By R. Bourdeix, 2019
Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is an island country located in the Pacific Ocean, situated in Oceania, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (Solomon Islands), southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna, and north of Fiji. It is composed of three reef islands and six true atolls spread out between the latitude of 5° to 10° south and longitude of 176° to 180°, west of the International Date Line. Tuvalu had a population of 10,640 (2012 census). The total land area of the islands of Tuvalu is 26 square kilometres.
Dr R. Bourdeix visited Tuvalu long time ago, from the 24th of April 2000 to the the 11th of May 2000. The objective of this visit was to characterize coconut diversity and to collect coconut embryos to be cultivated in SPC laboratory in Fiji. Then, these embryos were planned to be sent to the Papua New Guinea International Germplasm bank for conservation. The atolls of Funafuti, Vaitupu, Nui and Nukufetau were visited. About
2326 seednuts were collected to obtain about 1587 albumen cylinders containing
embryos. From all this material, only one palm survived and is now planted at the Stewart Research Station in Madang, Papua New Guinea.
Past coconut Seed systems
In October 1972, a huge hurricane destroyed many Coconut palms in the Funafuti atoll. Then in 1973, 3000 seednuts were more of less accidentally introduced from the Rennell Island, Solomon, and released to farmers. These seednuts were originally destined to be delivered in Kiribati, but the cargo released them in Funafuti.
Part of these seednuts were sent to Vaitupu atoll to make a seed garden for production of Malayan Red Dwarf x Rennell Tall Hybrid. In 2000, only a few palms looking like true Rennell cultivar can be seen again in Funafuti (a nice one is located near the bank). But there is many palms looking like Tall x Tall hybrids, intermediate forms, or ordinary Solomon Island Tall cultivar. This may be due to the last hurricane in 1993, who destroyed again many coconut. May be also the Rennell Seednuts were collected along the coast of Rennell Island, and not around the volcanic lake inland, where the true Rennell Type is located; So a mix of the ordinary Solomon Island Tall (SIT) and true Rennell Type has probably been introduced in Funafuti.
The Elisefou Seed Garden was designed in Vaitupu for producing hybrids between Malayan Red Dwarf and Rennell Island Tall. A document from 2015 indicates the wish of the government to rehabilitate Elisefou Agriculture Station and "The re-establishment of the Dwarf Coconut breeding program at the Elisefou Agriculture station to continue the cross breeding of the Rennell Tall and the Malayan dwarf coconuts to produce the cross-breed coconut seed nuts for distribution to farmers to increase their coconut production."
Present coconut Seed system
According to M. Uatea Vave, the government is releasing to farmers seednuts of 5 varieties, one local (Tuvalu Tall) and five introduced varieties (Malayan Yellow Dwarf, Malayan Tall, Tagnanan Tall and Tampakan tall, information to be confirmed). Phone contact to the nurseries are 688 20305 and 688 20836. In 2017, less than 200 seednuts have been released to farmers.
The Department of Agriculture also helps farmer in clearing the land and designing planting by using the appriopriate distance between planting holes.
No activity was conducted regarding seed systems in the framework of the CIDP project. There is a need to propose a new seed system inspired from those recently proposed in many Pacific countries and allowing to produce both Dwarf, Tall and Dwarf x Tall certified seednuts. New design is based on seed garden interplanted with Red-Orange Dwarfs and Green Tall within an agroforestry system. The varieties to be released will have to be adapted to the different uses (toddy, virgin coconut oil, milk, copra).
There is also a crucial need to document the coconut germplasm by creating a Catalogue of Tuvaluan coconut varieties (online and paper), such as the one presently developed for French Polynesia . The design of such catalogue is inspired and improved from the global catalogue of conserved germplasm published by the COGENT network . This catalogue will help to make visible coconut diversity in Tuvalu and will strongly increase public awareness for coconut conservation and use.
Coconut varieties
A Participatory Rural Appraisal Survey on coconut diversity was organised at Vaitupu Island by Sam Panapa in October 1999. Ten men and no women were involved in this survey at Tumaseu Village.
Local name
|
Quoted by men
|
Translation
|
Importance and
notes
(1=very rare, to 10= very
numerous)
|
|
1
|
Te Kula
|
Yes
|
Red Fruit
|
8. Note from R. Bourdeix: what is called
“red” may be in fact “brown” according to the importance cotation.
|
2
|
Te Ui
|
Yes
|
Green Fruit
|
8
|
3
|
Te Alava
|
Yes
|
Ligth-red Fruit
|
8
|
4
|
Uto
|
Yes
|
Sweet edible Coconut
|
6. From 10 seednuts of this cultivar, only 1
to 2 will give again the same type.
|
5
|
Niu masela
|
Yes
|
Green Dwarf
|
9. Note from R. Bourdeix:”masela”=”Marshall Islands”,
place where this dwarf originates
|
6
|
Niu Fiiti
|
Yes
|
Malayan Red Dwarf (MRD)
|
7. Note from R. Bourdeix: introduced from Fiji islands
|
7
|
Lotuma
|
Yes
|
Rennell Island Tall (MRD)
|
8. Note from R. Bourdeix: confusion between Rotuma
Island Tall (Fiji) and Rennell Island Tall (Solomon Islands); but may be
these 2 cultivars are relatives.
|
8
|
Niu Tauaga
|
Yes
|
Thick fibre and small nuts
|
3
|
9
|
Niu Kalisilisi
|
Yes
|
Inflorescences without spikelet
|
5. This is what scientist call Spicata types.
|
10
|
Niu Elisefou
|
Yes
|
Hybrid MRD x RIT
|
9 Produced at the Elisefou Seed Garden, Vaitupu
|
11
|
Niu AafA
|
Yes
|
Dwarf light Red fruits
|
9
|
Niu Tauga, also named “Niu Fai Kafa”, was quoted as “3” for importance. During Dr Roland Bourdeix visit to Vaitupu, It was possible to see only one palm and to harvest only 3 fruits, pictures of witch were taken. It was not possible to see or taste any sweet coconut, also quoted 6 for importance. So we think that the importance of the later (in terms of palm number of frequency) is clearly over estimated in this study. These kinds of coconut palms are more present in people’s mind than in the fields; they are really endangered and they need to be collected and secured; but, as these coconuts type are now rare, it was not possible to collect them during our trip.
Some dwarf forms looking like Niu Leka dwarfs, some Red and Yellow Dwarf looking like Malayan types and some intermediate forms can be seen in the main island of the Funafuti Atoll. A green dwarf for Marshall Island is more common.
Here under is a description of the eigth populations surveyed by Dr R. Bourdeix
Marshall Green Dwarf Funafuti (MAGD02)
In 1972,
before the big hurricane, M. Willy O’Brian introduced one seednuts of a Green
Dwarf type from the Marshall Islands. This man left Funafuti and live now in
Tokelau, a Polynesian island, so it was not possible to learn more about this
introduction. This first dwarf palm was planted in the garden of M. Vaie
Manase. This kind of green dwarf, used for toddy production, is now very
appreciated because of its early flowering and its slow growth. People said
“even an old man can make his toddy”. The small nuts are of little value. It
looks very closed to the cultivar called “Sri Lanka Green Dwarf” (PGD). Anyway,
we decided to collect because PGD has shown interesting characteristics
(especially tolerance to lethal yellowing in Ghana). This accession was named
“Marshall Green Dwarf Funafuti”. It fact we harvested a mix of the first and
the second generation from the original palm.
It took a
lot of time to collect this dwarf. We had to go garden by garden, and explain
each fellow what we were doing and why. It takes a lot of time, but the people
gave kindly the seednuts free. At the end, M. Katepu Laoi collected directly
embryos by husking the seednuts and extracting cylinders in the gardens, and
the inhabitants were interested to see the process. If any introduction of new dwarf cultivars is
done, we suggest to give free some seedlings to the following people the garden
of which were harvested.
 |
| "Mickey mouse" coconut with two ears: surprising shapes of the fruits of Tuvalu Tall Funangongo |
The first
harvest of seednuts was done the 27 of April, 2000. About 100 ungerminated
husked nuts were collected. These nuts were kept without any care in the
nursery of the Agricultural Division and many embryos (just the embryos) were
eaten by ants during out boat trip. So it it must be known that, under atoll
conditions, it is impossible to keep husked coconuts without protecting them
against insects and rats. The 28 of
April 2000, I asked M. Tavau Teii to organize another harvest of seednuts in
Papa Elise Islet. The amount required was 300 ungerminated husked Coconuts, for
a price of 100 AUS$ (wich is at least twice the normal price, but I wanted to
be sure of getting the seednuts). M. Tavau accepts it, but when we come back
from our boat trip, he was gone to Fiji and only 240 non husked seednuts has
been delivered to the nursery (instead of 300 husked seednuts). We husked these
seednuts and obtain only 141 non germinated husked nuts from the 240. So I
asked the Agricultural division to send me free another lot of seednuts. A lot
of only 74 husked seednuts was delivered the last night before my departure;;
the last embryos extractions were conducted the next morning, about one hour
before the flight.
Tuvalu Tall weddings (TUVT02)
In the
Funafuti and Vaitupu atolls, there is a small number of tall palms (10 to 20)
producing a large number of very small pointed fruits. This type of tall palm
was not observed on the islets. So we decided to collect it.
This type
could be a Tall x Tall hybrid, but I do not think so. The Tuvalu Tall in
Funafuti produces medium to small fruits. The other tall introduced is the
Rennell tall, with large fruits. So it is not convincing that the cross Tuvalu
Tall x Rennell Tall produces very small fruits. People says that these palms
produces only this type of very small fruits (in some other coconut cultivars,
the same palm may produce little and medium to big fruits, depending on
environmental variations). May be the DNA analysis will help us to understand
what are really these Tuvalu Tall producing very small fruits.
Many already
germinated fruits were observed remaining attached to the collected palms. The
nuts are so small that it is impossible to use the extractors for taking the
albumen cylinders. The nuts breaks at the germination hole level and the
embryos is then visible and spoiled. So
we lost many nuts before finding a acceptable method, which consist in removing
the shell from the albumen and then cutting with a knife a piece of albumen
containing embryo.
People
said that this kind of palm is used for weddings. You can offer these little
nuts to drink when there is too much guests; after weddings, the tradition
forbids to go to the bush for a certain period of time; during this period,
people use also this kind of palm to provide coconuts for the family needs.
Tuvalu Tall Fuafatu TUVT03
Fuafatu is
one of the little islets of Funafuti Atoll. The average production is less than
5 fruits per palm per year. The fruits are elongated, but inside the nuts shape
is rounder that the one from Funangongo (or Papa Elise) islet.
Many
seednuts picked up below palms appeared already germinated when husked. Then
husked seednuts were kept without care in the nursery of the Agricultural
Division and many embryos (just the embryos, see the picture) were eaten by
ants during our boat trip.
Tuvalu Tall Alae (TUVT04)
In Vaitupu
The island seems older than Funafuti atoll and the soil is better. Collected in
the zone proposed by Trewens as a site for taking seednuts for replanting.
Tuvalu Tall Pongamanu (TUVT05)
Conservation
zone, but unfortunately a severe harvest has been done the week before the
survey, so it was not possible to obtain a large number of embryos.
 |
| The composition of the fruits of Tuvalu Tall Lolotenge is exceptional with a husked coconut weigthing 500 grammes for a husk of only 50 grammes. |
Tuvalu Tall Nukufetau (TUVT07)
Seednuts
both from Motulalo islet (165 seednuts) and Fale Islet (141 seednuts). Husked
nuts from Motulalo seems a little bigger and more round. We came back to Fale
with Katepu Laoi to get some more for fruit component analysis; all the fruits
analysed come from Fale, and it was very difficult to get them. Intercropping
with giant Taro in big holes.
Other coconut-related topics
In Tuvalu’s, previous survey works on coconut fruit characters has been done by Mr K. Trewren who surveyed several of the atolls (Anon 1982), and by Foale (1984) who visited only Funafuti. No seednuts were collected during these surveys.
In Tuvalu the sap from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is known as “toddy”. A study conducted in 2013 examined toddy's current use as a foodstuff, the contribution of the sale of toddy products to household incomes and the potential use of sour toddy as a sustainable feedstock for bioethanol production for use as a petroleum substitute in Tuvalu. At 2013 levels of production and use, less than 1% of coconut palms were used for toddy production by 1133 producers.
References
Labouisse, J. P., & Bourdeix, R. (2003). Coconut germplasm collecting, characterisation and conservation in Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu: Project LOA IPGRI 00/015, March 2000-February 2001. Final report.
Ashburner, G. R., Thompson, W. K., Halloran, G. M., & Foale, M. A. (1997). Fruit component analysis of South Pacific coconut palm populations. Genetic resources and crop Evolution, 44(4), 327-335.
Foale, M. A. (1987). Coconut germplasm in the south Pacific islands (No. 436-2016-33768).
Madaleno, I.M. Climate change in the Pacific: Tuvalu case study. Ecosystems and sustainable development. Southampton: WitPress, 243-252.
Koch, G. (1984). The material culture of Tuvalu (Vol. 3). editorips@ usp. ac. fj.
Whistler, W. A. (1988). Ethnobotany of Tokelau: the plants, their Tokelau names, and their uses. Economic Botany, 42(2), 155-176.
Hemstock, S. L. (2013). The potential of coconut toddy for use as a feedstock for bioethanol production in Tuvalu. Biomass and bioenergy, 49, 323-332.
Trewren, K. (1984). Coconut Development in Tuvalu. Ministry of Commerce and Natural Resources.
Trewren, K. (1984). Coconut Development in Tuvalu. Ministry of Commerce and Natural Resources.
