By R. Bourdeix, 2018
References
Batugal, P., Bourdeix, R., & Baudouin, L. (2009). Coconut breeding. In Breeding plantation tree crops: Tropical species (pp. 327-375). Springer, New York, NY.
Bourdeix, R., Sangare, A., Le Saint, J. P., & N'Cho, Y. P. (1989). Effectiveness of individual combining ability tests on hybrid coconuts: initial results. Oleagineux (France).
Nothing can replace a well-designed,
regular and sustainable breeding program conducted by well-trained
professionals. In the Pacific and even in the world, very few countries have
succeeded in creating and maintaining such a breeding program, which requires
the yearly planting of at least ten hectares of fields experiments. Such a
breeding program, if well conducted, could lead to triple the present yields of
coconut farms.
Many breeding programs are not fully effective because they do not optimize breeding
cycles. Using appropriate methods, a Tall-type population could be improved of
about 25% in a cycle period of 14 years (So 1.8% per year in average). Best
improved hybrids created in Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa) are producing 30% more
than hybrids presently released in the Pacific region.
Expert advice is to commit a team of
international experts for conducting a full review of coconut breeding
programmes existing in the Pacific region, and for assessing how some other
countries from the region could develop and maintain such breeding
programmes.
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References
Batugal, P., Bourdeix, R., & Baudouin, L. (2009). Coconut breeding. In Breeding plantation tree crops: Tropical species (pp. 327-375). Springer, New York, NY.
Bourdeix, R., Sangare, A., Le Saint, J. P., & N'Cho, Y. P. (1989). Effectiveness of individual combining ability tests on hybrid coconuts: initial results. Oleagineux (France).
