Sweet potato is undergoing a comprehensive six–year pest and disease management control program funded by the Australian government under the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR).
The FPDA is one of several organisations engaged to develop improved crop protection options in support of intensification of sweet potato production in PNG, in a bid to promote commercial and semi commercial farmers.
Mt. Hagen Officer-in-Charge, and ACIAR Project Officer, Enopa Lindsay said the ACIAR project has been rolled out in Western Highlands, Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands.
The project was expected to promote the adoption of ‘best-bet’ combinations of Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) options. Mr Lindsay added that the program started in 2016 and will run until 2021.
FPDA’s primary role in this program was to facilitate and collaborate in conducting adaptive research and technology development.
“FPDA has collaboratively produced publications and extension information packages, and developed and disseminated recommended technologies with sweet potato’s semi-commercial and commercial farmers,” he said.
It also facilitated in identifying and liaising with Sweet Potato semi-commercial and commercial farmers, in collaboration with National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), to assess best-bet IPDM practices in farmer fields, he said.
This six-year project has been conducted working closely with 12 semi-commercial and commercial sweet potato farmers in the three provinces.
FPDA’s effective collaboration with NARI and sweet potato farmers has resulted in the successful completion of on-farm trials, data collection, and monitoring and harvesting of trials, he said.
This project has the potential to promote best- bet practices identified for further testing in farmer fields.
Challenges
Some of the major challenges faced during the phase of the project included;
- Co-ordination and collaboration in implementation of project activities with component partners.
- Social and cultural barriers in accepting new technologies.
- Farmer willingness to participate in project implementation.
- Tribal fights and social problems, and
- Logistics and resource support.
Mr. Lindsay said FPDA would continue to collaborate with NARI and UniTech for assessment of other advanced best-bet practices.