Introduction of New Coconut Germplasm Tissue Culture-derived Plantlets: The Case of Saint Lucia

The international competitiveness of coconut farmers rests on the quantum of fruit juice produced per unit area, per unit time and on the cost of production. In order to compete on the beverage market of which St Lucia is a part, coconut germplasm was imported to increase farmers’ productivity. The country imported approximately 9,100 coconut tissue-culture derived plantlets from Mexico between 2016 and 2018 and undertook acclimatization and field establishment. This study looks at the technical guidelines for the transboundary movement of coconut-specific germplasm into St. Lucia and the experiences of field establishment. While it is still early to measure the effectiveness of this technological input into the industry, the study examines the application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures in the transboundary movement of the tissue culture-derived coconut plantlets and the shortfalls of these established regulations. There was a low rate of acclimatization and survival of the plantlets because of delays in trans-shipments at various ports, cargo transportation schedules and weaning and hardening protocol weaknesses. The study found need for improvement in St. Lucia’s SPS capabilities for the transboundary movement of coconut germplasm and coconut agronomy skills as well as alternative solutions of increasing availability of planting materials for coconut.