Picking on plant diseases

plant diseases

By Martin Tiffany

FORMING a strategy to tackle plant diseases in the South Pacific in the 1990 s and beyond was the main objective of 33 scientists from eight countries who met in Fiji last month.

The three-day seminar, Pacific Plant Pathology in the 19905, was the first of its kind in the region. It was organised by the South Pacific Commission (SPC) and its recommendations will help the SPC and other agencies prioritise work on plant diseases over the next decade.

The meeting also helped countries take stock of and look at new directions for their agriculture. Brendan Rodoni, for example, was able to test the feasibility of Papua New Guinea developing rice as a cash crop.

The meeting concluded that the chal lenge for the future was to ensure there was a cadre of people who could take care of the region’s plant pathology needs. At present it is almost totally dependent on outside resources and specialists, and at risk of falling behind

available technology.

Papers presented covered staple crops such as coconut, root crops and kava, and commercial crops, cocoa, vanilla,

passionfruit and vegetables.

Dr Robert Fullerton, a plant protec tion scientist with Auckland’s Depart ment of Scientific and Industrial Re search, advised the region to decrease use of pesticides and fungicide because many overseas markets preferred fruit and vegetables grown without chemicals.

Delegates also recommended a central ised plant protection service and more technical service for smaller islands. □

Yes, we have bananas: but they also must be disease- and chemical-free