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Green-seeds.com:
publications & research: articles
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REPORT ON CURRENT STATE OF HORTICULTURAL RESEARCHIN
THE PACIFIC
Prof. M. El-Otmani
Prof. A. Ait-Oubahou
Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II - Complexe
d'Agadir, BP. 18/S Agadir, Morocco
Tel : 212 8241006-240155 Fax :212 8 242243
E-mail chagadir@mtds.com
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NEW CALEDONIA
A. HORTICULTURAL CROPS
1. Fruit crops
The aims of the research on fruit crops are :
 To
satisfy the local market demand for major fruits as citrus, bananas,
mangoes, litchis, pineapple, avocados and for miscellaneous tropical
fruits as passion fruit, guava, carambolas etc.. and some temperate
fruits
Secondly
to improve the quality and adequation of fruits for export and processing
markets
Therefore
improved plant material are introduced and evaluated under the specific
local climatic and soil conditions of New Caledonia. Local selection
permits to save natural genetic ressources. The main criteria that
allows the selection of varieties are the agronomic behavior of each
variety : growing, tolerance to pest and diseases, ability of flowering,
yield but also the production period in order to display products
on the market for a longer period. The pomology and quality of each
variety of fruit is also described in order to focus one specific
market being sure that the product meets the demand.
The
sanitary constraints are also evaluated and methods of control with
respect of environment of these pests are also priorities given in
these research programmes. Updating the pests diseases inventory of
New Caledonia, setting up and monitoring rational chemical control
calendars, evaluation and diffusion of tolerant varieties against
pests and diseases are the main objectives of this programme.
Finally
all the post-harvest technology is also studied in order to improve
the quality and the storage of fruits but also a large programme has
been developed in entomology in order to determine post harvest quarantine
treatments (pulsed hot-air against fruit flies) to allow exports of
fruits and vegetables to New Zealand
Analysis
of the technical itineraries and of the systems of production in pure
culture or associated cultures will give some information for the
extension services and the producers in order to develop fruit
agriculture in New Caledonia.
Fruit
crops concerned by research programmes in New Caledonia
Citrus : 
Study
of behaviour of 182 varieties
Varietal
evaluation regarding pests and diseases (acariens, fruit flies, moths)
Indexing
work of viruses (tristeza)
Varietal
creation (hybridizations)
Study
of the adequation between rootstocks, soil constraints and quality
of fruit
Agronomical
and economical studies of rootstocks enhancing dwarfing (Flying dragon)
Conservation
of fruits by storage
Improving
fruit appearence by ethylene treatments
Proposal
of an technical itinerary for producers (intensive or semi-intensive
production)
Bananas
Study
of behaviour of 80 varieties including 25 local varieties
Study
of behaviour of 12 hybrides tolerant to Black Leaf Streak disease
Epidemiological
study of Mycosphaerella fijiensis (Black Leaf Streak disease)
under subtropical climatic conditions
Physiology
of banana related to climatic conditions
Banana
production (length of the production cycle and yield) in relation
with the choice of the date of Plantation
or the selection date of the suckers
Technical
and economical studies of banana production
Mangoes
Study
of behaviour of 36 varieties
Proposal
of new plantation density in relation with the growth of each varieties
Varietal
evaluation regarding pests and diseases (anthracnose due to Colletotrichum
gloesporioides and bacterial spot disease due to Xanthomonas
campestris pv. Mangiferaeindica)
Post
harvest treatments to control diseases and disorders
conservation of fruit by storage
Litchis
Study
of behaviour of 22 varieties
Technical
itinerary
Pineapple
Ananas
cultivation
Comparative
studies of different cultivars
Avocados
Study
of behaviour of 23 varieties
Technical
itinerary
Passion fruits
Selection
of hybrids suitable for fresh market or transformation
Selection
of rootstock tolerant to collar rot (due to Fusarium solani)
Other
miscellaneous fruits for the study of varietal behaviour (guava, carambola,
macadamia, strawberries, grapefruits)
2. Vegetable crops
The
aim of the vegetables crops research in New Caledonia is
- To satisfy the local demand in vegetables
- To answer to agronomic and commercial requirements for export through
quality and regular supply of products
- To control pests and diseases
- To diversify the agricultural production with plant with high ouputs
(ornementals and flowers)
- To develop agro-industrial products
Therefore
the activities of research and development are :
- Setting up of systems of production in fields
- Setting up of systems of production under cover
- Lintegrated control for pests
- Rationalize the control of diseases
- Analysis of commercial markets
The
main vegetable crops concerned with research and development are
Tomatoes
Varietal
behaviour
control
of weeds
Onions
Varietal
behaviour
Control
of weeds
Cabbage
Varietal
behaviour in cold season
Varietal
behaviour in hot season
Control
of Plutella xylostella
Squash
Control
of fertilisation
Melon
Varietal
behaviour
Eggplant
Control
of thrips ans tarsonemus
Capsicum
Test
of cultivation
Courgette
Control
of virus
3. Ornementals crops
Actually no research on ornementals crops is done but some programme
are being thought for the next years in order to meet the local demand
and to diversify the agriculture production with crops with high ouputs
B - RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
Fruit and vegetables crop research is undertaken by CIRAD-FLHOR
in New-Caledonia.
1. Fitness with national needs
The objectives of these fruit and vegetables research programmes have
been determined by the local political partners (the three provinces
of New in order to meet the local requirements. The producers (through
the associations) are consulted in an advisory capacity. Secondly,
some programmes linked with national and international scientific
interests have been set up and are for most of them coordinated by
the CIRAD-Headquarters.
2. Fundings
For the fruit research programme, the overall activities are funded
as followed
- Three provinces of New Caledonia 41 %
- Territory of New Caledonia 18 %
- France governement 22 %
- Cirad-Flhor 15 %
- Own ressources 4 %
For the vegetable research programme, the overall activities are funded
as followed :
3. Human ressources
Fruit :
4
scientists researchers (two belonging to CIRAD-FLHOR and two associated
researchers belonging to CIRAD-Mandat NewCaledonia).
6
technicians
10
workers
Vegetables :
2
scientists researchers (one belonging to CIRAD-FLHOR and one associated
researcher belonging to CIRAD-Mandat New Caledonia)
2
technicians
3
workers
4. Equipements
The fruits and vegetable crops research equipments are:
- One main station for fruit experimentations in (28 ha of experimental
plots), one laboratory of pathology, one laboratory of entomology,
one laboratory of in vitro culture, cooling equipement for storage
experimentations.
- One main station for vegetable experimentations
- Associated stations on different climatic and soil plots
5. Partnership relations
Partnerships
involved in this fruit crop research programme are
Université
Française du Pacifique UFP (New Caledonia)
topics : laboratory technologies and plant pathology
Institut
Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement
en Coopération ORSTOM (New Caledonia)
topic : plant pathology
Institut
National de la Recherche Agronomique INRA (France)
topic : plant improvement of citrus plant improvement of vegetables
crops
Queensland
Department of Primary Industries QDPI (Australia)
topic : plant pathology of bananas
Horticultural
and Food Research Institute Hort+Research (New Zealand)
topic : fruit fly entomology programme
Asian
Vegetable Research and Development Center AVRDC (Taïwan)
International Network for the Improvement of Bananas and Plantain
(INIBAP)
topic : Musa Germplasm Information System
C. PROSPECTS
No
other research trends are scheduled until the end of 1998. A new Research
and Development Scheme including new fundings will be proposed for
the period 1999-2003 but nothing has been yet negociated so it might
be early to discuss of this.
Up
to now, CIRAD-FLHOR of New Caledonia has not been much involved in
the network of the South Pacific Commission. Nevertherless, New Caledonia
is a Pacific countries and encountered the same problems that are
discussed below. Not being an ACP country, New Caledonia is not included
in some of the International Research Programme as PRAP but most of
the research done in horticultural area and the expertise of CIRAD-FLHOR
could benefit to the other countries of the Pacific and inversely,
some experiences of pacific countries (for example biological control
of pest and weeds, fruit fly project, tissue culture project etc..)
could serve New Caledonia. In this spirit, CIRAD-FLHOR has often been
asked to receive trainees from overseas pacific countries but had
to refuse having no facilities to accept (meeting rooms etc...)
Now
CIRAD-FLHOR is created links with SPC but also directly with the pacific
countries in order to work together and to set up collaborations (for
example : concerted action on Pacific Plantains).
© WCHR
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