Seed champions training at VARTC, August 2023: participants among leafy crop seed plots

Research programme · Sid sistem mo Nasonal Sid Bank · Systèmes semenciers et banque nationale de semences

Seed Systems & National Seed Bank

Good seed for every province

Under the National Coconut Strategy (2016) VARTC supplies improved seednuts to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.[1]

In August 2023 VARTC hosted SPC's Pacific Seeds for Life seed-champions training, with MALFFB, Manaaki Whenua and New Zealand MFAT.[2]

Through the New Zealand-funded CFF programme (2024–2029), VARTC now anchors a national seed-bank network: 18 Provincial Seed Bank Officers and a National Seed Bank Manager at VARTC, solar power for the seed bank, and a new Seed Processing Facility.[3]

Next on the list: cold storage, irrigation, a Post-Entry Quarantine facility and an upgraded Tissue Culture Lab.[3]

What we conserve

National seed bank, with provincial seed banks linked to VARTC[3]

What we breed & study

Seed processing and quality, with the new Seed Processing Facility[3]

What you can get

Improved seednuts and planting material through DARD and provincial seed banks[1]
Seed-champion and farmer seed-saving training[2]

Achievements

Key results

18 Provincial Seed Bank Officers plus a National Seed Bank Manager (2026)[3]

Seed-champions training at VARTC, 1–5 August 2023[2]

In the field

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

VARTC nursery: seedlings under shade-house netting

Field training with coconut seedlings in polybags and a new plantation layout

Library blong VARTC

Related publications

152 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–CIRAD · INRAE · SPC · Bioversity / CIAT · COGENT · USP · Montpellier univ. · 2026
Controlled pollination and reproductive strategies in coconut: A framework for farmer-led breeding, seednut production, and in situ conservation
Bourdeix, Roland; Johnson, Vincent; Pilotti, Carmel; Ellacott, William; Chant, Herenui — Ethnobotany and Economic Botany
- Coconut
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Horticulture & vegetables
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · INRAE · Montpellier univ. · University (other) · 2024
Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) genetic resources and breeding: a review of 50 years of research efforts
Lebot, Vincent; Ivancic, Anton; Lawac, Floriane — Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution
- Root crops & tubers
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Horticulture & vegetables
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · National Tropical Botanical Garden · 2024
Compte rendu de génotypage des accessions d'arbre à pain de la collection de Raiatea (Polynésie Française)
Labouisse, Jean-Pierre; Rivallan, Ronan; Lebot, Vincent — CIRAD
- Fruit & nuts
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Soils & farming systems
CIRAD Agritrop record ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–University (other) · 2024
Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources with reference to the Pacific Island Countries
Shipra Shah; Hemalatha Palanivel; Andrew McGregor — Sustainable development and biodiversity
- Root crops & tubers
- Fruit & nuts
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–CIRAD · SPC · 2024
Phenotypic diversity and reproductive biology of the coconut palm. Virtual training on "Collecting and managing information and data on coconut germplasm," organized by the Land Resources Division of the Pacific Community, Suva, Fiji. (2024, August 20–21). Online course
Bourdeix, Roland — s.n.
- Coconut
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Horticulture & vegetables
CIRAD Agritrop record ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–CIRAD · COGENT · Montpellier univ. · University (other) · 2023
Exploration, conservation et valorisation de la diversité chez trois pérennes tropicales : caféier, cocotier et arbre à pain
Labouisse, Jean-Pierre — Institut Agro Montpellier
- Coffee
- Coconut
- Fruit & nuts
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · CIRAD · University (other) · 2023
Nutritional and phytochemical characterization of taro (Colocasia esculenta) germplasm from Burkina Faso
Ouédraogo, Nicolas; Djifaby Sombié, Pierre Alexandre Eric; Traoré, Renan Ernest; Sama, Hemayoro; Bationo Kando, Pauline; Sawadogo, Mahamadou; Lebot, Vincent — Journal of Plant Breeding and Crop Science
- Root crops & tubers
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)
★ VARTCVARTC/CTRAV 2003–VARTC · ACIAR · SPC · James Cook University · Queensland DAF / DPI · 2023
Understanding the cocoa genetic resources in the Pacific to assist producers to supply the growing craft market
Natalie Dillon; Dapeng Zhang; Lars Nauheimer; Elison Toramo; Paitia Nagalevu; Marie-Vianney Melteras; Sandrine Wallez; Kuinimeri Finau; Sefanaia Nakidakida et al. — New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science
- Cocoa
- Climate, biodiversity & genetic resources
- Soils & farming systems
Open DOI ↗ (opens in a new tab)

See all Seed Systems & National Seed Bank publications →

In the news

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)

PHAMA Plus Program2 Jul 2025

Supporting seedbanks for resilience in Vanuatu's agriculture

Seed-bank toolkits and farmer training across six provinces with VARTC.

seed bank
training

Read at PHAMA Plus Program ↗ (opens in a new tab)

SPC Land Resources DivisionAug 2023

Seed champions in Vanuatu aim for agricultural future

Seed-systems training at VARTC (1–5 August 2023) under Pacific Seeds for Life, with MALFFB, Manaaki Whenua and New Zealand MFAT.

seed systems
training

Read at SPC Land Resources Division ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Seed Systems & National Seed Bank

What we conserve

What we breed & study

What you can get

Key results

In the field

Related publications

Controlled pollination and reproductive strategies in coconut: A framework for farmer-led breeding, seednut production, and in situ conservation

Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) genetic resources and breeding: a review of 50 years of research efforts

Compte rendu de génotypage des accessions d'arbre à pain de la collection de Raiatea (Polynésie Française)

Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources with reference to the Pacific Island Countries

Phenotypic diversity and reproductive biology of the coconut palm. Virtual training on "Collecting and managing information and data on coconut germplasm," organized by the Land Resources Division of the Pacific Community, Suva, Fiji. (2024, August 20–21). Online course

Exploration, conservation et valorisation de la diversité chez trois pérennes tropicales : caféier, cocotier et arbre à pain

Nutritional and phytochemical characterization of taro (Colocasia esculenta) germplasm from Burkina Faso

Understanding the cocoa genetic resources in the Pacific to assist producers to supply the growing craft market

In the news

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

Supporting seedbanks for resilience in Vanuatu's agriculture

Seed champions in Vanuatu aim for agricultural future

Sources on this page