The Western Australia Department of Agriculture is helping to improve the quality of seed production for key horticultural and pulse crops in Mauritius.

As part of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) project, Mauritian quarantine pathologist Neeye Sobun recently completed training at the Department.

The four-week training program in Perth examined Western Australia’s seed certification system for pulses, pastures and potatoes.

In addition, Mr Sobun studied the Department’s seed laboratory processes, disease diagnostic and pathology services.

He spent time with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service to look at import risk assessments, visited the mail exchange and Perth airport .

The training followed the recent visit to Mauritius by the Department’s AGWEST Plant Laboratories Manager Mark Holland.

Mr Holland spent seven weeks in Mauritius leading a multi-national team to enhance the country’s plant health management capability including the training of staff from several institutions and upgrading the Ministry of Agriculture’s laboratory facilities with equipment to conduct serological, molecular and conventional tests.

The team also provided in-service training and a seed health and certification training course for scientific and technical staff covering field surveying, sampling, seed certification and laboratory testing methods.

“Diseases of horticultural crops in the non-sugar sector are at serious levels in Mauritius and have a major impact on production and yields,” Mr Holland said.

“The FAO project involved identifying the priority diseases, developing disease minimisation strategies and seed certification schemes.

Mr Holland said diseases including cucumber mosaic virus, bacteria wilt, potato virus Y, citrus canker and black rot of brassicas posed a significant threat to crop production.

Because of the high disease levels in some horticultural crops, Mauritius has previously had to import quality seed to maintain production.

Mr Holland said the project team had developed a national certified seed scheme, a quality declared seed scheme and a nursery scheme, as well as accompanying legislation and manuals to enable clean seed production within Mauritius.

“By improving Mauritius’ seed testing capability and developing seed certification schemes, it is expected there will be a dramatic improvement in the seed health of its vegetable and pulse crops.”