WENO, CHUUK, FSM. Dr. Lolita Ragus, Researcher/Extension Specialist, Chuuk Agricultural Experiment Station.
COM-FSM Chuuk Campus/Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE) distributed eight promising sweet potato and two taro cultivars evaluated from April 2012 to March 2013 for tolerance to drought and salt spray. Chuuk CRE acknowledged PASAP project for making these materials available for evaluation under coastal and upland environments. Furthermore, SPC CePaCT provided these cultivars to the MPPRC, COM-FSM KAES, which further multiplied them in tissue culture, acclimatized in the greenhouse and provided to the four COM-FSM campuses. Also, KAES undertook local taro collection, which underwent similar processes as sweet potato. The Australian government funded this project, which was implemented through the joint partnership of the FSM Office of Environment and Emergency Management, COM-FSM CRE and SPC Land Resources Division (North Pacific).
On the other hand, CRE Global Food Security and Hunger and Climate Change programs and PASAP project collaborated in plant distribution and establishment of multiplication sites also serving as demonstration plots in the three Chuuk regions. The Department of Agriculture provided its motorboat and participated in this activity. Chuuk CRE coordinated with the respective island local governments for island-wide sharing of planting materials and skills gained from training. Likewise, Mortlocks and Northwest regions got their planting materials through Private Sector Grant funded-Agroforestry programs.
Two hundred sixty participants benefitted from this endeavor as detailed below:
- Faichuk (Romanum-43; Eot- 35; Udot-32; Polle-33)—–143
- Northern Namoneas (Weno-34; Fono-26)——————- 60
- Southern Namoneas (Fefen-29; Tonoas-28)—————- 57
Fefen Mayor Serino Tokyo remarked “I will make it sure that these planting materials will go to the villages where our people would share and take advantage of this opportunity”. Overall, these communities expressed their happiness and thanks for this effort.
