A project undertaken at the Fresh Produce Development Agency, PNG and supervised by Joel Pilon
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is one of the most important food crops in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. It is a major source of food, income, and cultural value for many families. However, taro production is facing serious challenges. Most farmers still grow taro using traditional planting methods based on corms (pieces of the underground stem). This method is slow, produces only a small number of new plants, and often spreads pests and diseases from one season to the next.
Taro invitro proliferation on solid media
Diseased planting materials reduce crop yields and lower quality, which affects food supply and farmer income. At the same time, demand for taro is growing in local and export markets. Farmers and producers need faster, cleaner, and more reliable ways to produce large numbers of healthy taro plants. Without better propagation methods, it will be difficult to meet future clean planting material demand.
Even though plant tissue culture has already shown promise for producing clean and disease-free taro plants, current systems still face limitations. These include low multiplication rates, long production times, and high labor costs. More research is needed to make tissue culture faster, more efficient, and more affordable.
Taro invitro experiments – Data Collection
This project aims to improve the way taro planting materials are produced by using modern tissue culture (in vitro) techniques.
One key objective is to increase the number of taro plants produced in the laboratory. The project is testing different plant hormones, especially cytokinins and auxins, to find the best balance for fast shoot growth, high multiplication, and strong, healthy plants. Different taro varieties are being tested to understand how each responds to hormone levels.
Another objective is to compare solid and liquid culture systems. Solid media are commonly used and provide stable growth conditions, while liquid systems may allow faster growth by improving access to nutrients and water.
Taro Invitro Culture Establishment
The project will identify which system offers the best combination of rapid multiplication, plant quality, cost efficiency, and labor savings. The project is also exploring special laboratory techniques to boost multiplication, such as split bud culture and shoot tip cutting. These techniques encourage plants to produce more shoots, which can greatly increase the number of plants produced per cycle. In addition, the research is testing liquid-based large-scale production systems, including bioreactor-style culture methods.
These systems may help support commercial-scale taro multiplication by improving growth efficiency and reducing manual work. Throughout the project, scientists are collecting data on shoot numbers, growth speed, plant strength, rooting ability, and overall plant health.
This information will be used to develop clear, standardized protocols that plant tissue culture laboratories in Papua New Guinea can follow.
The long-term goal of this project is to produce clean, high-quality taro planting materials, strengthen seed systems, increase farm productivity, and support farmer livelihoods. By improving taro propagation, the project aims to help communities grow healthier crops, earn better incomes, and build more resilient crop systems.