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COLLEGE OF MICRONESIA

LAND GRANT PROGRAM
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sweet potato

Remote Satowan Island welcomes CRE program

WENO, CHUUK.  Kalvin Assito, Community Resource Development Agent (CRD).  Cooperative Extension Service

Chuuk CRE, for the first time, brought the community outreach programs to the remote islands of Satowan Atoll.  The island group is about 180 miles from Weno and has about 1,000 residents.  CRE agents provided 8 varieties of sweet potato to the traditional leader for multiplication and sharing.  These varieties were produced through climate change adaptation research in an effort to improve food security.

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During the visit the CRE agents attended a meeting of the Municipal government leaders.  At that meeting the leaders reported their 2013 accomplishment reports and plans for 2014.  The CRE- Community Resource Development agent discussed ‘livelihood training’ in handicrafts, sewing, cooking and using local natural resources for food security.

The residents of Satowna, lead by Mayor Miaichy Assito expressed their appreciation and thanks to CRE.  They expressed the hope that CRE can soon offer all training programs for the benefit of Satowan and their neighboring islands.

CRD Agent, Kalvin Assito, met with the Mayor on Satowan and his people
CRD Agent, Kalvin Assito, met with the Mayor on Satowan and his people.

In vitro selection for salt tolerance in taro and sweet potato

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

Bottles of tissue cultured taro.
Bottles of tissue cultured taro.

In Vitro Selection for Salt Tolerance in Taro
Dr. Verma is Project Director of research project on In Vitro Selection for Salt Tolerance in Taro. 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. Taro is one of the most important staple food crops in the Pacific Region for local consumption as well as for export. The crop contributes significantly to the socio-economics and provide livelihood to almost all island people and thus is crucial for ensuring nutritional and economic security.

In vitro selected salt tolerant taro plantlets with well-developed roots were acclimatized before transfer to the field. For acclimatization, the plantlets were transferred into pots containing sterile potting mix to avoid contamination and were kept in the greenhouse for subsequent 2-3 weeks. Acclimatized plants were then transferred to the nursery for maintenance. Fully acclimatized taro plants were evaluated for salt tolerance level in the field using randomized complete block design having 2’ distance between plants and 3’ between rows, ten plants per replication and six replications at two sites (coastal and inland) with susceptible local check in-between. Some plants of taro performed very well at coastal sites. In vitro conservation of selected salt tolerant taro germplasm for mass multiplication in future has been started.

Participants’ knowledge and skills about in vitro and in vivo selection techniques have been increased through collection and review of related literature, in vitro experimentation and conservation, establishment of nursery management system, development of high efficiency multiplication protocols, and production of elite seedlings.

Field days were organized at evaluation sites and participants from various municipalities attended and participated in the field days. The participants included enthusiastic small-scale farmers, producers, agriculture students, youths, extension agents, state government agricultural staff and agricultural professionals. During the field days, technical assistance and support were provided. Participants were encouraged to ask questions and appropriate answers were provided. All the participants showed great interest in the project and expressed willingness to participate in future training workshops.

Multi-color cultivation guide on taro has been developed, printed and distributed to all interested farmers.

 

In Vitro Selection for Salt Tolerance in Sweet Potato

KOSRAE, FSM. Dr. Virendra M. Verma, Researcher and Extension Specialist, Kosrae Agricultural Experiment Station. Dr. Verma is Project Director of research project on In Vitro Selection for Salt Tolerance in Sweet Potato. 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 is one of the most important staple food crops in the Pacific Region for local consumption as well as for export. It contributes significantly to the socio-economics and provides livelihood to almost all island people and thus is crucial for ensuring nutritional and economic security.

Germplasm of different varieties of sweet potato collected from the Micronesia Region, have been planted and maintained in the greenhouse. Shoot apices were isolated from all varieties and inoculated on media to establish cultures. All varieties were established in vitro and maintained for further experiments. Different types of media were formulated by using various combinations of plant growth regulators along with other media components like organic and inorganic nutrients/minerals, vitamins and amino acids to develop suitable and efficient multiplication and maintenance protocols for all varieties. In vitro screening to study salt tolerance level in collected and tissue culture maintained germplasm of sweet potato has been started. Media formulation and preparation for in vitro screening for stress tolerance are under progress for sweet potato cultures. In vitro selected and acclimatized salt tolerant sweet potato plantlets will be further screened in the greenhouse and field.

Participants’ knowledge and skills about in vitro selection techniques have been increased through collection and review of related literature, in vitro experimentation, and development of high efficiency multiplication protocols.

Multi-color cultivation guide on sweet potato has been developed, printed and distributed to all interested farmers.

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.

 

 

Sweet potato and taro multiplication demonstration sites established at three regions in Chuuk

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.

Fefen Island Mayor Serino Tokyo (extreme right) led in preparing plots.
Fefen Island Mayor Serino Tokyo (extreme right) led in preparing plots.
Children in Polle Island watched the sweet potato planting demonstration.
Children in Polle Island watched the sweet potato planting demonstration.

 

 

High efficiency protocols developed for in vitro multiplication of banana, sweet potato and taro, and produced elite seedlings on mass-scale

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

Tissue cultured banana plants.
Tissue cultured banana plants.

Apical meristem and lateral buds proved best for the establishment of aseptic cultures of banana, sweet potato and taro. Specific surface sterilization methods have been developed for particular explants. Various plant growth regulators, media composition and culture conditions have also been standardized for establishment of aseptic cultures and multiplication. Acclimatization techniques were standardized for the hardening of plantlets. High efficiency protocols have been developed for rapid multiplication and production of elite seedlings on mass-scale for different varieties of banana, sweet potato and taro. Participants knowledge and skills about micropropagation and nursery management techniques have been increased through collection and review of related literature; experimentation on micropropagation and conservation;  establishment of nursery management system; development of high efficiency  multiplication protocols; production of elite seedlings on mass-scale;  showcase of new varieties; and organization of training workshops.  Developed high efficiency multiplication protocols and nursery management systems have been utilized to produce elite seedlings of banana, taro and sweet potato in bulk quantity. Distribution of elite seedlings in bulk quantity has enabled local farmers to cultivate food crops on larger scales and therefore, has resulted in increased agricultural production.  Many youths and adults have started establishing their farms and are cultivating different varieties of banana, taro and sweet potato. The extension activities have improved knowledge, created awareness and developed skills of participants in sustainable agriculture systems. The project activities have made extension agents capable of organizing trainings, teaching farmers and providing technical assistance, and apply gained knowledge and skills in the field. Ultimately the project has developed positive attitudes, zeal for learning techniques and farming aspects, and has changed the behavior of the participants. Harvested bananas and taro were showcased during the State Agriculture Fair and were awarded with the first prize for banana/taro category.