Asia

Horticulture Innovation Lab in Asia

Since 2012, the Horticulture Innovation Lab has partnered with Kasetsart University in Thailand, to coordinate a regional center that can serve as a horticultural hub for innovations, information, and training in Asian regional countries. Find out more about the Horticulture Innovation Lab Regional Center at Kasetsart University.

In Bangladesh, the Horticulture Innovation Lab collaborates on a research project with the Nutrition Innovation Lab that examines nutrition impacts of horticultural innovations. 

Over the years, the program has invested in testing, adapting systems, and scaling out the use of drying beads to improve seed systems in Asian countries. See more information about the most recent project to scale up seed-drying technology in Bangladesh or find information resources about how to use drying beads to preserve seed quality.

In Cambodia, program researchers from UC Davis and from Kansas State University have partnered with researchers from the Royal University of Agriculture to advance horticultural science in regards to several topics — and to build local scientific capacity as well. Learn more about the Horticulture Innovation Lab's work and partnerships in Cambodia.

In collaboration with the USAID Mission in Tajikistan, the Horticulture Innovation Lab is also working to improve practices for dried apricots for farmers in southern Tajikistan.

In addition to countries where the program is currently funding research, the Horticulture Innovation Lab has also conducted research in the past in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Rishikesh Dhakal photo

Rishikesh Dhakal

Mr. Rishikesh Dhakal graduated from Tirbhuban University in Nepal with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Arts in Economics and Sociology. With over twenty years of professional experience, Mr. Dhakal has worked on numerous bilateral and multilateral development projects pertaining to the development and extension of agricultural technology, youth employment and income generation, the green economy, value chain development, and the governance of agriculture sector.
Sharmila Pun photo

Sharmila Pun

Ms. Sharmila Pun comes from Nepal and holds a dual master’s degree in Resilient Farming & Food Systems and Agroecology from Wageningen University & Research and Isara Lyon respectively. As a first-generation university graduate from an Indigenous community, she brings valuable insights and a strong commitment to an inclusive and resilient food system. She has been awarded prestigious academic scholarships such as IAAS merit, Terra ISARA, and OKP Scholarships, advancing knowledge in her field.
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