Improved plant protection in the Solomon Islands

Objective 1: To develop integrated pest management strategies for major food crops.

The official start of IPPSI was July 2005, with transfer of funds to SPC. However, a meeting of partners (Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Kastom Gaden Association, Vois Blong Mere (Solomon), Secretariat of the Pacific Community and TerraCircle, was not possible for another 12 weeks because of other commitments. The meeting was held in Honiara 4-7 October. A workplan for 2005/2006 was agreed as well as the formation of the IPPSI Operational (Technical) Committee and an email list for ease of communication between parties.

In the three months to the end of the year, it was agreed to carry out a literature review of the pests of interest; survey pests on Guadalcanal (as well as pesticide use around Honiara) and Malaita; obtain costings for a lab - a converted container versus a room; order equipment; recruit 2 technicians; collect market produce for pesticide analysis; initiate studies on Leptoglossus on long beans; request more germplasm from the RGC (as well as plant out bananas and sweet potatoes at DSAP sites); discuss a multiplication site at SICHE (Solomon Islands Centre for Higher Eduction); and prepare land for a screen house for germplasm introductions. In retrospect, this was an ambitious agenda.

Progress on key activities and results are as follows:

New research. Entomologist, Maclean Vagalo, IPPSI operational team leader, applied for a John Allwright Fellowship to study Nisotra, a chrysomelid beetle damaging to Abelmoschus manihot (sliperi kabis), at the University of Queensland. It is likely that he will depart Solomon Islands in January. Discussions are underway to have Dr Chris Reid, IPPSI chrysomelid expert, Australian Museum Sydney, as a supervisor of Maclean, to assist on Nisotra taxonomy. The second DAL entomologist, Michael Ho'ota is not now available to IPPSI for the next six months as he has other (rice) duties. Fortunately, Graham Teakle, previously a CSIRO entomologist, is available to assist IPPSI and arrangements are being made for his recruited under the Australian Volunteers International program.

The literature survey was begun, but no surveys were done of pests on Guadalcanal (it is likely to be carried out in association with SPC in 2006), but Graham Teakle and Fruit Fly Technician Geoffrey Oliou'ou made a visit to Malaita in late October, early November. The following pests were found damaging: Halticus minutus and Herpetogramma hipponalis on sweet potato; Riptortus (note not Leptoglossus as previously thought) on long beans; Earias vittella and Nisotra besselae on sliperi kabis. No visits were made to the village on Malaita where a farmer (Lionel Maeliu) has found Bixa (seeds) acting as a trap crop to Riptortus. A Bixa nursery is being established.

The survey by VOIS of pesticide growers around Honiara began with the development of a questionnaire and interviews. Samples of sliperi kabis, head and Chinese cabbages, beans and watermelon were sent to the USP Institute of Applied Sciences in November for pesticide residue analysis.

Adoption of previously formulated IPM packages. A leaflet on the management of alomae, a lethal disease of taro, written under another project, was printed in English and a Malaitan language with help from IPPSI. Later, it will be used in an extension program to remind growers in the highlands of Malaita of management options. A draft leaflet has been written on gummy stem blight of watermelon, a limiting disease of the crop in north Malaita where many commercial growers send fruit to Honiara.

SPC has been asked to enquire about the availability of Encarsia, the parasitoid of white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona, in Samoa.

Strengthening of plant protection capability within DAL. The IPPSI Technical Committee met four times since the work plan was developed. It agreed on terms of reference, to financial procedures and allowances with the help of the DAL accountant and advice from the Ministry of Finance. Telephone and Internet connections have been made, but transport remains a potentially difficult area, with only a very old vehicle allocated to the project. Sites for fieldwork have been agreed. No decision has yet been made whether a shipping container (cost SBD40,000; conversion SBD124,000) will be used as a lab or whether a room (eg extending the veterinary lab) will be converted. Costs of buying a container locally have been obtained as well as quotations for its conversion. Terms of reference for two technicians (research assistants) have been drafted and advertisements will be put out in the New Year. VOIS has give out info on IPPSI on its radio program (6/7 December).

Introduction of pest-resistant, higher-yielding crop from the SPC Regional Germplasm Centre. Some sweet potato varieties from SPC RGC were introduced in 2004/2005 by DSAP, but further introductions await the construction of a small shade house. A site has been allocated adjacent to DAL. Construction will start in 2006.

Objective 2: To increase government staff and community awareness and understanding of plant pests and diseases leading to improved management and sustainable crop production.

The first meeting under this objective is scheduled for April 2006.

Objective 1: To develop integrated pest management strategies for major food crops.

A meeting of partners (Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), Kastom Gaden Association (KGA), Vois Blong Mere (VBM), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and TerraCircle, was held in Honiara in October 2005. The meeting defined relationships between partners and developed a schedule of activities, further assisted by an IPPSI Operational Committee, which has met regularly in 2006 and distributed minutes. An email list (IPPSI) keeps members up-to-date with problems and progress. Apart from the meeting, few project activities began before January 2006.

Progress on key activities and results are as follows:

New research. Entomologist, Maclean Vagalo, operational project team leader, was awarded a John Allwright Fellowship to study Nisotra, a chysomelid beetle damaging to Abelmoschus manihot (sliperi kabis), at the University of Queensland in January 2005. The study will focus on taxonomy and biology. As part of the PhD program, fieldwork was carried out in Solomon Islands in late 2006, exploring life cycle and natural enemies. Other Malvaceae, close to A. manihot, may play a part in the life cycle; larvae were found to feed on roots of Hibiscus tiliaceous, suggesting that this common native plant is a host. Taxonomic relationships are being explored and advice from Chris Reid, a chrysomelid expert and project consultant, Australian Museum, Sydney, has been sought. Dr Reid's visit to Solomon Islands was delayed by travel restrictions, but will take place in early to mid 2007. Leadership of the project in Solomon Islands is in the care of Helen Tsatsia, Senior Research Officer, DAL.

Work on 'new research' is, understandably, less advanced because of the absence of the country's senior entomologist, although the project has been fortunate in that Graham Teakle has joined DAL as an Australian Volunteers International (AVI) assisting with administration and scientific duties. He has found that the pest of long bean, is Riptortus, not the leaf-footed bug, Leptoglossus australis, as first thought. A lead farmer on Malaita suggests that Bixa (lipstick tree) is a trap crop, but this has yet to be tested. Myristyl isobutyrate is known to be an aggregation pheromone of Riptortus.

The project is investigating inappropriate use of pesticides by vegetable growers supplying the Honiara market. Vegetables were sent to USP (University of the South Pacific) for analysis in 2005. Another batch is being collected for more complete analysis by the Queensland Health Scientific Services. VOIS undertook a survey among vegetable producers around Honiara to record pesticides used and their method of application. The data are still being analysed. A potent form of Derris has been located and is being bulked for testing as part of work on plant derived pesticides.

Adoption of previously formulated IPM packages. Two lead farmers were recruited to visit highland villages of Malaita where taro is grown for the Honiara market and where alomae, a lethal virus disease, is prevalent. A leaflet on the management of alomae was produced in English and the local language. A PRA (Participative Risk Assessment) was held in October 2006 with watercress growers at Mamara (near Honiara) whose crops are infested with diamond back moth. On the basis of the results and further consultations, decisions will be made on how the pest can best be managed. The project anticipated work on banana skipper, but although in nearby Papua New Guinea, it has not yet reached Solomon Islands. The melon fly was confirmed from surveys in north Malaita where watermelons are grown for sale in Honiara. Damage to fruit has not been reported, but the agriculture officer in the area is monitoring the situation. A leaflet in English has been written on Gummy Stem Blight, a serious fungal disease of watermelon, and will soon be printed and used in extension campaigns.

Strengthening of plant protection capability within DAL. Renovation of the livestock laboratory was complete in October 2006, and equipment purchased by the project was installed. It is now used for veterinary and plant protection studies. The introduction of an Encarsia parasitoid of the white peach scale is being planned for release on the weather coast of Guadalcanal where it is a pest of cassava. Introductions will be made from USDA Hawaii. Two technicians were hired by DAL under the project in April and undertook training at SPC in entomology and plant pathology in July. Unfortunately, one left the project to join the quarantine section having secured a permanent position. A decision is to be made on a replacement.

Introduction of pest-resistant, higher-yielding crop from the SPC Regional Germplasm Centre. A screen house was constructed (SPC/RGC gave advice) at the beginning of the year and beginning in June numerous accessions of taro (resistant to Phytophthora colocasia, taro leaf blight), sweet potato (from PNG and the previous Solomon Islands' collection), cassava (high yielding varieties from CIAT), and African yam (from IITA) have been introduced as pathogen-tested tissue cultures. The work was facilitated by DSAP (SPC/EU Development of Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific). A number of sweet potato cultivars have been transferred to district extension officers and to KGA for distribution through farmer networks.

Objective 2: To increase government staff and community awareness and understanding of plant pests and diseases leading to improved management and sustainable crop production.

A meeting headed by the SPC curriculum development specialist scheduled for early 2006 was postponed until July due to preparations for the Regional Technical Meeting on Plant Protection and plans to develop other national curricula. The July meeting did not take place, instead the specialist visited in late August for discussions. These indicated that the work should be carried out in close collaboration with Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE). SPC has developed some fact sheets and other supporting material. A meeting in planed for March/April 2007.

Following slow progress in the first and second years, a workshop on developing collaboration between the partners was held in February 2007, the outcome of which was an IPPSI Partnership Agreement, signed in June 2007 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Kastom Gaden Association and Vois Blong Mere Solomon as country partners, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and TerraCircle Inc., as commissioned organisations. In addition, and to help develop momentum, TerraCircle was contracted by ACIAR in June 2007 to spend greater time on the project - one day a month - and to make quarterly visits to help plan activities.
Strengthening the crop protection capability of MAL is a major aim of IPPSI and towards this goal there has been progress. The entomology lab is functional and shared with livestock. Plant pathology equipment has been received and a lab is in the process of being established at SIDT. Research on Nisotra by the senior entomologist for a higher degree has continued at the University of Queensland, and so has distribution of Derris as a source of rotenone against it, but the studies on Riptortus have stopped due to lack of staff to do the work - although a flyer on management options has been published - and the Encarsia parasitoid of white peach scale has yet to be introduced because of the difficulty in establishing a lab culture. SPC has agreed to give fruit fly control training, allowing IPPSI to delete this from its work program.
An insect collection has been started by an Australian Volunteers International (AVI), photos of pests have been placed online, and a lab technician trained to continue the work, although more training in curating and identifying insects is required. The AVI left in December 2007 and was not replaced, nor has the second lab technician been recruited.
Two consultants visited to assist the research on Nisotra, one from the University of Queensland (Dr Mike Furlong) and the other from the Australian Museum. During the visit, Mike Furlong showed the lab technician how to survey for natural enemies of Diamond back moth, and Chris Reid commented on the lab, the insect collection and taxonomy needs and how improvements might be made.
The project has continued to import elite food crop germplasm from the SPC CePACT; this has been distributed successfully to farmers through KGA networks.
Training in crop protection is a major part of IPPSI. KGA has organised training in organic vegetable production using a farmer-field-school approach and these 6-week workshops have been popular. KGA has also contracted a lead farmer to deliver training in the management of Alomae in the highlands of Malaita to good effect. There has also been progress in the development of a crop protection curriculum, adapting a module used in Tonga. There is now a clear strategy for this trainer of trainer program: a core group of trainers will use the curriculum - written by a member of SICHE - to train extension staff of government and non-government organisations, who in turn will train members of the community. The training will be the priority of future activities.
A review of the project was carried out by ACIAR and the partners, MAL, KGA and VBMS in April 2008. It was recommended that the project would be extended for 18 months and that ACIAR would contribute a further $150,000.