About The Staff Member

Research Area(s):

Breeding and evaluating coconut ecotypes for commercial yield and resistant / tolerant to the Cape Saint Paul Wilt Disease (CSPWD) - main breeding programme.

Evaluation of various combinations of crosses for economically important components of the fruit such as Fruit size, Liquid endosperm, Copra content, husk and plant height. Speed of germination, leaf inflorescent, and flower morphology.

Mutation Breeding

Seed nuts, pollen, vegetative parts, or tissue cultures treated by physical (radiation) or chemical mutagens. Plants grown from treated seeds (M1) or vegetative propagules (M1V1). Population of plants grown from seeds (M2) or vegetative parts (M1V2) harvested from M1 or M1V1 respectively.

M2 population being screened for useful vegetative mutants (dwarfs, semi-dwarf etc), disease resistance, good nut and bunch characteristics and yield among others. Selection of more desired mutants in subsequent generations.

Tissue Culture

To develop coconut planting material adapted to all the agro-ecological conditions of the country, which combined tolerance to Cape Saint Paul Wilt Disease (CSPWD) and other major pests and diseases, with improved yield and high copra weight per nut.

Development of an efficient tissue culture system for coconut multiplication through somatic embryogenesis of plumule (shoot tip) explants.

Germplasm collection, conservation, evaluation, characterization and utilization

To expand the genetic base of the breeding programme and prevent the rapid loss of coconut genetic resources in Ghana. To ensure rapid genetic progress from one cycle of selection to the other by the introduction of local germplasm with desirable traits.

Conservation of the coconut genetic resources available in the country in a CSPWD – free zone in field gene banks as well as maintain some target palms for seed production.

To review variety adoption among farmers through demand-led plant variety design.

Formulating opinions on the importance of post-release monitoring and the best method to track the use of new varieties by smallholder farmers.