Coconut Genetic Resources Pons Batugal, V. Ramanatha Rao and Jeffrey Oliver, editors i COCONUT GENETIC RESOURCES The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) is an independent international scientific organization that seeks to improve the well-being of present and future generations of people by enhancing conservation and the deployment of agricultural biodiversity on farms and in forests. It is one of 15 Future Harvest Centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an association of public and private members who support efforts to mobilize cutting-edge science to reduce hunger and poverty, improve human nutrition and health, and protect the environment. IPGRI has its headquarters in Maccarese, near Rome, Italy, with offices in more than 20 other countries worldwide. The Institute operates through four programmes: Diversity for Livelihoods, Understanding and Managing Biodiversity, Global Partnerships, and Improving Livelihoods in Commodity-based Systems. The international status of IPGRI is conferred under an Establishment Agreement which, by January 2005, had been signed by the Governments of Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda and Ukraine. Financial support for IPGRI’s research is provided by more than 150 donors, including governments, private foundations and international organizations. For details of donors and research activities please see IPGRI’s Annual Reports, which are available in printed form on request from [email protected] or from IPGRI’s Web site (www.ipgri.cgiar.org). The geographical designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IPGRI or the CGIAR concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Similarly, the views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations. Mention of a proprietary name does not constitute endorsement of the product and is given only for information. Citation: Batugal, P, V Ramanatha Rao and J Oliver, editors. 2005. Coconut Genetic Resources. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute – Regional Office for Asia, the Pacific and Oceania (IPGRI-APO), Serdang, Selangor DE, Malaysia. Cover pictures (clockwise from upper left corner): Dr Pons Batugal, COGENT Coordinator, admiring the PNG Brown Dwarf x Renell Island Tall hybrid produced by PNG’s Stewart Research Station; Vietnamese mother and child proudly showing seedling of local coconut variety they raised for planting; Mr Tiara Mataora, Senior Research Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Cook Islands, admiring the typhoon- resistant local coconut cultivar; top view of the International Coconut Genebank for Africa and the Indian Ocean hosted by Côte d’Ivoire; Mr Lolo Fili, Researcher of Tonga, showing prized local coconut variety with high husk content. Pictures courtesy of Dr Roland Bourdeix. ISBN 92-9043-629-8 IPGRI-APO PO Box 236, UPM Post Office Serdang 43400 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia © International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, 2005 ii Contents Contents Foreword x Introduction xii CHAPTER 1. An introduction to the coconut palm 1 M Foale CHAPTER 2. Locating and collecting coconut germplasm Locating coconut genetic diversity 13 V Ramanatha Rao, T Hodgkin and R Bourdeix Mapping of coconut genetic diversity 32 R Bourdeix, L Guarino, PN Mathur and L Baudouin Status, gaps and strategy in coconut germplasm 44 collecting R Bourdeix, L Guarino, V Ramanatha Rao and L Baudouin In vitro collecting of coconut germplasm 65 F Engelmann CHAPTER 3. Germplasm conservation Complementary conservation of coconuts 75 ME Dulloo, V Ramanatha Rao, F Engelmann and J Engels Coconut field genebank 91 V Ramanatha Rao COGENT’s multi-site International Coconut Genebank 106 P Batugal and K Jayashree The International Coconut Genebank for the South 115 Pacific (Papua New Guinea) M Faure iii COCONUT GENETIC RESOURCES The International Coconut Genebank for South Asia 117 (India) V Rajagopal The International Coconut Genebank for Southeast 119 and East Asia (Indonesia) H Novarianto The International Coconut Genebank for Africa and 121 the Indian Ocean (Côte d’Ivoire) JL Konan Proposal for the establishment of the International 123 Coconut Genebank for Latin America and the Caribbean (Brazil) EA Tupinamba Status of cryopreservation research in coconut 142 F Engelmann, B Malaurie, O N’Nan and M Borges In situ conservation of coconut diversity 149 B Sthapit, V Ramanatha Rao and D Davis Poverty reduction in coconut growing communities: A 161 strategy for coconut in situ/on-farm conservation P Batugal, J Oliver and K Jayashree Global coconut conservation strategy 190 P Batugal and V Ramanatha Rao CHAPTER 4. Characterizing diversity Morphometric methods of determining diversity 209 L Baudouin and G Santos Biochemical and molecular methods for characterizing 225 coconut diversity P Lebrun, A Berger, T Hodgkin and L Baudouin iv Contents CHAPTER 5. Germplasm use Conventional coconut breeding 251 P Batugal and R Bourdeix Use of molecular markers for coconut improvement: 268 Status and prospects L Baudouin, P Lebrun, F Rognon and E Ritter Breeding for drought tolerance in coconut: Status and 282 potentials V Rajagopal, KV Kasturi Bai and N Kumar Performance of coconut hybrids in some countries of 302 Asia, Africa and Latin America P Batugal Performance evaluation of coconut varieties and 309 farmers’ varietal preferences P Rethinam, P Batugal and F Rognon Multilocation coconut hybrid trials in three African and 326 three LAC countries P Batugal, JL Konan, A Sanaoussi, AK Kullaya, E Tupinamba, R Castillo and B Been Coconut micropropagation 334 C Oropeza, E Rillo, V Hocher and JL Verdeil CHAPTER 6. Major pests and safe movement of germplasm Coconut lethal yellowing 349 C Oropeza, JA Escamilla, G Mora, D Zizumbo and NA Harrison Status of coconut lethal yellowing in Jamaica 364 B Been and W Myrie Indexing and pathogen characterization 371 S J Eden-Green and AA Mpunami Strategies for safe movement of coconut germplasm 390 M Diekmann v COCONUT GENETIC RESOURCES Pest risk assessment of the International Coconut 395 Genebank for Africa and Indian Ocean, and Latin America and Caribbean H de Franqueville Pest risk analysis and guidelines for the safe movement 411 of germplasm in the International Coconut Genebank of Asia and the Pacific R Ikin CHAPTER 7. Information, public awareness, institutional support and partnerships The International Coconut Genetic Resources Database 427 C Hamelin, R Bourdeix and L Baudouin Public awareness initiatives in coconut 439 J Oliver and P Batugal Standardized catalogues of coconut germplasm: 456 Catalogue of conserved germplasm and farmers’ varieties R Bourdeix and P Batugal Catalogue of high-value coconut products 463 K Jayashree Catalogue of coconut food recipes 466 Zulyana MN CGIAR’S support to coconut research 473 G Persley The International Coconut Genetic Resources Network 482 (COGENT): Its history and achievements P Batugal The Coconut Research for Development Programme 500 (PROCORD) P Batugal and J Oliver vi Contents CHAPTER 8. COGENT’s regional network reports Research on coconut genetic resources in the South 513 Pacific T Osborne Research on coconut genetic resources in South Asia 524 G Kalloo Research on coconut genetic resources in Southeast and 533 East Asia C Carpio, G Santos, E Emmanuel and H Novarianto Research on coconut genetic resources in Africa and the 546 Indian Ocean A Kullaya and JL Konan Research on coconut genetic resources in Latin America 557 and the Caribbean D Zizumbo, B Been, E Tupinamba, R Castillo and C Oropeza CHAPTER 9. Country reports on status of coconut genetic resources research South Asia India 573 V Rajagopal, PM Kumaran, S Arulraj and V Arunachalam Sri Lanka 581 AD Samarajeewa, CK Bandaranayake, CS Ranasinghe, JMDT Everard, LK Weerakoon, WMU Fernando and S Senarathne Bangladesh 596 SA Bhuiyan, A Rashid, Md Nazirul Islam and BC Sarker Pakistan 604 M Hashim Laghari and AH Solangi vii COCONUT GENETIC RESOURCES Southeast and East Asia Indonesia 608 H Novarianto, RH Akuba, N Mashud, E Tenda and J Kumaunang Thailand 618 P Naka and K Jayashree Vietnam VV Long 625 Malaysia 634 AW Fong, N Kalitu and K Jayashree Philippines 639 C Carpio, E Manohar, E Rillo, C Cueto, O Orense, MB Areza-Ubaldo and AR Alfiler China 648 L Tang and Z Ma Africa and the Indian Ocean Côte d’Ivoire 654 JL Konan Ghana 661 SK Dery, J Owusu Nipah and F Ofori Nigeria 667 CO Okwuagwu Tanzania 670 AK Kullaya Kenya 682 FK Muniu and PK Kibet Mozambique 688 JS Cumbi Seychelles 691 AM Moustache viii Contents Latin America and the Caribbean Brazil 695 EA Tupinambá, JF da Silva, Jr and WM Aragão Mexico 704 R Gonzalez and C Oropeza Guyana 709 O Homenauth Jamaica 715 B Been South Pacific Cook Islands 720 W Wigmore and T Mataora Fiji 725 V Kumar and T Kete Kiribati 732 M Tenang Papua New Guinea 737 M Faure Samoa 744 A Peters and K Jayashree Tonga 748 P Taufatofua and K Jayashree Vanuatu 750 JP Labouisse and J Lahva Index 762 ix COCONUT GENETIC RESOURCES Foreword Coconut is an important crop for poor people, supporting their livelihoods and the sustainability of their environment. It is a source of materials for food, drink and shelter. As a fundamental element in the food system it provides essential nutrition to people in coconut-growing communities. It stabilizes farming systems, especially in fragile environments such as small island states, atolls, and in coastal zones. And coconut generates much needed income for small growers as well as employment and foreign currency earnings for their countries. Despite the enormous potential of the crop, coconut farmers in the past mostly scraped a living well below the poverty line.