TaroPest: A computer based information and diagnostics package for taro pests of the South Pacific

• Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Fiji
• National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority, Papua New Guinea

Taro is culturally and economically important in the South Pacific. Culturally it is a staple food, important to food security and as a 'prestige' crop with a role in gift giving and ceremonial activities. Economically it generates substantial returns (in Fiji FJD$1.85 billion) and creates flow-on benefits such as employment and income in rural areas. Taro is also important as an export industry in some Pacific Island countries. Where exporting occurs facilities for packing and shipping can provide jobs, a valuable avenue out of poverty. The main barriers to productivity are pests and diseases. More than 130 pests and diseases have been recorded in the SPC Plant Protection Service database. Many of these cause minor crop losses, but a few can devastate crops, such as leaf blight in Samoa in 1993 which virtually eliminated taro. The majority of pests and diseases are present in only a few countries. This makes the introduction of these to other countries, as in the case of Samoa, all the more devastating.

The exporting and trade of taro increases the risks of diseases and pests spreading. Quarantine agencies in the region have an important role to play in ensuring this spread is stopped. This project was developed because diagnostic expertise for quarantine officers, extension workers, farmers and some scientists in Pacific Island countries was lacking. A comprehensive package was needed to help the range of people involved in taro farming, trade and research to better manage pest and disease diagnosis.

The project objectives were to produce a diagnostic and information package for taro pests and diseases of the South Pacific, to enhance regional capacity in the ability to build and use Lucid-based (software) information and diagnostic packages, and to test and incorporate user feed-back and dissemination of TaroPest to end-users.

The tasks of the project team were to refine the Pest List to be included in the information and diagnostics package, develop a character matrix for all species and place this within the Lucid framework, and gather as much pre-existing information of taro pests and diseases as possible to incorporate into the package.
The team then ran the identification system for all species to determine areas of weakness or confusion (formal beta-testing and training workshop 1), and focused subsequent research on 'problem' species to identify novel character states which would allow robust and accurate identification.

The team members carried out extension work in the field to gather information on traditional control techniques. They focused on continuing to introduce ongoing updates of the package at regional workshops - to generate ownership of product by the region, ensure accuracy of content and to generate feedback on the preferred presentation of both hard and soft components of TaroPest. They then proceeded to develop fact sheets and identification tutorials in the mode most preferred by users.

Trial of the penultimate version of the information and diagnostics package relied on educated 'non-experts' (formal beta-testing and training workshop 2) to ensure the package was both user-friendly and accurate. This allowed incorporation of any recommended changes or corrections before producing a final package.

The project team produced a diagnostic and information package for the taro pests and diseases of the South Pacific. This included the TaroPest website (http://taropest.sci.qut.edu.au) that came on-line in April 2006. Significant effort (announcements on list-servers, articles in international IPM groups, personal emails, hard-copy letters and meeting and conference presentations) was dedicated to publicising TaroPest and inviting testing and feedback. TaroPest can now be located by Google which, combined with promotion by project staff has significantly increased visitors to the site. TaroPest has been the focus of articles in the Pacific Gardener newsletters, Taro Growers Association of Australia newsletters, SPC Land Resources Division newsletters, and the Papgren (Plant Genetic Resources News from the Pacific) Forum. TaroPest has also been the subject of several discussions on PestNet, and many participants provided regional advice on particular pest issues: these responses were incorporated into TaroPest.

Continuous feedback from potential end-users in the region highlighted the necessity for a hard copy weather-proof guide, to enable 'in-field' identifications. A photograph-rich field guide was developed to fulfil this need. Five-hundred copies of the field guide, including a self running CD-rom version of the website, were printed and disseminated throughout the region. These have been very well received and there have been numerous requests for further copies. Other extension material has been formatted to provide a print-on-demand resource. The TaroPest name is now quickly recognised around the Pacific as a reliable and helpful resource, and the visitation rate to the website has increased dramatically.

Training in the development and use of the Lucid software has been provided at a variety of levels - through a general workshop in Suva, specialist training for two technical officers in Brisbane, and progress visits to Suva. Relevant software and hardware was supplied, along with training, to allow in-country development of Lucid-based packages. Although the Lucid component of this project was eventually abandoned due to difficulties with end-user accessibility and programming, the staff members trained throughout the project are competent in the use of all aspects of the Lucid software. Training was also provided in the use of software packages 'Dreamweaver' and 'Photoshop' at a specialist training workshop in Brisbane. These programs have been utilised extensively throughout the project and training continued on a virtual basis with regular email contact.

Two TaroPest workshops were conducted in Samoa. Attendees of these workshops included farmers, extension officers and researchers. In collaboration with ACIAR project 'HORT/2001/023: Horticulture industry development for market-remote communities' a poster was developed of Taro Pests and Diseases in Samoa. A TaroPest workshop was also conducted at a Taro Growers Association of Australia field day in South Johnston, north Queensland. Twenty-five local taro growers attended, provided feedback on TaroPest and offered insight into local pest and disease issues.