic virus in cassava. Food security for better
health in developing countries, Annual Conference of the Swiss
Centre for International Agriculture (ZIL), Zurich, Switzerland,
June 11.
Velten, G., Rott A., Cardona, C., Dorn, S., 2004: Optimisation of
tritrophic interactions for food security and food quality in developing
countries. Symposium of the Plant Science Centre Zurich-
Basel, Switzerland, “Challenges in Plant Science”. October 8.
Zhang, P., Bohl-Zenger, S., Bucher, M., Gruissem, W., 2004:
Conserved expression of a root-hair specific promoter LeExt1.1
from Lycopersicon esculentum in cassava. The Sixth International
Scientific Meeting of the Cassava Biotechnology Network, Cali,
Colombia, March 8–14.
Zhang, P., Bohl-Zenger, S., Puonti-Kaerlas, J., Potrykus, I., Gruissem,
W., 2004: Two cassava promoters related to vascular expression
and storage root formation. The Sixth International Scientific
Meeting of the Cassava Biotechnology Network, Cali, Colombia,
March 8–14.
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Extension of cassava leaf life by
autoregulatory inhibition of senescence. The Sixth International
Scientific Meeting of the Cassava Biotechnology Network, Cali,
Colombia, March 8–14.
Zhang, P., Jaynes, J.M., Gruissem, W., 2004: Assessment of genetic
improved cassava plants expressing a nutritious storage protein
(ASP1) gene. The Sixth International Scientific Meeting of the
Cassava Biotechnology Network, Cali, Colombia, March 8–14.
Zhang, P., Vanderschuren, H., Fütterer, J., Gruissem, W., 2004:
Increased African cassava mosaic virus resistance in transgenic
cassava plants expressing different viral antisense RNAs. The Sixth
International Scientific Meeting of the Cassava Biotechnology
Network, Cali, Colombia, March 8–14.
Zhang, P., Vanderschuren, H., Gruissem, W., 2004: Cassava genetic
improvement: the challenges ahead. Food security for better
health in developing countries, Annual Conference of the Swiss
Centre for International Agriculture (ZIL), Zurich, Switzerland,
June 11.
Zhang, P., Vanderschuren, H., Gruissem, W., 2004: RNA-mediated
resistance to African cassava geminiviruses in transgenic cassava
plants. Symposium of the Plant Science Centre Zurich-Basel:
“Plant Systems Biology – From Cells to Communities”, Switzerland,
December 17.
RFPP projects
Diby, N.L., Carsky, R., Assa, A., Tié, B.T., Girardin, O., Frossard, E., 2004:
Understanding soil factors limiting the potential yield of yam
(Dioscorea spp.). New directions for a diverse planet. 4 th
International Crop Science Congress, The Regional Institute Ltd,
Brisbane, Australia, September 26–October 1.
Hess, H.D., Lascano, C.E., Carulla, J.E., Díaz, T.E., Kreuzer, M., 2004:
Potential of saponin-containing fruits and forage legumes as tropical
feed resources to manipulate rumen fermentation and to
improve ruminant nutrition. Food security for better health in
developing countries, Annual Conference of the Swiss Centre for
International Agriculture (ZIL), Zurich, Switzerland, June 11.
Hess, H.D., Valencia, F.L., Monsalve, L.M., Lascano, C.E., Kreuzer, M.,
2004: Improvement of tropical grass diets by the tanniniferous
legume Calliandra calothyrsus: Effects of tannins and supplemental
molasses on rumen fermentation and methanogenesis. Lipide
in Fleisch, Milch und Ei – Herausforderung für die Tierernährung.
Conference ETH Zurich, Switzerland, May 13.
Schmidt, K., Mauderli, U., Northridge, J., Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Local
knowledge and forest use strategies: Development of participatory
forest management in the walnut-fruit forests in Kyrgyzstan.
Agroforstwirtschaft in der Schweiz: Vergangenheit – Gegenwart –
Zukunft. Workshop, Agroscope FAL, Swiss Federal Research Station
for Agroecology and Agriculture, Zurich-Reckenholz, September 23.
Schmidt, K., Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Livelihood security, biodiversity conservation
and agroforestry in the walnut-fruit forests in
Kyrgyzstan. Biodiversität im Dienste der Ernährungssicherheit,
Symposium World Food Day 2004, ETH Zurich, October 14.
Other international projects
Borrero, G., Friesen, D.K., Oberson, A., Rodriguez, M., Rao, I.M., 2004:
Comparación del método de oxalato de amonio para determinar la
disponabilidad de fósforo en oxisoles de los Llanos Orientales de
Colombia. XVI th Latin American Soils Congress, Cartagena de
Indias, Colombia, September 27–October 1.
61

Publications
Borrero, G., Friesen, D.K., Oberson, A., Rodriguez, M., Rao, I.M., 2004:
Destinos de fósforo aplicado como fertilizante en oxisoles de los
Llanos Orientales de Colombia: Fraccionamento secuencial. XVI th
Latin American Soils Congress, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia,
September 27–October 1.
Bosshard, C., Manolov, I., Frossard, E., Dubois, D., Mäder, P., Oberson,
A., 2004: Distribution of 15 N in different soil organic matter pools
of organically and conventionally managed soils after addition of
15 N-labelled organic and mineral fertilisers. Eurosoil 2004,
Freiburg, Germany, September 4–12.
Hess, H.D., Kreuzer, M., 2004: Tropical livestock nutrition research
at the Institute of Animal Science. Food security for better health
in developing countries, Annual Conference of the Swiss Centre for
International Agriculture (ZIL), Zurich, Switzerland, June 11.
Jaturasitha, S., Khiaosa-ard, R., Pripwai, N., Sunthornneth, A.,
Leangwunta, V., Kreuzer, M., 2004: Influence of sex, weight and
muscle on fatty acid profile, cholesterol content and shelf life of
meat from Thai native and crossbred chickens (Gai Baan Thai).
Lipide in Fleisch, Milch und Ei – Herausforderung für die
Tierernährung. Conference ETH Zurich, Switzerland, May 13.
Mathimaran, N., Jansa, J., Frossard, E., 2004: Do soil management
practices affect arbuscular mycorrhizas and their phosphorus (P)
uptake efficiency? Food security for better health in developing
countries, Annual Conference of the Swiss Centre for International
Agriculture (ZIL), Zurich, Switzerland, June 11.
Mathimaran, N., Jansa, J., Frossard, E., 2004: Do agricultural management
practices affect arbuscular mycorrhizal community? The
Centre for Ecology (ZOek) Conference, Davos, Switzerland, October
15–16.
Mathimaran, N., Jansa, J., Ruh, R., Frossard, E., 2004: Mycorrhizal P
uptake by maize from tropical soil depends on agricultural management.
34 th Annual Conference of the German Ecological
Society, Giessen, Germany, September 13–17.
Oberson, A., Bünemann, E., Frossard, E., 2004: Mineralisation of
organic P: sources, actors and processes. Eurosoil 2004, Freiburg,
Germany, September 4–12.
Rao, I.M., Friesen, D.K., Oberson, A., Amézqita, E., Borrero, G.,
Rodriguez, M., 2004: Phosphorus cycling in crop-pasture systems
in low fertility tropical soils of the Llanos of Colombia. XVI th Latin
American Soils Congress, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia,
September 27–October 1.
Oral presentations
ZIL funded projects
Bartl, K., Gómez, C., 2004: Efectos de sistemas mejorados de alimentación
de ganado lechero sobre la producción y la calidad de
leche en el trópico alto. Taller sobre mejora de sistemas de alimentación
para ganado lechero con énfasis en alimentación en
época seca y su efecto sobre la producción y calidad de leche en la
sierra central del Perú, Jauja-Huancayo, Peru, October 22.
Dorn, S., 2004: The interdisciplinary approach to food safety and
security. Livestock Systems Research in Support of Poor People, ZIL
Progress Forum, ETH Zurich, June 4.
Dorn, S., Schmale, I., Cardona, C., 2004: Parasitic wasp for on-farm
control of a coleopteran pest feeding within stored grains. Working
group IV: Biocontrol of arthropod pests in stored products, COST
Action 842, Greece, Athens, May 24–25.
Dorn, S., Stamp, P., 2004: Adequate quantity and quality for healthy
food diets: The contribution of plant products. Food security
for better health in developing countries, Annual Conference
of the Swiss Centre for International Agriculture (ZIL), Zurich,
Switzerland, June 11.
Frossard, E., Bünemann, E., Oberson, A., 2004: Integrated nutrient
management as a tool to combat soil degradation. Swiss Society of
Pedology, Lausanne, Switzerland, March 25–26.
Hess, D., Gamarra, J., 2004: Antecedentes y resultados de proyectos
preliminares en Nicaragua y Perú. Taller sobre mejora de sistemas
de alimentación para ganado lechero con énfasis en alimentación
en época seca y su efecto sobre la producción y calidad de leche en
la sierra central del Perú, Jauja-Huancayo, Peru, October 22.
Hess, H.D., Kolff, A., Kreuzer, M., 2004: Improved feeding systems
for smallholder dairy cattle with emphasis on dry season feeding
and its effect on milk production and quality. Livestock Systems
Research in Support of Poor People, ZIL Progress Forum 2004, ETH
Zurich, June 4.
Hess, H.D., Schmidt, A., Pérez, C., 2004: Mejoramiento de sistemas
de alimentación de ganado vacuno en fincas de pequeños
ganaderos con énfasis en la alimentación durante la estación seca
y su efecto sobre la producción y la calidad de leche. Alimentación
de Ganado Durante la Estación Seca, Workshop, Managua,
Nicaragua, June 23.
Hess, H.D., Tiemann, T.T., Kreuzer, M., 2004: The forage potential of
tanniniferous legumes: Search for sustainable ways to cope with
nutritional limitations in smallholder livestock. Livestock Systems
Research in Support of Poor People, ZIL Progress Forum 2004, ETH
Zurich, Switzerland, June 4.
62

Publications
Janßen-Tapken, U., Ouma, E.A., Kadarmideen, H.N., Abdulai, A.,
Obare, G., Drucker, A., Gibson, J.P., 2004: Developing optimised cattle
breeding schemes, with a special focus on trypanotolerance,
based on the demands and opportunities of poor livestock keepers
in Eastern Africa. Selected Aspects of Sustainable Development,
Colloquium of the Network for International Development and
Cooperation (NIDECO), ETH Zurich, May 13 and June 17.
Kadarmideen, H.N., Janßen-Tapken, U., 2004: Entwicklung nachhaltiger
Zuchtprogramme in Ostafrika. Biodiversität im Dienste
der Ernährungssicherheit. Symposium World Food Day 2004, ETH
Zurich, Switzerland, October 14.
Ouma E., Obare, G., Abdulai, A., Drucker, A., 2004: Assessment of
farmer preferences for cattle traits in smallholder cattle production
systems of Kenya and Ethiopia. Rural Poverty Reduction
through Research for Development and Transformation,
Deutscher Tropentag 2004, Humboldt University, Berlin, October
5–7.
Tiemann, T.T., 2004: Proyecto de investigación: Potencial de leguminosas
forrajeras con taninos en explotaciones ganaderas de
pequeños productores. Tannins in Ruminant Nutrition in
Colombia, Workshop, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical
(CIAT), Cali, Colombia, May 18.
Velten, G., Rott, A., Cardona, C., Dorn, S., 2004: Controlling a bruchid
pest with a combination of host-plant resistance and a parasitic
wasp. Working Group IV: Biocontrol of arthropod pests in stored
products, COST Action 842, Barcelona, Spain, October 28–29.
Zhang, P., 2004: Cassava genetic engineering. South China
Botanical Garden, Academia Sinica, Guangzhou, China, August 10.
Zhang, P., 2004: Progress of cassava genetic engineering. SKLPPB,
China Agricultural University, Beijing, China, August 27.
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Biofortification. Food security for
better health in developing countries, Annual Conference of the
Swiss Centre for International Agriculture (ZIL), Switzerland,
June 11.
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Cassava plant regeneration via
somatic embryogenesis and shoot organogenesis in vitro.
Workshop on Starch Biosynthesis and Cassava Biotechnology,
Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand,
May 10–12.
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Cassava biotechnology for developing
countries–prospects and challenges. The Sixth International
Scientific Meeting of the Cassava Biotechnology Network, Cali,
Colombia, March 8–14.
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Development and testing of cassava
lines with improved resistance to African Cassava Mosaic Virus.
Livestock Systems Research in Support of Poor People, ZIL Progress
Forum 2004, Zurich, Switzerland, June 4.
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Expressing genes of interest in cassava
for genetic improvement. Workshop on Starch Biosynthesis
and Cassava Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn
University, Bangkok, Thailand, May 10–12.
Zhang, P., Gruissem, W., 2004: Production of transgenic cassava
plants using Agrobacterium and particle bombardment. Workshop
on Starch Biosynthesis and Cassava Biotechnology, Faculty of
Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, May 10–12.
RFPP projects
Knüsel, R., 2004: Fish diseases and health management. Meeting
of small-scale farmers, Zomba, Malawi, March 18.
Knüsel, R., 2004: Fish diseases and health management for smallscale
farmers. Training course, lecture and manual, Stellenbosch,
August 11.
Knüsel, R., 2004: Infectious disease in trout. Workshop, Stellenbosch,
May 20.
Knüsel, R., 2004: Producing KHV-free Koi in a KHV infested world –
does it make sense? 2 nd Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association
(OATA) Conference, London, November 15–16.
Knüsel, R., 2004: Rainbow trout fry syndrome (RTFS). Western Cape
Trout Farmers Association, Stellenbosch, October 28.
Knüsel, R., Bergmann, S., Harms, C., Wahli, T., 2004: Koi herpes virus
(KHV) in Südafrika. European Association of Fish Pathologists
(EAFP), Stralsund, Germany, September 8–10.
Knüsel, R., Brink, D., 2004: Aquakultur in Südafrika. European
Association of Fish Pathologists (EAFP), Stralsund, Germany,
September 8–10.
Köllner, T., 2004: Demand and supply for ecosystem services from
tropical forestry. Round table, Department of Agricultural and
Resource Economics, Department of Environmental Sciences,
Policy and Management, University of Berkeley, November 3.
Köllner, T., 2004: Demand and supply for ecosystem services from
tropical forestry. Invited seminar, Center for Conservation Biology,
University of Stanford, November 2.
Köllner, T., Proctor, W., 2004: Demand and supply for ecosystem
services from tropical forestry. Invited seminar, Yale School of
Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, July 12.
63

Publications
Köllner, T., Sell, J., Pedroni, L., 2004: Markets for ecosystem services
from tropical forestry. Market actors’ requirements and design of
products. Fourth SETAC World Congress and 25 th Annual Meeting
North America, Portland, Oregon, USA, November 14–18.
Proctor, W., Köllner, T., 2004: Equity considerations and markets for
ecosystem services. 8 th Scientific Conference of the International
Society for Ecological Economics, Montreal, July 11–14.
Schmidt, K., 2004: Development of multifunctional approaches to
forest management for the walnut-fruit forests in Kyrgyzstan.
Department of Environmental Sciences, ETH Zurich, January 6.
Schmidt, K., 2004: Local knowledge and forest use strategies: contributing
to the development of participatory forest management
in the walnut-fruit forests in Kyrgyzstan. Selected Aspects of
Sustainable Development, Colloquium of the Network for
International Development and Cooperation (NIDECO), ETH
Zurich, May 13.
Schmidt, K., 2004: Preliminary results of the research project on
“Knowledge and strategies of local people in forest management
in the walnut-fruit forests in Southern Kyrgyzstan”. Workshop for
forest stakeholders, Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan, August 19.
Other international projects (non ZIL funded)
Carulla, J.E., Kreuzer, M., Machmüller, A., van Dorland, H.A., Hess,
H.D., 2004: Nitrogen utilisation and methanogenesis of sheep fed
ryegrass silage supplemented with ensiled legumes and tannins.
Land Use Systems in Grassland Dominated Regions. 20 th Meeting
of the European Grassland Federation, Lucerne, Switzerland, June
21–24.
Dorn, S., 2004: Codling moth mobility and reproductive behaviour
– key factors for future investigations. Improvement of codling
moth SIT to facilitate expansion of field application. Research coordination
meeting, FAO/IAEA, Stellenbosch, South Africa, March 11.
Dorn, S., Gu, H., 2004: Optimisation of codling moth dispersal characteristics
for SIT. Improvement of codling moth SIT to facilitate
expansion of field application, Research coordination meeting,
FAO/IAEA, Stellenbosch, South Africa, March 3.
Frossard, E., A., O., 2004: Microbial phosphorus turnover in agroecosystems.
Presentation at the University La Frontera, Temuco,
Chile, March.
Gaume, A., Frossard, E., 2004: The Dynamics of Phosphorus in the
Rhizosphere. Presentation at the University La Frontera, Temuco,
Chile, March.
Goe, M. R., 2004: HIV/AIDS and the livestock sector: need to better
understand linkages. Agricultural Group, Intercooperation, Bern,
August 13.
Goe, M. R., 2004: Incorporating livestock into reconstruction efforts
(back to the basics: restoring security by revitalising local communities).
Reconstruction and Transformation: Development in a
Changing Global Environment, 10 th Annual Harvard International
Development Conference, Kennedy School of Government,
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, April 16–17.
Jansa, J., Frossard, E., 2004: The functional diversity of arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi in tilled and non-tilled soils. Presentation at the
University La Frontera, Temuco, Chile, March.
Jaturasitha, S., Khiaosa-ard, R., Chungsiriwat, P., Tubboonmee, T.,
Kreuzer, M., 2004: Effect of the period of feeding tuna oil to fattening
pigs on the quality of Chinese-style sausage. The role of
German alumni in rural / regional development and entrepreneurship.
5 th International Symposium-cum-Workshop in Southeast
Asia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Oberson, A., Frossard, E., 2004: Phosphorus management in organic
agriculture. Presentation at the University La Frontera, Temuco,
Chile, March.
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Die Abholzung ist ein globales Problem. Wie kann
Kamerun aus den Erfahrungen der Schweiz profitieren? Podium
Verein Grünwerk, Winterthur, September 22.
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Interface homme-forêt dans les régions tropicales
– une introduction. Institut Universitaire d’Etude du Développement
(IUED), University of Geneva, January 28.
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Introduction à la foresterie tropicale. DESS MATE,
University of Besançon, January 14.
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Leçons que l’agroforesterie tropicale peut apporter
à l’agroforesterie tempérée. Agroforstwirtschaft in der Schweiz:
Vergangenheit – Gegenwart – Zukunft. Workshop, Swiss Federal
Research Station for Agroecology and Agriculture (FAL), Reckenholz,
September 23.
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Nature et causes des pressions exercées sur la
forêt tropicale: peut-on y faire face? Académie Malgache des
Lettres, des Arts et des Sciences, Antananarivo, May 21.
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Orientations nouvelles de la recherche dans la
zone des forêts denses sèches à Madagascar. Madagascar –
A paradise in danger. Geological, biological, agronomical and
forestry aspects for sustainable development. Symposium,
University of Antananarivo, Deutscher Akademischer
Austauschdienst (DAAD), October 5–6.
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Transdisciplinarity – a new approach in different
contexts. Bulgarian-Swiss Forestry Programme, Advocacy workshop
for PhD students from the University of Forestry, the Forest
Research Institute and the National Forestry Board, Sofia,
September 28–29.
64

Publications
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Une perspective de long terme sur la gouvernance
des forêts à Madagascar. Dimensions institutionnelles de la biodiversité
à Madagascar, Colloquium of the NCCR North-
South/IPS/IUED, University of Geneva, June 21.
Sorg, J.-P., 2004: Zur Machbarkeit von Solarkochern in Madagaskar.
Rotary Club Kolin, Zug, January 26.
Wenk, C., Kreuzer, M., 2004: Enough and healthy diets: The contribution
of animal products. Food security for better health in developing
countries, Annual Conference of the Swiss Centre for
International Agriculture (ZIL), Zurich, Switzerland, June 11.
PhD dissertations
Other international projects (non ZIL funded)
Sliwinski, B.J., 2004: Efficacy of plant extracts rich in tannins,
saponins, lignin or essential oils as feed supplements in ruminants,
Diss. ETH Zurich No. 15396. Supervised by M. Kreuzer.
Kohler, R., 2004: Status und Dynamik landwirtschaftlicher
Produktion und Produktivität eines konservierten Kleineinzugsgebiets
in Nordwestäthiopien. 104 pp. Supervised by E. Frossard.
Semester theses
ZIL funded projects
Pavillard, N., 2004: Adaptation of Brachiaria species to low-P soils.
Development of a screening methodology. 27 pp. Supervised by
E. Frossard.
Real Posada, F.R., Rayo Carazo, O.A., Ramirez Ramirez, E.J., Lopez
Suarez, C.M., Romero Duarte, J.A., Luna García, Á.J., 2004: Survey on
dry season feed resources in three different livestock regions of
Nicaragua. Universidad Nacional Agraria (UNA), Managua,
Nicaragua. Supervised by A. Schmidt.
Romero Endara, M., 2004: Influence of production system, altitude
and season on milk yield and milk solids of dairy cows in the
Peruvian highlands. Supervised by H.R. Wettstein.
Master and diploma theses
ZIL funded projects
Mera Alvarez, M.L., 2004: Efecto de leguminosas forrajeras tropicales
ricas en taninos sobre la fermentación ruminal y la producción
de metano en un sistema in vitro (RUSITEC). Facultad de
Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia,
Palmira, Colombia. Supervised by H. D. Hess.
Noto, F., 2004: Einfluss des Herkunftslandes (Kolumbien oder
Kenia) auf die ruminalen Fermentationseigenschaften von
Calliandra calothyrsus (var. Patulul). Supervised by H. D. Hess.
Stürm, C., 2004: Effect of combinations of legumes with contrasting
contents of tannins on in vitro ruminal fermentation.
Supervised by H. D. Hess.
RFPP projects
Gähwiler, M., 2004: Marketing for ecosystem services of tropical
forestry projects. ETH-NSSI, No. 20. Supervised by T. Köllner and
O. Weber.
RFPP projects
Bucher, O., 2004: PMCA – Evaluating a new participatory method
used to innovate market chains in the Peruvian potato sector, Peru.
Supervised by T. Bernet.
Other international projects (non ZIL funded)
Gutbrodt, B., 2004: Oocytenwachstum by Acanthoscelidus obtectus.
Supervised by A. Rott and S. Dorn.
Ouadi, S., 2004: Cassava protein improvement and study on ACMV
replication interfered by RNAi constructs. Supervised by P. Zhang.
Simon, T., 2004: Die Rolle der Samengrösse befallener Bohnen auf
die Wirtswahl und Entwicklung der Larven bei der Infektion durch
den Bohnenkäfer. Supervised by A. Rott and S. Dorn.
von Mérey, G., 2004: Host suitability of Ceratitis capitata for development
of Tetrastichus giffardi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).
Supervised by S. Dorn.
Zurbuchen, A., 2004: Welche Faktoren induzieren die Eiablage bei
Acanthoscelides obtectus? Supervised by A. Rott and S. Dorn.
Other international projects (non ZIL funded)
Brand, N., 2004: Host location of Dinarmus basalis – the role of
chemical cues emitted from beans. Supervised by S. Dorn and
A. Rott.
65

Collaborators and Partners in Research
ZIL members,
collaborators and partners in research
ZIL members
Prof. Dr. Awudu Abdulai
(until March 2004)
Steering Committee Livestock Systems
Institute of Agricultural Economics
ETH Zentrum / SOL F1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 7930
Fax: +41 44 632 1086
E-Mail: abdulai@iaw.agrl.ethz.ch
(since April 2004)
External Supervisor of ZIL Project
Department of Food Economics and Consumption Studies
University of Kiel
Olshausenstr. 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany
Phone: +49 431 880 4426
Fax: +49 431 880 7308
E-Mail: aabdula@food-econ.uni-kiel.de
Internet: www.food-econ.uni-kiel.de
Prof. Dr. Renato Amadò
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition
ETH Zentrum / LFO D19, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3291
Fax: +41 44 632 1123
E-Mail: renato.amado@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Amrhein
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW E53.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3838
Fax: +41 44 632 1084
E-Mail: nikolaus.amrhein@ipw.biol.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Klaus Apel
Selection Committee
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW D17.3, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3821
Fax: +41 44 632 1239
E-Mail: klaus.apel@ipw.biol.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Peter Bachmann
Department of Environmental Sciences
ETH Zentrum / HG F18.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3187
Fax: +41 44 632 1127
E-Mail: peter.bachmann@env.ethz.ch
Dr. Claudia Binder
Department of Environmental Sciences
Institute for Human Environment Systems
ETH Zentrum / HAD G16.1, CH-8092 Zürich
Phone: +41 44 632 6445
Fax: +41 44 632 1029
E-Mail: claudia.binder@env.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Nina Buchmann
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW C56, CH-8092 Zürich
Phone: +41 44 632 3959
Fax: +41 44 632 1153
E-Mail: nina.buchmann@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Harald Bugmann
Department of Environmental Sciences
ETH Zentrum / HG G21.3, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3239
Fax: +41 44 632 1146
E-Mail: harald.bugmann@env.ethz.ch
Dr. Matthew Cock / Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann
CABI Bioscience, Switzerland Centre
1 Rue des Grillons, CH-2800 Délémont
Phone: +41 32 421 4870 / 4874
Fax: +41 32 421 4871
E-Mail: bioscience.switzerland@cabi.org
Internet: www.cabi-bioscience.org
Dr. Lena Davidsson
(until November 2004)
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition
Seestr. 72 / RUE C11, 8803 Rüschlikon
Phone: +41 44 704 5703
Fax: +41 44 704 5710
E-Mail: lena.davidsson@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
(since December 2004)
External Supervisor of ZIL Project
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Nutritional and Health-Related Environmental Studies Section
P. O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 2600 21 657
Fax: +43 1 2600 7
E-Mail: l.davidsson@iaea.org
Internet: www.iaea.org
Prof. Dr. Geneviève Défago
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW C22, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3869
Fax: +41 44 632 1108
E-Mail: genevieve.defago@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Silvia Dorn
ZIL Board
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / NW D81.4, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3921
Fax: +41 44 632 1171
E-Mail: silvia.dorn@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
66

Collaborators and Partners in Research
Prof. Dr. Peter Edwards
Geobotanical Institute
ETH Zentrum / GEO D7, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 4330
Fax: +41 44 632 1215
E-Mail: peter.edwards@env.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Felix Escher
ZIL President
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition
ETH Zentrum / LFO E23, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 4330
Fax: +41 44 632 1215
E-Mail: felix.escher@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
Dr. Zakaria Farah
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition
ETH Zentrum / LFV D42, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 5373
Fax: +41 44 632 1503
E-Mail: zakaria.farah@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Frossard
ZIL Board, Steering Committee Livestock Systems
Institute of Plant Sciences
Versuchsstation Eschikon / FMG C17.2, CH-8315 Lindau
Phone: +41 52 354 9140
Fax: +41 52 354 9119
E-Mail: emmanuel.frossard@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Dr. Monika Gessler
ZIL Board, Selection Committee
Office of the Vice-President for Research, ETH Zurich
ETH Zentrum / HG E69.3, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 7745
Fax: +41 44 632 1564
E-Mail: gessler@sl.ethz.ch
Dr. Michael R. Goe
Institute of Animal Sciences
ETH Zentrum / TAN E2, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 7673
Fax: +41 44 632 1167
E-Mail: michael.goe@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Gruissem
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW E56.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 0857
Fax: +41 44 632 1079
E-Mail: wilhelm.gruissem@ipw.biol.ethz.ch
Dr. Dominique Guenat
ZIL Board
Association de consultants en agriculture ACADE
CH-1423 Fontanezier
Phone: +41 24 436 2315
Fax: +41 24 436 2345
E-Mail: dominique guenat@bluewin.ch
Prof. Dr. Hans Rudolf Heinimann
Department of Environmental Sciences
Forest Engineering
ETH Zentrum / HG G23.2, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3235
Fax: +41 44 632 1146
E-Mail: hans.heinimann@env.ethz.ch
Dr. Hans-Dieter Hess
Institute of Animal Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFH B6, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 5683
Fax: +41 44 632 1128
E-Mail: dieter.hess@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Ottmar Holdenrieder
Department of Environmental Sciences
ETH Zentrum / HG F27.4, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3201
Fax: +41 44 632 1380
E-Mail: ottmar.holdenrieder@env.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Richard Hurrell
ZIL Board, Steering Committee Livestock Systems
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition
ETH Zentrum / LFV D 20, CH-8092 Zürich
Phone: +41 44 632 8420
Fax: +41 44 632 1470
E-Mail: richard.hurrell@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
Dr. Katharina Jenny
ZIL Board, Selection Committee
DEZA Natürliche Ressourcen und Umwelt (NRU)
Freiburgstrasse 130, CH-3003 Bern
Phone: +41 31 323 5130
Fax: +41 31 324 9362
E-Mail: katharina.jenny@deza.admin.ch
Prof. Haja N. Kadarmideen
Institute of Animal Sciences
ETH Zentrum / UNS D7, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3266
Fax: +41 44 632 1260
E-Mail: haja.kadarmideen@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Rolf Kappel
Selection Committee
NDS NADEL
ETH Zentrum / VOB B13, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 4253
Fax: +41 44 632 1207
E-Mail: kappel@nadel.ethz.ch
Annette Kolff
ZIL Board, Steering Committee Livestock Systems
Intercooperation
Maulbeerstrasse 10
PF 6724, CH-3001 Bern
Phone: +41 31 385 1010
Fax: +41 31 385 1009
E-Mail: akolff@intercooperation.ch
Internet: www.intercooperation.ch
Prof. Dr. Michael Kreuzer
ZIL Board, Steering Committee Livestock Systems (Chair)
Institute of Animal Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW B56, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 5972
Fax: +41 44 632 1128
E-Mail: michael.kreuzer@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Christophe Lacroix
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition
ETH Zentrum / LFV C20, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 635 4867
Fax: +41 44 632 1403
E-Mail: christophe.lacroix@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
67

Collaborators and Partners in Research
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Langhans
Institute of Animal Sciences
SLA C3, CH-8603 Schwerzenbach
Phone: +41 44 635 7420
Fax: +41 44 655 7206
E-Mail: wolfgang.langhans@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Bernard Lehmann
ZIL Board, Steering Committee Livestock Systems
Institute of Agricultural Economics
ETH Zentrum / SOL D1.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 5391
Fax: +41 44 632 1086
E-Mail: bernard.lehmann@iaw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Martin Loessner
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition
ETH Zentrum / LFV B20, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3335
Fax: +41 44 632 1266
E-Mail: martin.loessner@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Bruce McDonald
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW B16, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3847
Fax: +41 44 632 1108
E-Mail: bruce.mcdonald@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Dr. Astrid Oberson
Institute of Plant Sciences
Versuchsstation Eschikon / FMG C24, CH-8315 Lindau
Phone: +41 52 354 9140/32
Fax: +41 52 354 9119
E-Mail: astrid.oberson@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Peter Rieder
Institute of Agricultural Economics
ETH Zentrum / SOL E9.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 5307
Fax: +41 44 632 1086
E-Mail: peter.rieder@iaw.agrl.ethz.ch
PD Dr. Christof Sautter
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW E32.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 5713
Fax: +41 44 632 1044
E-Mail: christof.sautter@ipw.biol.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Franz Schmithüsen
Department of Environmental Sciences
Forest Policy and Economics
ETH Zentrum / HG G11, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3218
Fax: +41 44 632 1110
E-Mail: franz.schmitthuesen@env.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Jean-Philippe Schütz
Department of Environmental Sciences
Silviculture
ETH Zentrum / HG F22.4, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3197
Fax: +41 44 632 1033
E-Mail: jean-philippe.schuetz@env.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Klaus Seeland
Department of Environmental Sciences
ETH Zentrum / HG G13, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3219
Fax: +41 44 632 1110
E-Mail: klaus.seeland@env.ethz.ch
Dr. Jean-Pierre Sorg
ZIL Board
Department of Environmental Sciences
ETH Zentrum / HG FO 22.4, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3214
Fax: +41 44 632 1033
E-Mail: jean-pierre.sorg@env.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Peter Stamp
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW C14, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3878
Fax: +41 44 632 1143
E-Mail: peter.stamp@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Gerald Stranzinger
Institute of Animal Sciences
ETH Zentrum / TAN F4, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3256
Fax: +41 44 632 1167
E-Mail: gerald.stranzinger@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Caspar Wenk
Institute of Animal Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW B57.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3255
Fax: +41 44 632 1128
E-Mail: caspar.wenk@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Prof. Dr. Erich J. Windhab
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition
ETH Zentrum / LFO E18, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 5348
Fax: +41 44 632 1155
E-Mail: erich.windhab@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
External members in the
ZIL Project Selection Committee
Dr. Irene Hoffmann
FAO Animal Production and Health Division
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Phone: +39 06 570 52796
Fax: +39 06 570 55749
E-Mail: irene.hoffmann@fao.org
Prof. Fritz Schneider
Schweizerische Hochschule für Landwirtschaft SHL
Länggasse 85, 3052 Zollikofen
Phone: +41 31 910 21 72
Fax: +41 31 910 22 99
E-Mail: fritz.schneider@shl.bfh.ch
68

Collaborators and Partners in Research
Contact persons
in ZIL projects and studies
Karin Bartl
Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina
Faculty of Animal Production
Avenida La Molina s/n, Aptdo. 456, Lima, Peru
Internet: www.lamolina.edu.pe
Phone: +51 1 349 4028
Fax: +51 1 349 4028
E-Mail: karin.bartl@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Daouda Dao
Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS)
01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01
Phone: +225 05 07 62 03
Fax: +225 23 45 12 11
E-Mail: Daouda.dao@csrs.ci
Dr. Michel Dumondel
Institute of Agricultural Economics
ETH Zentrum / SOL B 9.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 53 98
Fax: +41 44 632 1086
E-Mail: michel.dumondel@iaw.agrl.ethz.ch
Dr. Alain Gaume
Institute of Plant Sciences
Eschikon 33, CH-8315 Lindau
Phone: +41 52 354 9285
Fax: +41 52 354 9119
E-Mail: alain.gaume@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Ulrike Janßen-Tapken
Institute of Animal Sciences
ETH Zentrum / UNS D 3, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3344
Fax: +41 44 632 1260
E-Mail: ulrike.janssen@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Annabé Louw-Gaume
Institute of Plant Sciences
Eschikon 33, CH-8315 Lindau
Phone: +41 52 354 9144
Fax: +41 52 354 9119
E-Mail: anna.louw-gaume@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Stephanie Good
International Livestock Research Institute ILRI
Debre Zeit Research Station
P.O. Box 5689, Addis Abada, Ethiopia
Phone: +251 133 9566
Fax: +251 133 8755
E-Mail: s.good@cgiar.org
Internet: www.ilri.org
Sergio Mejía Kerguelén
Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical CIAT
Apdo Aéreo 6713, Cali, Colombia
Phone: +57 2 445 0000
Fax: +57 2 445 0073
E-Mail: sergiomejiak@telecom.com.co
Emily Awuor Ouma
Department of Food Economics and Consumption Studies
University of Kiel
Olshausenstrasse 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany
Phone: +49 431 880 3208
Fax: +49 431 880 7308
E-Mail: eouma@food-econ.uni-kiel.de
Internet: www.food-econ.uni-kiel.de
Anja Sibylle Rott
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / NW D 76.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3936
Fax: +41 44 632 1171
E-Mail: anja.rott@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Yoseph Shiferaw
International Livestock Research Institute ILRI
Debre Zeit Research Station
P.O. Box 5689, Addis Abada, Ethiopia
Phone: +251 133 9566
Fax: +251 133 8755
E-Mail: y.shiferaw@cgiar.org
Internet: www.ilri.org
Tassilo Tamino Tiemann
Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical CIAT
Apdo Aéreo 6713, Cali, Colombia
Phone: +57 2 445 0000
Fax: +57 2 445 0073
E-Mail: tassilo.tiemann@inw.agrl.ethz.ch
Internet: www.cgiar.org
Hervé Vanderschuren
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW E 46.1, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 4952
Fax: +41 44 632 10 44
E-Mail: herve.vanderschuren@ipw.biol.ethz.ch
Guido Velten
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / NW D 85, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3925
Fax: +41 44 632 11 71
E-Mail: guido.velten@ipw.agrl.ethz.ch
Dr. Peng Zhang
Institute of Plant Sciences
ETH Zentrum / LFW E 17, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 2244
Fax: +41 44 632 1044
E-Mail: zhang.peng@ipw.biol.ethz.ch
69

Collaborators and Partners in Research
Research fellows in RFPP projects
Dr. Mathew Musumbale Abang
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
ICARDA
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: +963 21 221 3433
Fax: +963 21 221 3490
E-Mail: m.abang@cgiar.org
Internet: www.icarda.org
Dr. Thomas Bernet
International Potato Center CIP
Apdo 1556, Lima 12, Peru
Phone: +51 1 349 6017
Fax: +51 1 317 5326
E-Mail: t.bernet@cgiar.org
Internet: www.cipotato.org
Gabriela Chacón
International Potato Center CIP
P.O. Box 17-21-1977, Quito, Ecuador
Phone: +593 2 690 362
Fax: +593 2 692 604
E-Mail: g.chacon@cgiar.org
Internet: www.quito.cipotato.org
N’guessan Lucien Diby
Swiss Centre for Scientific Research CSRS
BP 1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire
Phone: +41 52 354 91 43
Fax: +41 52 354 91 19
E-Mail: lucien.diby@csrs.ci
Internet: www.csrs.ci
Frank Eyhorn
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL
Postfach, CH-5070 Frick
Phone: +41 62 865 72 49
Fax: +41 62 865 72 73
E-Mail: frank.eyhorn@fibl.ch
Internet: www.fibl.org
Ralph Knüsel
Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health FIWI
Länggasstrasse 122, Postfach 8466, CH-3001 Bern
Phone: +41 31 631 24 65
Fax: +41 31 631 26 11
E-Mail: ralph.knuesel@itpa.unibe.ch
Internet: www.vetmed.unibe.ch/itpa/fiwi
Dr. Thomas Köllner
Department of Environmental Sciences
Institute for Human Environment Systems
ETH Zentrum / HAD F 2, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 6311
Fax: +41 44 632 1029
E-Mail: thomas.koellner@env.ethz.ch
Dr. David Odongo
International Livestock Research Institute ILRI
P.O. Box 30709 Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 20 422 3000
Fax: +254 20 422 3001
E-Mail: d.odongo@cgiar.org
Internet: www.ilri.org
Nicolas Roost
International Water Management Institute IWMI
P.O. Box 2075, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Phone: +94 112 787 404
Fax: +94 112 786 854
E-Mail: n.roost@cgiar.org
Internet: www.iwmi.org
Kaspar Schmidt
Department of Forest Sciences
Groupe de Foresterie pour le Développement
ETH Zentrum / HG FO 22.3, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 3203
Fax: +41 44 632 1033
E- Mail: kaspar.schmidt@env.ethz.ch
Joachim Sell
Department of Environmental Sciences
Institute for Human Environment Systems
ETH Zentrum / HAD F 2, CH-8092 Zurich
Phone: +41 44 632 6152
Fax: +41 44 632 1029
E-Mail: joachim.sell@env.ethz.ch
Atti Tchabi
Institute of Botany, University of Basel
Hebelstrasse 1, CH-4056 Basel
Phone: +41 61 267 2319
Fax: +41 61 267 2330
E-Mail: atti.tchabi@unibas.ch
Internet: www.unibas.ch
Changhu Wang
International Center for Tropical Agriculture CIAT
A.A. 6713, Cali, Colombia
Phone: +57 2 445 0000 ext. 3143 (office) / 3265 (lab)
Fax: +57 2 445 0073
E-Mail: cwang@cgiar.org
Internet: www.cgiar.org
Christine Zundel
Swiss College of Agriculture SHL
Laenggasse 85, CH-3052 Zollikofen
Phone: +41 31 910 21 71
Fax: +41 31 910 22 99
E-Mail: christine.zundel@shl.bfh.ch
Internet: www.shl.bfh.ch
Frank Muttenzer
Institut universitaire d’études du développement
Rue Rothschild 24, Case postale 136, CH-1211 Genève 21
Phone: +41 22 906 59 40
Fax: +41 22 906 59 47
E-Mail: frank.muttenzer@iued.unige.ch
Internet: www.iued.ch
70

Accounts
Balance, December 31, 2004
CHF
Activa
Cash 300.00
ETH account 692 838.70
Credit (BLW) 4 990.81
Transitory deficit 25 110.84
Total activa 723 240.35
Passiva
ZIL capital 617 280.35
Transitory deficit 105 960.00
Total passiva 723 240.35
Balance, December 31, 2004
Expenditures Expenses Income
Livestock systems projects, Phase IV 614 960.00
Other projects, Phase IV 66 400.00
Project administration (4%) 23 136.00
Conferences and studies 34 838.47
World Food Day 20 000.00
Programme and partnership development 74 405.05
Personnel 188 593.60
Travel expenses 4 270.94
Material 2 319.50
Outsourcing 12 474.28
Public relations 30 566.75
Total expenditures 1 071 964.59
Income
DEZA contribution 850 000.00
Membership fees 62 500.00
External contributions 20 000.00
Administrative overhead RFPP, project overhead 42 353.75
Administrative overhead RFPP, fix contribution 50 000.00
ETH contribution 22 000.00
Total income 1046 853.75
Transitory deficit -25 110.85
71

Current information on ZIL activities and projects is available on our web site:
www.zil.ethz.ch
Impressum
Publisher
ZIL
Schweizerisches Zentrum für Internationale Landwirtschaft
Swiss Centre for International Agriculture
Scheuchzerstrasse 7, ETH Zentrum / SEC
CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Editor
Barbara Becker, Executive Manager ZIL
Design and Layout
Art Direction Stacy Müller, Zurich
Reproduction
With permission of ZIL
Photos
Cover: T. Bernet (see p. 37): Degustation of native potato products
p. 3: F. Escher
p. 4: Dominique Meienberg
p. 7: M. Zoss
p. 8: M. Zoss
p. 10: M. Zoss
p. 15: P. Stamp
p. 17: J. Brunnschweiler
p. 19: E. Frossard
p. 21: U. Janßen-Tapken
p. 24: E. Frossard
p. 26: U. Janßen-Tapken
p. 27: D. Hess / T. Tiemann
p. 28: D. Hess
p. 29: S. Good
p. 30: D. Dao
p. 31: P. Zhang
p. 32: G. Velten
p. 34: E. Frossard
p. 36: G. Chacon
p. 37: T. Bernet
p. 38: C. Zundel
p. 39: N. Roost
p. 40: J. Sell / T. Köllner
p. 41: F. Muttenzer
p. 42: M. Abang
p. 43: R. Knüsel
p. 44: F. Eyhorn
p. 45: A. Tchabi
p. 47: H. Ceballos
Printing
Druckerei Feldegg AG, Zollikerberg.
Printed with a 74KARAT water-free offset machine,
which substantially reduces the emission of
volatile organic compounds, and on chlorine-free paper
produced from selected waste woods without the
use of acids and whitening agents.
72

Swiss Centre for International Agriculture
Schweizerisches Zentrum für Internationale Landwirtschaft
Centre Suisse pour l’Agriculture Internationale
Scheuchzerstrasse 7, ETH Zentrum / SEC
CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland