Collection, Establishment, and Evaluation of aGermplasm Collection of Pacific Island Breadfruit

Approximately 400 accessions of breadfruit {Artocarpus altilis (Parkin.) Fosberg, A. mariannensis Trecul, and A. camansi Blanco) were collected from 17 Pacific Island groups (Fiji, Rotuma, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Belau, Kiribati, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, Cook Islands, Marquesas, Samoa, Society Islands, Tokelau, and Tonga) for a germplasm collection. Micronesian accessions included interspecific hybrids between A. mariannenis and A. altilis. A total of 145 accessions were propagated and 185 trees of 135 accessions were added to a germplasm collection on Maui, Hawaii, at the Kahanu Gardens of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. The collection now consists of 226 trees of more than 100 cultivars from 17 island groups. The collection was evaluated using gel electrophoresis. Six enzyme systems (AGO, ADH, IDH, LAP, MDH, and PGM) were polymorphic, and 204 accessions were reduced to 90 unique zymotypes using cluster analysis. Only 12 zymotypes occurred in more than one island group, and one, a Polynesian triploid cultivar (A. altilis) was found in 11 island groups in Polynesia and Micronesia. Seventy-four accessions were observed to have this zymotype. The greatest isozyme variation occurred in Melanesia with 71% of the accessions uniquely characterized. Micronesia and Western Polynesia had relatively high rates of zymotypic variation with 59% and 51% variation, respectively. Only two zymotypes were found in Eastern Polynesia. Chromosome numbers for A. camansi and A. mariannensis are reported here for the first time as 2n = 56. Counts of 2n = 56 and 2n = 84 were observed for A. altilis. Most seeded cultivars of A. altilis had counts of 2n = 56, but seedless diploid cultivars were also observed. The majority of interspecific hybrids were seedless with counts of 2n = 56. Triploid interspecific hybrids were also observed

Botanical and Ethnobotanical Inventories of the National Park of American Samoa

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.The existing and proposed areas of the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) integrate a unique combination of Samoan cultural components and biological resources, both marine and terrestrial. Effective management of any natural area depends upon a knowledge of the resources it contains, thus necessitating comprehensive botanical and ethnobotanical surveys. An assessment of the extent, diversity, and use of botanical resources will provide needed baseline data for developing appropriate management strategies to guide the successful integration of fa’asamoa and long-term sustainable use of these resources. A total of 232 species were recorded during our surveys, and 104 species were counted and/or measured within plots that encompassed 15,260m2 (3.8 acres) on the islands of Ta’u, Ofu, and Olosega in the Manu’a Group of American Samoa. The plots ranged in size from 800m2 to 5500m2. A total of 1688 trees representing 52 species with a ≥ 5 cm dbh were counted and measured. In addition, 1234 plants representing 102 species (trees < 5 cm dbh, seedlings, shrubs, vines, and herbs) were counted within random plots in the study areas.We are indebted to all of the people who graciously shared their knowledge and expertise with us in interviews and recorded conversations. We are especially grateful to the families who provided us with lodging and a home base for our work in the Manu’a Islands. Aliilelei Phil Laolagi and Elizabeth (Bekka) Laolagi allowed us to convert the Asaga Inn into a field station during our stay on Ofu and Olosega, and helped us with logistics, transportation, and meetings with matai and village residents. Ola Aloese, Malaga Faga Lata Tau and his wife, Lesa Lata Tau, all helped make our stay there a pleasurable and very productive one. Sega Apisai Atoe and his wife Palagi kindly welcomed us into their home in Fitiuta, and we enjoyed the warm hospitality of their daughter Florita and her husband, Fale Laulii Lauofo

Preparation of a Breadfruit Flour Bar

Breadfruit is a nutritious, high energy food with a low quantity of protein but excellent protein quality. It has the potential to be developed into desired products which will help increase its utilization and add value to the crop. The overall purposes of this investigation were to develop a portable, nutritious, ready-to-eat breadfruit product (bar), test the sensory qualities of the product, and evaluate the nutritional properties of the product. Flour made from the Micronesian variety, Meinpadahk (Artocarpus altilis × Artocarpus mariannensis), was utilized for the development of the breadfruit bar. Breadfruit is a rich source of fiber, vitamins such as vitamin C, minerals such as potassium, and phytochemicals such as flavonoids. Nutritional labeling indicates that the breadfruit bar is high in carbohydrates and low in fat, and sensory evaluation indicates that 81% of the panelists found the bar acceptable while 19% disliked the bar. The breadfruit bar can provide an appealing and inexpensive gluten-free food source based on locally available breadfruit

Development of a Breadfruit Flour Pasta Product

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is grown throughout the tropics. Processing the perishable starchy fruit into flour provides a means to expand the use of the fruit. The flour can be used to develop new value-added products for local use and potential export. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a pasta product using breadfruit flour, test the sensory qualities of the breadfruit pasta product by sensory evaluation, and evaluate the nutritional composition. ‘Ma’afala’, a popular and widely distributed Polynesian cultivar was used for the study. Nutritional labeling shows that the breadfruit pasta product is high in carbohydrates (73.3%/100 g) and low in fat (8.33/100 g). Sensory evaluation indicates that 80.3% of the panelists (n = 71) found the pasta acceptable while 18.3% disliked the pasta. The breadfruit pasta product can provide a nutritious, appealing and inexpensive gluten-free food source based on locally available breadfruit in areas of the world where it can be easily grown

Agroforestry Standards for Regenerative Agriculture

Agroforestry is increasingly being recognized as a holistic food production system that can have numerous significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. This growing recognition is paralleled in the USA by the budding interest in regenerative agriculture and motivation to certify regenerative practices. Current efforts to develop a regenerative agriculture certification offer an opportunity to consider agroforestry&rsquo;s role in furthering regenerative goals. To understand this opportunity, we first examine how agroforestry practices can advance regenerative agriculture&rsquo;s five core environmental concerns: soil fertility and health, water quality, biodiversity, ecosystem health, and carbon sequestration. Next, we review a subset of certification programs, standards, guidelines, and associated scientific literature to understand existing efforts to standardize agroforestry. We determine that development of an agroforestry standard alongside current efforts to certify regenerative agriculture offers an opportunity to leverage common goals and strengths of each. Additionally, we determine that there is a lack of standards with measurable criteria available for agroforestry, particularly in temperate locations. Lastly, we propose a framework and general, measurable criteria for an agroforestry standard that could potentially be implemented as a standalone standard or built into existing agriculture, forestry, or resource conservation certification programs

Crop productivity, yield and seasonality of breadfruit (

Introduction. Breadfruit, Artocarpus spp., is a staple crop with the potential to alleviate hunger and increase food security in tropical regions. Guidelines and recommendations for cultivar selection and production practices are now required for establishment of breadfruit in new areas. Materials and methods. To respond to this need for spreading breadfruit, our study quantified the growth, development, yield and seasonality of 24 breadfruit cultivars (26 trees) established in Kauai, Hawaii, over a 7-year period from 2006–2012. Individual production profiles were generated for each accessioned cultivar based on major agricultural factors. Results. Across all cultivars of breadfruit ( A. altilis), an average of 269 fruits per year was produced by each tree with an average fruit weight of 1.2 kg. Based on the planting density of 50 trees×ha–1, this translates to an average projected yield of 5.23 t×ha–1 after 7 years. Hybrids (A. altilis × A. mariannensis) had a higher yield than breadfruit. The data of our article support the previously proposed hypothesis for predicting breadfruit seasonality. On average, the peak season occurred from July to November. Conclusions. Ma’afala, the first widely available commercial cultivar, started to bear fruit within 22 to 23 months of planting. Other cultivars with potential for commercial production include Toneno, White, Rotuma and Meinpadahk

Breadfruit flour is a healthy option for modern foods and food security.

Breadfruit is a traditional staple crop from Pacific islands with the potential to improve worldwide food security and mitigate diabetes. Flour produced from breadfruit is a gluten-free, low glycemic index, nutrient dense and complete protein option for modern foods but basic scientific knowledge of health impacts of a breadfruit-based diet in animals and humans was lacking. We designed a series of studies to provide basic and fundamental data on impacts of a breadfruit-based diet through an in vitro and in vivo model. Cooked breadfruit flour was digested through a multi-stage enzyme digestion model to estimate protein digestibility in comparison to wheat flour. Breadfruit protein was found to be easier to digest than wheat protein in the enzyme digestion model. The flour digestions were applied to Caco-2 cells to test the cytotoxicity and to measure the immunogenicity through cytokine expression. No significant differences were observed for immune factors and cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, IL-8, TNF-α, IFN-γ) on Caco-2 cells between the breadfruit and wheat groups. A breadfruit-based rodent chow was formulated by substitution of all of the wheat in the standard formulation with breadfruit. The diets were isocaloric, nutrient equivalent and used to feed male and female C57BL/6 mice for 21 days. No sign of malnutrition, discomfort, illness or death was observed among the mice because of the diet. The histology and the cytokine expression of the mice ileum from both groups were analyzed and showed similar results. The expression of major bacteria was measured in the colon and showed similar results. Mice fed the breadfruit diet had a significantly higher growth rate and body weight than standard diet fed mice. No negative health outcomes were observed in studies with in vitro or in vivo models and breadfruit flour is a healthy alternative to other starches for modern foods

Data from: Low-coverage, whole-genome sequencing of Artocarpus camansi (Moraceae) for phylogenetic marker development and gene discovery

Premise of the study: We used moderately low-coverage (17×) whole-genome sequencing of Artocarpus camansi (Moraceae) to develop genomic resources for Artocarpus and Moraceae. Methods and Results: A de novo assembly of Illumina short reads (251,378,536 pairs, 2 × 100 bp) accounted for 93% of the predicted genome size. Predicted coding regions were used in a three-way orthology search with published genomes of Morus notabilis and Cannabis sativa. Phylogenetic markers for Moraceae were developed from 333 inferred single-copy exons. Ninety-eight putative MADS-box genes were identified. Analysis of all predicted coding regions resulted in preliminary annotation of 49,089 genes. An analysis of synonymous substitutions for pairs of orthologs (Ks analysis) in M. notabilis and A. camansi strongly suggested a lineage-specific whole-genome duplication in Artocarpus. Conclusions: This study substantially increases the genomic resources available for Artocarpus and Moraceae and demonstrates the value of low-coverage de novo assemblies for nonmodel organisms with moderately large genomes