From 5th to 16th May 2025, a comprehensive training on plant preservation and curation was conducted by botanist Mr. Marika Tuiwawa, formerly from the South Pacific Regional Herbarium.

This hands-on capacity building initiative aimed to strengthen plant collection, identification, and preservation skills among Plant Protection staff.

The training combined theoretical sessions, practical fieldwork at Koronivia Research Station and Sigatoka area and a study visit to the South Pacific Regional Herbarium.

Participants were trained in herbarium-standard techniques for plant collection, specimen pressing, drying, labelling, and identification.

A total of 10 staff from the Plant Protection Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways and two students from the Fiji National University participated.

During the practical sessions, weed specimens of agricultural importance were collected from pasture fields (cattle and goat), vegetable plots (especially eggplants), and fruit orchards (dragon fruit, green pearl guava, pawpaw).

In addition, invasive alien plant species listed under Fiji’s white and blacklist were also collected to support ongoing surveillance and documentation efforts.

This training has enhanced the technical capacity of staff to support plant health diagnostics, research, and herbarium development.

Moving forward, the division aims to institutionalise routine field collections, expand collaboration with the Regional Herbarium, and digitise records to strengthen Fiji’s national plant specimen repository.

ENDS

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