A blog maintained by Tevita Kete, PGR Officer

Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji Islands

 

   

This weblog documents the activities of Pacific Agricultural Genetic Resources Network (PAPGREN), along with other information on plant genetic resources (PGR) in the Pacific.

The myriad varieties found within cultivated plants are fundamental to the present and future productivity of agriculture. PAPGREN, which is coordinated by the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), helps Pacific countries and territories to conserve their crop genetic diversity sustainably, with technical assistance from the Bioversity International (BI) and support from NZAID and ACIAR.

SPC also hosts the Centre of Pacific Crops and Trees (CEPaCT). The CEPaCT maintains regional in vitro collections of crops important to the Pacific and carries out research on tissue culture technology. The CEPaCT Adviser is Dr Mary Taylor (MaryT@spc.int), the CEPaCT Curator is Ms Valerie Tuia (ValerieT@spc.int).

 

 

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PAPGREN coordination and support

  • IPGRI
  • ACIAR
  • NZAID
  • CTA
  • SPC
  • PAPGREN
  • CEPaCT

     genebank locations
    Click on the thumbnail to see a map of the locations of Pacific genebanks. Click here to download a regional directory of genebanks in the Pacific, including information on their location, contact details and holdings.

    PAPGREN partners


    Mr William Wigmore
    Director of Research
    Ministry of Agriculture
    Department of Resources & Development
    P.O. Box 96
    Rarotonga
    Cook Islands
    Tel: (682) 28711-29720
    Fax: (682) 21881
    Email: cimoa@oyster.net.ck

    Mr Adelino S. Lorens
    Chief
    Agriculture Pohnpei
    Office of Economic Affairs
    P.O. Box 1028
    Kolonia
    Pohnpei 96941
    Federated States of Micronesia
    Tel: (691) 3202400
    Fax: (691) 3202127
    Email: pniagriculture@mail.fm

    Dr Lois Englberger
    Island Food Community of Pohnpei
    Research Advisor
    P.O. Box 2299
    Kolonia
    Pohnpei 96941
    Federated States of Micronesia
    Email: nutrition@mail.fm

    Mr Apisai Ucuboi
    Director of Research
    Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest
    Koronivia Research Station
    P.O. Box 77
    Nausori
    Fiji Islands
    Tel: (679) 3477044
    Fax: (679) 3477546-400262
    Email: apisainu@yahoo.com

    Dr Maurice Wong
    Service du Developpement Rural
    B.P. 100
    Papeete
    Tahiti 98713
    French Polynesia
    Tel: (689) 42 81 44
    Fax: (689) 42 08 31
    Email: maurice.wong@rural.gov.pf

    Mr Tianeti Beenna Ioane
    Head, Research Section
    Division of Agriculture
    Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development
    P.O. Box 267
    Tarawa
    Kiribati
    Tel: (686) 28096-28108-28080
    Fax: (686) 28121
    Email : agriculture@tskl.net.ki; Beenna_ti@yahoo.com

    Mr Frederick Muller
    Secretary
    Ministry of Resources & Development
    P.O. Box 1727
    Majuro 96960
    Marshall Islands
    Tel: (692) 6253206
    Fax: (692) 6257471
    Email: rndsec@ntamar.net

    Mr Herman Francisco
    Director
    Bureau of Agriculture
    Ministry of Resources & Development
    P.O. Box 460
    Koror 96940
    Palau
    Tel: (680) 4881517
    Fax: (680) 4881725
    Email: bnrd@pnccwg.palaunet.com

    Ms Rosa Kambuou
    Principal Scientist PGR
    NARI Dry Lowlands Programme
    Laloki Agricultural Research Station
    P.O. Box 1828
    Boroko
    National Capital District
    Papua New Guinea
    Tel: (675) 3235511
    Fax: (675) 3234733
    Email: kambuou@global.net.pg

    Ms Laisene Samuelu
    Principal Crop Development Officer
    Crops Division
    Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries & Meteorology
    P.O. Box 1874
    Apia
    Samoa
    Tel: (685) 23416-20605
    Fax: (685) 20607-23996
    Email: lsamuelu@lesamoa.net

    Mr Jimi Saelea
    Director of Research
    Department of Agriculture and Livestock
    P.O. Box G13
    Honiara
    Guadalcanal
    Solomon Islands
    Tel: (677) 27987

    Mr Tony Jansen
    Planting Materials Network
    Kastom Gaden Association
    Burns Creek, Honiara
    P.O. Box 742
    Honiara
    Solomon Islands
    Tel: (677) 39551
    Email: kastomgaden@solomon.com.sb

    Mr Finao Pole
    Head of Research
    Ministry of Agriculture & Forests
    P.O. Box 14
    Nuku'alofa
    Tonga
    Tel: (676) 23038
    Fax: (676) 24271
    Email: thaangana@hotmail.com

    Mr Frazer Bule Lehi
    Head of Research
    Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
    Private Mail Bag 040
    Port Vila
    Vanuatu
    Tel: (678) 22525
    Fax: (678) 25265
    Email: flehi@hotmail.com

    Other links

    Other CROP agencies
    Forum Secretariat
    University of the South Pacific
    SPREP

    Pacific biodiversity
    Biodiversity hotspots
    Breadfruit Institute
    Hawaiian native plants
    Intellectual property rights
    Nature Conservancy
    PBIF
    PestNet
    SIDS
    WWF South Pacific Program

    Other Pacific organizations
    Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific
    Micronesian Seminar
    Te Puna web directory

    Pacific news
    Cafe Pacific
    CocoNET Wireless
    Island Directory
    Pacific Islands News
    Pacific Islands Report
    Pacific Islands Travel
    Pacific Time
    South Pacific travel
    Time Pacific

    Interested in GIS?
    DIVA-GIS

     

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    Wednesday, April 30, 2003


    Botany of the Indopacific Region

    The Leiden University branch of the National Herbarium of the Netherlands has a research group on Plants of the Indopacific (PITA). This brings together the research on the vascular plants of the Malesian region (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam) and adjacent Thailand and Indochina.

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    Tuesday, April 29, 2003


    Extinction in New Zealand

    A new take on ancient extinctions in New Zeland is discussed in Natural History Magazine here. Based on dates for Pacific rat fossils which are older by a thousand years than the first evidence of human habitation, some people now think that the some of the famous ancient extinctions of birds and other species in New Zeland were not caused by man after all.............

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    Where are the last wild places on earth?

    37 "wilderness areas" are described in Conservation International's "Wilderness: Earth's Last Wild Places." They include New Guinea.

    Tropical Rainforest
    1. Amazonia
    Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
    2. The Congo Forests of Central Africa
    Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo
    3. New Guinea
    Papua or Irian Jaya (Indonesia), Papua New Guinea

    Tropical Woodlands, Savannas and Grasslands
    4. The Chaco
    Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay
    5. The Caatinga
    Brazil
    6. Miombo-Mopane Woodlands and Grasslands
    Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
    7. The Serengeti
    Kenya, Tanzania
    8. Cape York
    Australia
    9. Arnhem Land
    Australia
    10. Kimberley
    Australia

    Wetlands
    11. The Pantanal
    Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay
    12. The Llanos
    Colombia, Venezuela
    13. BaƱados Del Este
    Uruguay
    14. The Sundarbans
    Bangladesh, India
    15. The Sudd
    Sudan
    16. The Okavango
    Botswana, Namibia

    Deserts
    17. Baja Californian and Sonoran Deserts
    Mexico, USA (Arizona, California)
    18. The Greater Chihuahuan Desert
    Mexico, USA (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas)
    19. The Mojave Desert
    USA (Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah)
    20. The Colorado Plateau
    USA (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah)
    21. Costal Deserts of Peru and Chile
    Chile, Peru
    22. The Sahara/Sahel
    Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jordan, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Western Sahara
    23. The Kalahari Desert
    Botswana, Namibia, South Africa
    24. The Namib Desert
    Angola, Namibia
    25. Arabian Deserts
    Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
    26. Asian Deserts
    Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
    27. Australian Deserts
    Australia

    Temperate Forests
    28. The Northern Rocky Mountains
    Canada, USA (Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming)
    29. Pacific Northwest
    Canada, USA (Alaska)
    30. The Appalachians
    Canada, USA (Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia)
    31. Magellanic Subpolar Rainforests
    Argentina, Chile
    32. European Mountains
    Albania, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia
    33. Tasmania
    Australia

    High Latitude Wilderness Areas
    34. The Boreal Forests
    Canada, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, USA (Alaska)
    35. Patagonia
    Argentina, Chile, Falkland Islands (UK)
    36. The Arctic Tundra
    Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, USA (Alaska)
    37. Antarctica

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    Wednesday, April 23, 2003


    Niue forest project a bust - A news report and comment

    ALOFI, Niue (Pacnews, April 23) - Niue's big re-forestation project has collapsed. The New Zealand funded aid program was designed to plant thousands of hectares of pacific hardwood, which could be harvested in 40 years. But five years on, the trees are not growing well and landowners who leased land for the project have bowed out. They were being paid to keep tree lines clear. However with increased migration, there is no one to look after the trees. A consultant from New Zealand has been working with landowners and the government to tidy up the project but sources from Wellington say NZAid will not allocate any more funds for the failed reforestation project.

    Comment from Dr Lex Thompson

    Disappointing to read but never really a 'big' re-forestation project even by Pacific standards. Another all-to-common case of development before research, and the choice of inappropriate poorly adpated species, in this case mainly mahogany. More recent small-scale field trials on Niue by DAFF have shown that certain native species such as Syzygium inophylloides and Terminalia richii (re-introduced from Samoa through SPRIG after it had become extinct on Niue) grow better with good form and timber properties (and I reckon mixed plantings of these and other species would have been a success, at least technically). On my visit to Niue last year we were shown a hitherto unknown population of sandalwood/yasi and this would have been a more appropriate tree species to grow in commercial plantations given its good adaptation & high value, compatability with nature conservation, Niue's poor wharf facilities and dwindling population/labour force and domestic timber needs, etc.

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    Wednesday, April 16, 2003


    A quick update on the week of meetings next month. It now looks like the PAPGREN meeting will be held on the 19th May, the day before and not after the Taro Genetic Resources Committee meeting. Also, Dr Grahame Jackson has kindly agreed to present his ideas about sweet potato genetic resources conservation and use in the Pacific at the PAPGREN meeting. We've been receiving the papers for the Taro Symposium and are busy editing as necessary.

    It also looks like Dr Pons Batugal, the Coordinator of COGENT, the global coconut network, will be visiting the region (PNG and Fiji) in mid-June.

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    Thursday, April 10, 2003


    Biodiversity Hotspots

    This Conservation International website has information on biodiversity hotspots worldwide, including "Polynesia and Micronesia" and "New Caledonia" in the Pacific.

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    Monday, April 07, 2003


    Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands (CSI)

    CSI is a UNESCO-sponsored global platform for environmentally sound, socially equitable, culturally respectful and economically viable development in coastal regions and small islands.

    Weblink: http://www.unesco.org/csi/

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    Sunday, April 06, 2003


    The Pacific Science Exchange

    The Pacific Science Exchange is an informal, facilitated service being tested over the next 3 months. This service: provides a focal point for people with science-related issues to get in contact with people who may be able to help - especially those issues that are related to communicating science to others; puts Pacific Island residents in touch with services and information relevant to their needs and interests; provides an electronic venue for people to share ideas, stories and information relating to science communication in the Pacific. The Science Exchange is hosted by the National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS) at the Australian National University in Canberra and supported by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in Samoa. It will be administered by a professional science communicator familiar with some of the science-issues confronting Pacific nations in the 21st Century and backed-up by an international network of scientists and science communicators. Any subject matter relating to science, medicine, engineering, technology, IT and the environment is welcome on the Science Exchange. Questions can be sent by e-mail to: mailto:science.exchange@anu.edu.au. There is also an internet-based discussion board for Science Exchange participants who would like to post ideas, ask questions, look for people with similar interests or concerns, and put up contacts and links to information that may be of interest to other participants at: http://www.cpas.anu.edu.au/collaborations.htm

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    Something new:


    Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives.  

    PestNet: For on-line information, advice and pest identification for the Pacific and beyond. Contact: Grahame Jackson.

     

     

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