United States of America
Professor Kent J. Bradford leads a research, education and outreach program encompassing a wide range of seed biology, from the molecular biology and physiology of seed development, dormancy and germination to the postharvest storage, enhancement and utilization of seeds for agricultural purposes . He is also the director of the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center (http://sbc.ucdavis.edu).
Dr. Peetambar Dahal has worked in seed production, physiology and molecular biology for more than 25 years. He is in charge of coordinating the HortCRSP project and conducts research on the utilization of Drying Beads in seed storage and on the regulation of seed dormancy.
Africa
Dr. Roger Day has expertise in agricultural development in Africa, including the dissemination and uptake of research results. He has disciplinary expertise in plant health and phytosanitary systems.
Dr. Noah Phiri has expertise in all aspects of seed production, processing, storage, and utilization, mostly among smallholder farmers, with emphasis on seed health. He has produced manuals related to seed production, processing, and utilization and is project coordinator for Africa.
Dr. Richard Musebe has expertise in seed socio-economics, value chain analysis, postharvest storage and postharvest losses, and support to production of quality seed and seed marketing. He is conducting economic analyses of seed systems in Kenya and other African countries to identify appropriate applications for Drying Beads.
Dr. Daniel Karanja has expertise in all aspects on seed health, development of sustainable seed systems and value chains in developing countries. He leads an innovative initiative to support farmer-led seed enterprises to enhance smallholder farmers’ access to quality seeds of African indigenous vegetables in Eastern and Central Africa.
Nepal
Dr. Luke Colavito has extensive experience in development activities in Nepal, including work on seeds, irrigation and pest control. He is the lead subcontractor in Nepal and is focusing on developing marketing strategies for Drying Beads.
Dr. Jwala Bajracharya has expertise in seed quality evaluation and storage and germplasm diversity. Her laboratory will conduct seed quality tests, extension activities and will work with the National Agricultural Genetic Resource Centre in Nepal to incorporate bead drying and hermetic storage into their genebank operations.
Dr. Indra Raj Pandey and CEAPRED have been working for many years to improve vegetable seed production in Nepal with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and other donors. They have an established network of seed growers and over 12,000 households in their Vegetable Seed Program. They are demonstrating the utilization of bead drying in existing vegetable seed production networks and supporting capacity-building and training as well as market linkages for Drying Beads utilization.
Bangladesh
Deepak brings over a decade plus technical and leadership experience in designing and implementing projects in Nepal focused on private sector market development, access to financial services for low income clients and a wide variety of agriculture value chain strengthening initiatives. Prior to joining iDE, he was working in Nepal as the co-founder and CEO of a not-for-profit organisation focused on improving the livelihoods of people living in the rural and remote hills of Nepal. He has worked on public health sector and social marketing with PSI, livelihoods engagement in post-conflict and emergency affected markets in Nepal through Practical Action and access to financial services in rural and remote mountains with Samriddha Pahad. He has an MBA in Marketing from Kathmandu University, School of Management.
India
Dr. Keshavulu Kunusoth serves as a Strategic Partner by enhancing seed certification and quality programs through cooperation with IDE in Bangladesh and with CABI and the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute in Africa. His laboratory conducts research on seed storage using Drying Beads and he is supporting the efforts of Indian seed companies introduce Drying Beads into their global seed production and distribution activities.
Thailand
Dr. Ganesh Shivakoti has extensive experience conducting agricultural socio-economic analyses in Nepal and other Southeast Asian countries. He is designing, coordinating and conducting the baseline socio-economic analyses of the seed systems in Nepal and Bangladesh.
Ing. Johan Van Asbrouck is the inventor of the application of Drying Beads to seed drying and is developing improved molecular sieve beads specifically for seed drying. He is the supplier of beads for all cooperators in the project and is the lead on developing marketing and distribution networks for the technology.