NARI Research and Development Projects
Genetic Resources
3. Management of Food Crop Genetic Resources - Lowlands
Plant Genetic Resources work has national significance because of its objective to conserve the rich biodiversity in traditional food crops for future generations, research and development. Many traditional food crop species and varieties are in danger of being lost because of competition from commodity crops and imported foods, and because of tendencies by farmers to grow only currently preferred and adapted varieties.
Current activity in the Wet Lowlands Islands Programme is focused on maintaining germplasm collections of the important staple crops: sweet potato (108 accessions), cassava (40 accessions), taro (205 accessions) and banana (71 accessions), along with those of aibika (56 accessions), pitpit (15 accessions) and maize (8 accessions). The programme also maintains small numbers of accessions of traditional leafy greens, fruit and nut trees and the African yam.
All the germplasm collections are at various stages of being characterized using the minimum descriptor lists. Minimum descriptors have been developed for Aibika and Cassava. The collections are regularly replanted to generate new and healthy materials and checked for contamination through mixing of varieties. Plant growth, levels of infestation by important insect pests and diseases, and crop yields are regularly measured and recorded.
Project Funder: NARI
Implementing Programme: Integrated Natural Resource Management
Project Cordination Centre: Islands Regional Centre – Keravat
Project Duration: On-going