VARTC team with villagers at Nuvi village, East Epi, collecting germplasm (2021)

Research programme · Fama we i strong long klaemet jenis · Agriculture résiliente au climat

Climate-Resilient Agriculture

Climate-ready crops, from cyclone recovery to carbon science

Climate resilience runs through every programme. The root-crops team works on diversification for climate change, drought, resistance and food security, with awareness and training on climate-ready crops and adaptive strategies.[1]

FAO's 2013 study of climate change and agriculture in Vanuatu highlights VARTC's role in providing climate-ready varieties.[2]

At Saraoutou, CIRAD and VARTC researchers ran long-term studies of the carbon and water fluxes of coconut groves, measuring how much carbon the coconut landscape fixes.[3]

When Tropical Cyclone Harold struck in 2020, VARTC recollected lost yam and taro varieties so that farmers could replant.[4]

The CFF climate programme is now funding a Post-Entry Quarantine facility and Tissue Culture Lab upgrades at VARTC.[5]

What we conserve

Back-up of climate-ready root-crop varieties in the national gene bank[4]

What we breed & study

CFDV-tolerant coconuts and diversified root crops for drought and disease resistance[6]
Assessment of carbon fixation by the coconut grove[7]

What you can get

Training on climate-ready crops, sustainable farming and climate adaptation[1]

Achievements

Key results

Post-cyclone recollection of yam and taro varieties (2020)[4]

Long-term coconut carbon and water flux research at Saraoutou[3]

In the field

A young five-year-old Vanuatu Tall palm in trial GC29 at Saraoutou

A labelled bundle of a red root-crop variety (germplasm sample)

Library blong VARTC

Related publications

206 records in the Knowledge Hub relate to this programme. VARTC and former-name work (IRHO, IRCC, CARFV, CTRAV) is marked ★ and listed first.

★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · IRD / ORSTOM · USP · Univ. of Queensland · CSIRO · Lincoln University · Manaaki Whenua / Landcare Research · University of Hawaii · Montpellier univ. · 2024
Damage to tropical forests caused by cyclones is driven by wind speed but mediated by topographical exposure and tree characteristics
Ibanez, Thomas; Bauman, David; Aiba, Shin-Ichiro; Arsouze, Thomas; Bellingham, Peter J.; Birkinshaw, Chris; Birnbaum, Philippe; Curran, Timothy J.; DeWalt, S et al. — Global Change Biology
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Forestry & agroforestry
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · University (other) · 2021
Abscisic acid phytohormone estimation in tubers and shoots of Ipomoea batatas subjected to long drought stress using competitive immunological assay
Gouveia, Carla S.S.; Ganança, José F.T.; Slaski, Jan; Lebot, Vincent; Pinheiro de Carvalho, Miguel A.A. — Physiologia Plantarum
- Root crops & tubers
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–University (other) · 2021
Unlocking the inherent potential of plant genetic resources: food security and climate adaptation strategy in Fiji and the Pacific
Hemalatha Palanivel; Shipra Shah — Environment Development and Sustainability
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Forestry & agroforestry
- Horticulture & vegetables
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · University (other) · 2020
Involvement of abscisic acid and other stress indicators in taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) response to drought conditions
Gouveia, Carla S.S.; Ganança, José F.T.; Slaski, Jan; Lebot, Vincent; Pinheiro de Carvalho, Miguel A.A. — Acta Physiologiae Plantarum
- Root crops & tubers
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Soils & farming systems
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · University (other) · 2020
NIRS estimation of drought stress on chemical quality constituents of taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) flours
Gouveia, Carla S.S.; Lebot, Vincent; Pinheiro de Carvalho, Miguel A.A. — Applied Sciences
- Root crops & tubers
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · University (other) · 2020
Phenotypic flexibility and drought avoidance in taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott)
Gouveia, Carla S.S.; Ganança, José F.T.; de Nóbrega, Humberto G. M.; de Freitas, José G.R.; Lebot, Vincent; Pinheiro de Carvalho, Miguel A.A. — Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture
- Root crops & tubers
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Soils & farming systems
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · University (other) · 2019
Drought avoidance and phenotypic flexibility of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) under water Sarcity conditions
Gouveia, Carla S.S.; Ganança, José F.T.; Nóbrega, Humberto G.M.; de Freitas, José G.R.; Lebot, Vincent; Pinheiro de Carvalho, Miguel A.A. — Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
- Root crops & tubers
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Soils & farming systems
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · SPC · University (other) · 2019
Stable isotope natural abundances (δ13C and δ15N) and carbon-water relations as drought stress mechanism response of taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott)
Gouveia, Carla S.S.; Ganança, José F.T.; Slaski, Jan; Lebot, Vincent; Pinheiro de Carvalho, Miguel A.A. — Journal of Plant Physiology
- Root crops & tubers
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)

See all Climate-Resilient Agriculture publications →

In the news

The station coconut nursery: rows of seednuts and seedlings under shade structures

Department of Climate Change, Vanuatu5 May 2026

DoCC monitoring visit to Santo highlights progress in climate-resilient agriculture

CFF monitoring found 18 Provincial Seed Bank Officers and a National Seed Bank Manager in place, solar seed-bank power and a Seed Processing Facility; cold storage, irrigation, Post-Entry Quarantine and a Tissue Culture Lab are next.

seed bank
climate
CFF

Read at Department of Climate Change, Vanuatu ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Floriane Lawac (VARTC Root Crops), Tari Molisalé (DARD) and Edilbert Telukluk with collected root crops, 2020

Vanuatu Daily Post11 Jun 2020

FSAC and VARTC to conserve root crops genetic resources

After TC Harold, VARTC's Root Crops Division recollects lost yam and taro varieties from relief shipments for the national gene bank.

gene bank
cyclone
root crops

Read at Vanuatu Daily Post ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Climate-Resilient Agriculture

What we conserve

What we breed & study

What you can get

Key results

In the field

Related publications

Damage to tropical forests caused by cyclones is driven by wind speed but mediated by topographical exposure and tree characteristics

Abscisic acid phytohormone estimation in tubers and shoots of Ipomoea batatas subjected to long drought stress using competitive immunological assay

Unlocking the inherent potential of plant genetic resources: food security and climate adaptation strategy in Fiji and the Pacific

Involvement of abscisic acid and other stress indicators in taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) response to drought conditions

NIRS estimation of drought stress on chemical quality constituents of taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) flours

Phenotypic flexibility and drought avoidance in taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott)

Drought avoidance and phenotypic flexibility of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) under water Sarcity conditions

Stable isotope natural abundances (δ13C and δ15N) and carbon-water relations as drought stress mechanism response of taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott)

In the news

DoCC monitoring visit to Santo highlights progress in climate-resilient agriculture

FSAC and VARTC to conserve root crops genetic resources

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