Author Topic: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy  (Read 3145 times)

Mike T

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In the mid 1990s the Kamerunga tropical fruit research and quarantine station in Cairns was suddenly closed after about 100 years of operation. Changes in government funding and relinquishment of the property to the local council happened suddenly.The main task for decades had been to collect and evaluate tropical fruits from around the world with plantings on the property that were scrutinised for suitability for local and wider commercial production. Thousands of cultivars and varieties from a vast number of species were planted with the best distributed and then all were systematically cleared for the next trial.
I was stationed in the offices several weeks after researchers left but before the Council acquired it as I worked for a State government department and the office space was not to be wasted even temporarily. Such was the haste of the departure that calendars were still up, cutlery was still in the kitchen and reports and evaluations were still on desks and interestingly the quarantine nursery was still full of plants needing a water. A pomological post apocalyptic scene. Well maybe not.
I tried to fix the automatic water system during lunchtime and after work to the lychee, durian, pulasan. rambutan and several other trial areas foregoing the coffee, cocoa and other plantings. It worked for a while until my group left and the council cleared all the trees to stop the constant flow of people raiding the trees and growers pleading for cuttings.
The triumph of Kamerunga is that vast numbers of fruit varieties were fanned out and although variety names and other information has been lost gems are still emerging from here and there in the district and further afield that originally came via Kamerunga.

Mike T

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2017, 06:27:45 AM »
Part 2 of Kamerunga. I needed a coffee.
It may not have been the only place where the State Govt carried out tropical fruit research in north Queensland and admittedly there was a vibrant rare and tropical fruit community who were locally active for a long time. I doubt however that many places have carried out such diverse assessments of tropical fruit on the same scale. When I strolled through plantings of rambutans,sapodillas or whatever I was struck by the diversity and productivity as well as the huge size of some trees like a mangosteen and some langsats.

Not all the information was lost thankfully and the rare fruit council published bits and pieces here and there and some scientific papers and assessments can still be located.
To give an idea of scale information exists for the 1970 to 1987 window and some of the fruits trialled then.
Here is a selection of a few varieties that were trialled during that period for some better known species.

Longan varieties: Biew Kiew, Chompoo, Dang, Daw, Fa Hok Chai, Fuhko No.2, Haew, Homestead No.1, Ilao, Kay Sweeney, Kohala, Ponyai, Saig Geeb, Skek Yip, Wai.
Duku-Langsat varieties: Conception, D/L Stock, D/L V2, D/L V5, D/L 2, D/L 3, Daw 1, Dow, Duku, Duku No.1, Duku-Langsat, D1, D4, Jurong, Long Khong, Mindanao, Paete, Peng, Uttardit.
Lychee varieties: Amboina, Baidum, Chacapat, Charley Tong, Cheng, Erewhon, Fay Zee Szu, Groff, H. L. H. Mauritius, Haak Yip, Hong Huey, How, Jim Jee, Kaloke Bai Yaow, Kim Cheng, Kom, Kom Hom Lam Chiak, Kwa Lok, Kwa Lok- Tsang Shing, Kwai May, Kwai May Red, Luk Lai, Maw Mong, No Mai Chee, Peerless, Sa Kan Tu Chi, Sampao Kaow, Souey Tung, Sum Yee Hong, Sweet Cliff, Yook Ho Pow, 7795.
Mammey varieties: Lacetilla.
Mango varieties: Akbar, Apple, Banana I, Batawi, Betti Amba, Beverly, Blue, Boribo, Brooks Late, Bullocks Heart, Carabao Harbon, Carabao Lamao, Carabao Los Banos, Carabao Mindanao, Carabao Super Manila, Coconut, Crimson Blush, Davis-Haden, Dot, Early Gold, Edward, Elephant Tusk, Fairchild, Fajri, Fascell, Florigon, Gail, Gary, Gedong, Golden Delight, Goldsworthy, Golek, Graham, Harumanis, Hatcher, Hingurakoka-Willard, Hong Sa, Hood, Indo-Chinese, Isis, Jacquelin, Jakarta, Jewel, Joe Welch, Julie, Kalapady, Keitt, Kent, Keow Savoey, Kopu Reva, Kuru, Laskarshikhan, Lippens, Maha 65, Malgoa Ramasamy, Manalagi, Mapulehu, Momi K, Nam Dok Mai, Nimrod, Ok Rong, Olour, Ono, Pairee, Pairi, Palmer, Parri, Pico, Pirie, Pope, Rapa, Rosa, Ruby, Rupee, Sabre, Santa Alexandrina, Sensation, Southern Blush, Spirit of '76, Springfels, Sufaida, Tommy Atkins, Tong Dum, Van Dyke, Vellai Colomban, Wally, Zardalu, Zillate.
Kuini varieties: Kuini.
Sapodilla varieties: BKD 110, Brown Sugar, C54, C55, C58, Foster, H C Tan, Kai Hahn, Krasuey, Kulbaba, Lamao, Makok, Makok See Gaa, Martin, Mead, Modella, Pineras, Ponderosa, Prolific, Sawo Manila, Tikal, Tropical.
Matisia varieties: DCA-DF-6-01 , DCA-DF-6-07, DCA-DF-6-08, DCA-DF-6-11, DCA-DF-6-12.
Mulberry varieties: Peradiniya.
Jaboticaba varieties: Grimal.
Rambutan varieties: Aceh Kuning, Bang Yikhan, Binjai, Bogor, Che Mong, Chompoo, Deli, Gading, Gulah Batu, Hew, Jit Lee, Jit Mong, Lebak Bulus, Maharlika-Belen, Nam Tan Kraud, Pelat, Penang, Rapiah, Rongrien, R134, R137, R138, R139, R154, R156, R160, R161, R162, R163, R165, R167, R168, R169, R170, R3, R37, R4, R7, R9, R99, Sadao, Sacay U. P. L. B. , See Tong, Seematjaan, Seematjaan Besar, Seenjonja, Silengkeng, Sinyonya, Sitang Kueh.
Pulasan varieties: Dow, Lee, P1, P3, P36, Sibabat, Unnamed.

The triumph of kamerunga is that many of these treasures are still out there or their progeny is. Often they are on farms where the identity has been lost but many or also in fruit enthusiasts collections with information like variety and when and where collected also being lost but not all.I have found accessing many of the rare species from some local people difficult as not everyone is enthusiastic about sharing.

Ethan

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2017, 10:20:00 AM »
Wow Mike, great story! It is a triumph and tragedy. So many trees, so much information. It would be eerie though to have the workforce disappear so quickly, leaving in the middle of their daily routines. Plus so many beautiful trees abandoned,  it would be hard not to want to somehow save them all.

Thanks for sharing.

junglevulture

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2017, 05:02:17 PM »
Thank you for chronicling this story, Mike. It's both interesting and inspiring to think of all the great work so many must have put into sourcing cultivars, tending, documenting, etc, and then heartbreaking that some disinterested group swept it all aside like it was irrelevant. I wonder how many times in recent history this same sort of scenario has played out around the world.

Both the potential and the problems spawned by such occurrences have been large factors in my personal story. Finding tidbits of "there was a research station here that once upon a time ago cultivated what you're after", then spending years trying to follow the poorly-documented (or at least poorly publicly chronicled) information to contact people who *might* know what happened and who next to talk to has been often frustrating but sometimes rewarding.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share this story with us.

mike rule

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2017, 05:31:28 PM »
Mike T .... Thanks for sharing this story of another great disaster made by Governments...... It really is a waste.... Just from your list of Mango varieties I can see that Walkamin didn't get all the varieties to its establishment........Mike

Mike T

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2017, 06:06:20 PM »
Mike that is just some of the mangoes that were subject to the high density planting trials and only during that 17 years. The place had its centenary in 1987 and industry and grower concerns about Kamerunga were oddly polarised. Some were beginning to be worried about good varieties being lost and missing and how conclusive once off trials at high density at one site that doesn't have an ideal climate for everything could be.

Recommendations were distilled from trials and often presented like this for rambutans.http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/Rambutan/RambutanSelect7-87.htm

After collectors travelled the world and meticulously sourced the best, the question remains how much is still out there and where is it?

Mike T

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2017, 06:09:10 PM »
I forgot to mention the other industry and grower concern especially among lychee and mango growers. Many did not want fancy new varieties coming in that may devalue their established lines and plantings. Perhaps this contributed to a loss of favour in the Kamerunga activities.

tropicbreeze

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2017, 01:09:34 AM »
I lived near there (Yorkeys Knob anyway) when apparently it was running, but I don't remember it. I do remember where all the dances were and the beach parties with under age drinking though. It's interesting how your priorities change over time.

A lot of research has been shut down in Darwin in recent times and we've lost a lot of researchers. It generally comes under the heading of "Budget Cuts". Not unusual for the "bean counters" to be the final arbiters of the merits of anything, things come and go on their whims. And governments go where they perceive the most votes to be, and that's down south.

vitiga

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2017, 08:08:21 AM »
Similar story and situation here in New Caledonia with the local fruit research station located in la Foa, Pocquereux. Twenty years ago, the collection was counting more than 200 different varieties of citrus, a great collection of mango, litchee, banana and avocado... but twenty years later, the place has lost more than 50 acres of orchards over the 200 dedicated to the collections and we can barely find only about 30 different varieties of citrus now ( only the most common ones ) , a dozen different varieties of mango and avocado left and that's it.... what a shame ! I remember, the catalog of mango cultivars used to count more than 200 different varieties from around the world !
Hard to tell who is responsible, but for sure a pure lack of knowledge and interest from most of the local growers and farmers, a real lack of interest from the employees ( state employees...) of the station who gave up the collections , and finally a lack of interest from the politics who have seriously cut down the budget too. Result, that station might close down in a near future. What a shame !


Le Jardin aux Mille Fruits
La Coulée, New Caledonia

Guanabanus

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2017, 05:33:47 PM »
And some stations, with taxpayer-funded collections, are not accessible to the public for info nor seeds nor scions, because the directors treat it all as their private property, or for the exclusive benefit of a few well-connected "industry share-holders."
Har

mike rule

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2017, 05:40:30 PM »
Har... You are exactly right...... In OZ you can get some old mango varieties re scionwood from Walkamin but with Atemoya varieties which the Govt. employees have got from all over the world in trips on the tax payers account will not look at providing any of this scion wood..... Mike

Mike T

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2017, 05:50:35 PM »
The lack of access and exclusivity issues were also raised with Kamerunga.

Future

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Re: The lost crops of Kamerunga Research Station - triumph and tragedy
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2017, 03:50:20 PM »
Mike: I agree this is a fascinating account.  It was a bonus to be in the right state to appreciate the value at that time, never mind now.  I think to all my travels prior to having interest in Tropicals, what could have been. 

Vitiga - can you confirm which country you live in?