By Roland Bourdeix, Malua Solinuu. Valerie Saena Tuia and Alofa Leuluaialii

This website returns the information collected during four scientific visits conducted in 2001, 2010, 2012 and 2017 on behalf the Ministry of Agriculture of Samoa, the International Coconut Genetic Resources Network, the Secretatiat of the South Pacific Community, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, Bioversity International, CIRAD (French Centre for Agricultural Research and Development), the Coconut Industry Development for the Pacific (CIDP project) and the Darwin Initiative "Saving Pacific Coconuts".



The small coconut collection of Nuu research Station

By R. Bourdeix, 2017

Map of the small coconut collection
held in Nuu Research Station as of November 2017.




01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
Niu Samatau
01
o
o
X
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
X
o
o
Niu Samoa
02
o
o
A
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Niu vai
03
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
X
o
o
o
o

Niu Somolon
04
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Niu togau
05
o
o
o
o
X
X
o
o
X
o
X
o

Niu afa
06
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
X
o
o
o
o

Hybrid
07
o
X
X
o
o
X
o
o
o
o
o
o

Niu Ati
08
o
X
o
X
o
o
o
o
X
X
o
o

Niu le'a 1
09
A
A
A
o
o
?
?
X
X
o
o
o

Niu le'a 2
10
A
o
o
o
o
o
o
X
o
X
o
X

Niu tea
11
o
o
A
o
o
X
o
o
o
X
X
o


Caption
o
Living true to type palm
A
Abnormal palm
X
Dead palm
?
Dubious palms (offtype?)

Correspondance between local names and international names

Local name
International name
International abbreviation
Niu Samatau
Samoan Tall Samatau
SMOT03
Niu Samoa
Samoan tall
SMOT
Niu vai
Niu Vai Tall
NVIT
Niu Somolon
Rennell Island Tall
RIT
Niu togau
??? May be Tonga Tall or edible husk
TONT (???)
Niu afa
Niu Kafa Tall
NKFT
Hybrid
Malayan Red Dwarf x Rennell Island Tall
MRDxRIT
Niu Ati
Nu Ati Red Dwarf
NATD
Niu le'a 1
Niu leka Samoa small nuts?
NLAD01
Niu le'a 2
Niu leka Samoa big nuts?
NLAD02
Niu tea
Tahitian Red Dwarf
TRD

In Samoa, there was two recorded Niu le’a populations, one with big fruits, the other with small fruits. I will be good to precise which kind on Niu le’a are conserved in Nuu.  Some of the niu le'a seems to be off-type with a growth typical to Tall-type varieties. Expert advised to replace the abnormal, off-type and dead palms.