Plant Genetic Resources

Sweet Potato Germplasm Plant Genetic Resources are vital for crop improvement research. Yet they have been neglected in the past due to lack of understanding and appreciation of their value. NARI has been mandated to look after PNG's PGR through collection, conservation, maintenance, and their utilisation and documentation of relevant information.

While NARI's Plant Genetic Resources Programme is coordinated from its Dry Lowlands Programme at Laloki in Central Province , the main activities carried out at MHP, Aiyura are:

  1. Conservation and management of national germplasm collection of sweet potato, banana and drought tolerant material of sweet potato and cassava
  2. Morphological characterisation and preliminary evaluation of the germplasm in the collections
  3. Utilisation of the promising germplasm through selections for the farmers and documentation of the collected information and data

A total of 1000 accessions of sweet potato (5 drought and 9 early-maturing), 18 accessions of bananas (3 drought tolerant), and 12 cassava (5 high protein and low cyanide) are being conserved and maintained in field gene-banks at Aiyura. All the germplasm collections are relocated to new sites every two (2) years. Morphological description has been partially completed for all accessions. The basic/Minimum Descriptor List for sweet potato has been developed. This Descriptor List was created in MS Excel Spreadsheet files and stores characterisation and preliminary evaluation information and passport data. Work continues on cassava and banana documentation.



For further information, Contact

Dr. A. Ramakrishna
NARI Main Highlands Programme
P.O Box 210, SIL, UKARUMPA
Eastern Highlands Province
Papua New Guinea

Phone: (675) 737 3500
Fax: (675) 737 3516
Email: a.ramakrishna@nari.org.pg