The Plant Tissue Culture Unit at Alafua, aims to provide teaching, training and research in the areas of plant propagation and plant conservation, through the techniques of tissue culture. Tissue culture concepts are taught as part of the AG364 Crop Production 2 course. In-depth training is also offered for technicians wanting to be trained in tissue culture techniques. Furthermore, the unit offers information and technical advice on tissue culture matters to agricultural ministries, farmers and growers.
Research is an important role of the unit particular in the areas of developing culture medium for new crops/plants, for rapid micro-propagation and for slow growth for the effective conservation of plants in vitro. These researches are often implemented by students who choose to undertake their final year projects (AG383) in tissue culture.
In conservation, the Tissue Culture Unit holds the only duplicate of the region’s germplasm collection which is currently stored at the Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CEPaCT), Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Suva, Fiji. A total of 570 accessions of taro, yams, sweet potato, bele, breadfruit and vanilla are stored and maintained in the unit at Alafua.
The unit consists of a well equipped modern laboratory with a media preparation room, sterilization and plant preparation room, screen-houses and a quarantine field plot.
