Cassava is the cheapest source of industrial carbohydrate when compared to other crops. Thailand currently allocates 6.42 million rai (1 rai = 0.16 ha) for growing cassava per year. Production prices fluctuate between 0.44 Baht to 0.62 Baht per kg with this being dependent upon the control of demand and supply. The planting area also fluctuates from year to year, again depending on the price. In 1992, the FCRI in collaboration with Kasetsart University tested 5 cassava varieties in 11 environments. Most of the test areas were in the north-eastern part of Thailand in order to determine a variety that gave the highest yield in each of the areas and so enable suitable recommendations to be made to the farmer. In addition, a second experiment was established to study the impact of planting dates and harvest times on the starch quality. Both these research works are reported upon in this edition.

Hybrid maize is popular at this time, and has been adopted and grown widely amongst Thai farmers. In order to fulfills this demand, hybrid seed production has to be well organized and suitably coordinated. Tak Province, in the Western Region is a good place for such hybrid maize seed production. Many private seed companies produce their hybrid maize seed here together with their contact farmers. Interest in Thailand’s production system is wide ranging and in this Bulletin we have a special report by Mr. Nguyen Van Thu, a researcher from Vietnam, who is currently attending a training course at the Asian Maize Training Centre (AMTC). He describes his impressions of the hybrid maize seed production from interviews he conducted with Thai farmers and gives some perspectives as to how similar applications might be made in Vietnam.

Once again we hope you will find the contents of this latest edition of the FCRI Bulletin both interesting and useful and if you do have any questions or would like to contribute your ideas and opinions please do not hesitate to contact us here at the Field Crops Research Institute.