Good news from Roland Bourdeix of CIRAD. His idea for a new approach to the conservation of coconut genetic resources has taken a first important step. Roland wants to find uninhabited, isolated islets around the world and plant each one with a single coconut variety. Think of it: no maintenance costs, no expensive controlled pollinations to preserve the genetic integrity of each population, seednuts whenever you want them. Ok, of course there are drawbacks, but given the costs and difficulties of maintaining conventional coconut field genebanks, it’s worth a try. Roland calls it the Polymotu Project.
Well, Roland now tells us that he has his first islets. Marlon Brando’s family and their company Pacific Beachcomber SC has made available 5 islets from its Tetiaroa atoll. A different Tahitian variety will be conserved on each. As Roland says: “il nous reste encore 45 îlots et vallées à trouver…” Good luck!
How do you stop the pesky seednuts from one islet floating off and polluting the genetics of a neighbouring islet?
Yeah, as I say, not a perfect solution. I suppose there will have to be some regular weeding…
“… cinq îlots du très célèbre atoll de Tetiaroa, qui avait été acquis pour 99 ans par l’acteur Marlon Brando”
So when where they bought? In the 1960s after “Mutiny on the Bounty”? If so, is 50 years worth the effort?