College of Micronesia Land Grant Program

Good things are really happening!

Archives for July 14, 2013

Cooperative Research and Extension participated in launching “Fairotiw Fairota” youth organization

WENO, CHUUK, FSM.  Kalvin Assito, Youth Agent, Chuuk Cooperative Extension Service.

On June 26, 2013, a youth organization founded by Linda Mori-Hartmann, called “Fairotiw Fairota” hosted its first youth gathering at Bay View Building in Nepukos, Weno. This non-government organization (NGO) aims to teach the youth Chuukese cultural values through the assistance of government, other NGOs, private sectors and programs.  In particular, COM-FSM CRE will be involved in teaching these young people about moral values to resist alcoholism and other delinquent behavior, cultivating their interests to do gardening and developing income-generating skills like handicraft making.

The Department of Health Director, Mayor of Weno, heads of various collaborating partners and the Chuuk Governor Johnson Elimo joined in this event.  Four other youth groups representing their islands performed traditional dances and songs that signified their own cultural values.

Chuuk Governor Johnson Elimo set himself as an example on how to value their lives and culture.  As a youth, he was under the influences of drugs that he realized was wrong. He knew that drugs make people miserable. The Governor encourages the youth to participate in worthwhile activities and groups like “Fairotiw Fairota” to ensure their lives have good purpose and high self-esteem.

Chuuk Governor Johnson Elimo addresses gathering
Chuuk Governor Johnson Elimo addresses gathering

Governor Elimo emphatically concluded to them, “Fear the Lord, who is the key fountain in life; value your lives together with your families, villages, islands and state and be actively involved in an organization such as this to understand the secret to life”.

Youth at meeting
Youth at meeting

Extensive hands-on trainings on integrated sustainable agriculture for root crops, vegetables and fruit production

KOSRAE, FSM. Dr. Virendra M. Verma, Researcher/Extension Specialist, Kosrae Agricultural Experiment Station. 

The key concept of the project was to implement and demonstrate to small-scale farmers, a successful integrated sustainable agriculture system that is promising in island conditions and is safe for the environment. The project provided adequate opportunities to educate and train farmers and rural communities in on-farm implementation of sustainable agriculture systems through hands-on trainings including PowerPoint presentations.

Project coordinator Dr. Verma, producers and participants maintained a high level of interest for development, implementation and demonstration of multiple integrated activities for cropping systems in a sustainable manner. Demonstration plots developed and used for demonstration of planned outreach activities to encourage establishment of integrated sustainable agriculture systems. At the project sites, vigorously growing crops, harvest of excellent sweet potatoes, bananas, eggplants, soft taro, pineapple, hot peppers, black pepper, watermelons, wax guard, Chinese cabbage and papaya attracted much attention of local communities.

Experiments are showing positive results and farmers are showing increased interest in developing agricultural farms. The extension activities have improved knowledge, created awareness and developed skills of participants in sustainable agriculture systems. Ultimately extension activities have developed positive attitudes, zeal for learning techniques and farming aspects, and have changed the behavior and economic condition of the participants.

Crops explored at workshop.

Banana
Banana

Black pepper
Black pepper

Chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage

Eggplant
Eggplant

Hot pepper
Hot pepper

Papaya
Papaya

Pineapple
Pineapple

Soft taro
Soft taro

Sweet potato
Sweet potato

Sweet potato
Sweet potato

Watermelon
Watermelon

Wax gourd
Wax gourd

Assessment of salt tolerance in taro and sweet potato: in vitro selection, greenhouse and field evaluation

KOSRAE, FSM. Dr. Virendra M. Verma, Researcher/Extension Specialist, Kosrae Agricultural Experiment Station. 

Salinity, an abiotic stress that combines elements of water deficiency and sodium toxicity is among the most serious and widespread of agricultural problems on islands resulting in lost crop yield and arable land. Therefore, the efforts to develop salt-tolerant plants are of immense importance to increase crop productivity. In recent years, tissue culture based in vitro selection has emerged as a feasible and cost-effective tool for developing salt tolerant plants. Sweet potato and taro are most important staple food crops in the Pacific Region for local consumption as well as for export. These crops contribute significantly to the socio-economics and provide livelihood to almost all island people and thus are crucial for ensuring nutritional and economic security. Both sweet potato and taro are placed on high agricultural priority but limitations in availability of salt tolerant germplasm, and disease-free and elite seedlings, is a major bottleneck in production. Therefore, the study is being undertaken for assessment of salt tolerance in taro and sweet potato through in vitro selection, followed by greenhouse and field evaluation. To establish aseptic cultures for collected germplasm of taro and sweet potato, various experiments were performed. Different concentrations of sodium chloride were used for in vitro selection of salt tolerant germplasm. This in vitro selected germplasm was further evaluated for salt tolerance in the greenhouse and finally was field evaluated at various sites in four replications. Some varieties of taro and sweet potato performed very well at coastal sites. Results based on various physiological and morphological parameters collected during the research.

Tissue culture sweet potato.
Tissue culture sweet potato.
Tissue culture taro.
Tissue culture taro.