[?]Arefully-Vetted Plants

Enrich P-Ng Agriculture

Hundreds of plant introductions pass through the Plant Introduction id Quarantine Station at Loloki, near Port Moresby, every year, and the ation is playing an important part in the improvement and diversification Papua-New Guinea agricultural production through the importation of iw species of plants.

E following survey of the work is by Mr. G. P. Keleny, Plant Quarantine Officer of the Agri ire, Stock and Fisheries Depart t, Port Moresby: le Loloki Plant Introduction and rantine Station, established by Department of Agriculture, k and Fisheries in 1949, com s the two vital functions of a t importation centre and a hdog against the introduction isease from abroad, iportations fall into two jories—improved varieties of 5 already established in Papua New Guinea, and others new he Territory and of possible 5 for diversification of agri ire. Such importations are icularly essential because of the icted range of crops under vation in the Territory, introducing improved varieties ;tablished crops, Territory pro rs can benefit from the results any years of work in countries e research on a particular plant reached an advanced stage, e importation and testing of varieties likewise aims at ihing Territory primary pro ton through greater diversity of nt. an example of what is being done at Loloki. the Station recently imported five of the ng lowland coffee varieties Java, which are the result of ly 40 years of intensive re :h, and undoubtedly will be a valuable addition to the young e industry of Papua and New ea. e seeds were germinated and n under strict quarantine to d against the introduction of ses such as coffee rust which any countries severely restricts e culture. After quarantine ance, the seedlings were sent ;he Keravat Lowlands Agri iral Experimental Station near lul, where the varieties will be d under Territory conditions, nilar introduction work was in respect of Highland coffee years ago, when varieties of lea coffee were obtained from 73. and Uganda. When released quarantine at Loloki. these sent to the Highlands Agri iral Experimental Station at ra, where they are now under ese are two examples of the

several hundred plant introductions which pass through the Loloki Station each year.

Officers in charge of plant intro duction work have to keep them selves up to date on overseas research developments, and estab lish contacts through which sample consignments of plants or seeds can be obtained.

EXTENSIVE co-operation exists between the Administration and the CSIRO on the supply of plant material. In general, plants and seeds are supplied on an ex change basis, with overseas research workers readily co-operating and receiving seeds and plants in return for their consignments.

However, most sample shipments are small, and thus it is one of the functions of the Loloki Station to undertake multiplication of the original importations. Frequently this involves many years’ work before the varieties can be tested on any considerable scale.

Introduced plants are first grown under quarantine observation to ensure that no diseases or pests are imported with them, and then the seed or planting material is multiplied for testing by specialist officers in Territory districts where that particular species can be expected to grow best.

The quarantine area at Loloki includes an insect-proof shade house for raising seedlings of special importance, such as coffee, pepper and manila hemp, before they can be released for dis tribution.

HOWEVER, it is not always practicable to grow annuals, such as rice, grasses and pulse crops, in the shade house, so they are planted, for observation, in widely-spaced rows in an isolated part of the station.

The entire station can be regarded as an effective isolation area as it is in the dry zone typical of Port Moresby, with the surrounding savannah country acting as a “buffer zone”, and thus preventing any disease spreading from the station.

While most of the plant intro ductions have been in the form of small seed samples, the station has also been the clearing house' for large-scale importations, the out standing examples being tea and kenaf seed.

In 1952, in order to hasten the development of the Garaina Experi

ital Tea Plantation, the Admini tion imported 1,500 ib of tea [ from Malaya. This was ited at Loloki to guard against oduction of the serious “blister tit" disease. lis disease is a fungus which survive only in the cool atmos •e of high country, and growing seedlings under quarantine at coast effectively prevented any jduction to Papua and New lea. le seedlings were later taken to lina, and the result of this bulk jrtation has made the Territory pendent of any further outside lies of tea seed. In other words, ikely tea seed requirements, in future, will be obtainable from lina.

INAF is another crop success fully introduced into the Territory through the “cradle” i at Loloki, in which 90 lb of >rted seed were sown. This was so successful that, sub sntly, the development of the Kenaf industry was centred an area close to the Loloki on. lother phase of the work done loloki is the maintenance of lanent multiplication plots of in plants to ensure a constant ly of seed. However, this has i limited to selected plants only, lis activity is restricted by the

requirements of quarantine, the area of suitable land at the station and the capacity of the irrigation facilities, This y ear> special areas near Loloki have been planted with Crotalaria anagyroides, Centrosema pubescens and Pueroria phoseoloides to meet the widespread demand from private planters for seed. The first species is used as shade for cocoa and coffee crops, and the other two are legumes suitable for c J°P pinB ln copra and rubber plantations. < motttfr prnn nf immediate

A"™ toTrimary pr^s

is a thornless strain of Mimosa mvisa.

The Mimosa species, often called the “sensitive plant”, which is already well established in the Territory, is generally regarded as a weed, and has the disadvantage that it is thorny, which makes it unpopular as a cover crop on plantations, since native labourers do not like to work amongst it. On the other hand, it is an excellent soil improver, with a high mineral content.

A small supply of seed of the thornless variety was obtained from Holland, and this is now being multiplied at the station. It is thought that this strain may find an important place in Territory agriculture as a cover crop and

soil renovator with some additional value for plantation cattle.

Every year the Loloki Station imports about 100 different varieties of rice. The first crop is grown under quarantine at Loloki and the resulting seed goes to the Rice Breeding Station at Epo in the Mekeo area for testing and cross breeding.

Since the station was established, many hundreds of rice varieties

have been imported from all o the world, and used in the w of developing one suitable Territory conditions.

The Loloki Station is the TeE tory’s link with the agricultural search centres of the world, distribution centre for impoi plant material and a check agaj the introduction of plant discs and pests.