Entry: Raquel Guerrero, INIAP

From May 24 to July 14, 2009, I participated in the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program. It has been a very good experience both for my professional and personal development. During this program, I had the opportunity to acquire new knowledge which will allow me to go further in my ongoing research on the biological control of cocoa diseases.

My training was focused in the development of formulations of biocontrol agents to control cocoa diseases using spores of a fungus called Trichoderma spp. To reach this goal, my mentor Dr. Bryan A. Bailey taught me the methodology in the Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory (SPCL) of the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA.

Outside of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (Beltsville, Maryland).

During the eight weeks, I worked learning laboratory techniques to prepare and evaluate formulations of spores of Trichoderma sp. In addition, I met people and researchers who are working in my research field that extended my knowledge and gave me the opportunity to share the situation of cocoa and research in my country.

Working in the hood in the SPCL (A). Germination of spores (B) and chlamidospores (C) of Trichoderma sp.

I am really grateful to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, The Norman Borlaug International Agriculture Science and Technology Fellows Program, the United States Department of Agriculture, World Cocoa Foundation, the USDA/Agricultural Research Service, Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory and Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIAP) for giving me the opportunity to participate in this training program and make contacts. It will allow me to keep on conducting experiments in order to improve the cultivation conditions of cocoa and also to improve the farmers’ way of life in my country.