In September 2024, the first excursion to Cuba took place with the aim of visiting the Fieldlabs and gaining an understanding of underutilized plant species in the country.
The journey began with a visit to the Fieldlab, a fruit tree-based agroforestry system near Bayamo in eastern Cuba. The plantation is characterized by a high genetic diversity of mango trees, as well as some guava trees.
Further westward, the University of Santa Clara and its botanical garden were visited. .
A Farm in the province Villa Clara demonstrated how compost production can contribute to soil conservation and sustainable agriculture.
The stay in Santa Clara provided opportunities to establish new contacts and recruit external experts for the project.
Collaborative talks were held with local farmers, scientists, and students from the partner university Granma regarding underutilized plant species.
On another day, local smallholder farmers and a national park in the "Sierra Maestra" mountain range south of Bayamo were visited to gain an understanding of the regional interplay between small-scale agriculture, food production, and the (under)utilized plant species.
The University of Havana and the National Botanical Garden formed the final stop of the trip.
At the Department of Plant Physiology, an exchange on current research topics took place, along with a laboratory tour.
The visits to the botanical gardens in Havana, Santa Clara and Bayamo offered an overview of the different site conditions and their associated, site-specific vegetation, especially regarding underutilized plant species.