Conservation of other tree crops in PNG: Cocoa

Chocolate festival organized in PNG in 2019

Cocoa was first introduced into PNG from Samoa by the Germans at the beginning of the 20th century. The most significant introduction into PNG was that of the Upper Amazonian germplasm from Trinidad in the 1960s. It was introduced as seeds of crosses between related clones, for example, NA 33 x NA 34 or SCA 6 x SCA 9, from which the KEE clones were developed. The KEE clones are widely used, as such, in the breeding programme. Seventy-four clones were introduced more recently from either The University of Reading or CIRAD, Montpellier, 27 of them through the CFC/ICCO/IPGRI Project. The clones were established in a germplasm collection block. In 1994, the Cocoa and Coconut Research Institute (CCRI, now CCI) modified its breeding strategy to emphasise mainly, but not only, the development of clonal planting materials. A change in breeding objectives and strategies was required. Then, later in September 1994, all the existing cocoa breeding trials had to be terminated due to severe damage caused by a volcanic eruption. The Trinitario germplasm collection was initiated, in 1995, in various parts of the country.

Location of the PNG Cocoa collection
Cocoa and Coconut Institute (CCI)
P.O. Box 1846, Rabaul
Papua New Guinea

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Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) was introduced to PNG starting from the early 1900s. The initial planting material was ‘Trinitario’ which was introduced from Victoria, Cameron and Samoa. The ‘Trinitario’ germplasm was the only planting material used in the country until the release of the SG1 hybrid in
1982. Upper Amazonian clones and ‘Amelonado’ seeds were introduced during the 1960s. Additional clones from various sources were introduced in 1981 from Kew Gardens, England.

The Cocoa and Coconut Research Institute maintains clones of cocoa which are components of its two hybrid releases. The clones are grouped into two based on tree size. No organized conservation programme was undertaken by the Institute until 1994. Beginning 1995, introduction of germplasm from overseas will be intensified. The other thrust will be to collect samples from old ‘Trinitario’ trees from various parts of the country. It is assumed that surviving trees, which were derived for the most parts from seedlings and could therefore be considered landraces, will have shown adaptation to the growing conditions and biotic stresses in PNG.

References

Efron, Y., Epaina, P., & Marfu, J. (2003, October). Breeding strategies to improve cocoa production in Papua New Guinea. In Proceedings of the international workshop on cocoa breeding for improved production systems (Vol. 19, pp. 12-32).

the Chocolated festival includes a kind of "varietal contest", with biggest pod and biggest bean.
We are trying to develop similar initiative in the case of the coconut palms