Nuclear scientists have developed a new cauliflower variety resistant to the destructive Black Rot disease, to help reduce pesticide use and boost food security in Mauritius.
The IAEA, through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture supported Mauritian scientists in developing the new variety using radiation-induced plant breeding techniques.
Dubbed ‘Local Cream’ for its compact, cream-coloured head – or curd -this variety of the staple crop shows enhanced tolerance to Black Rot, a plant disease which has historically devastated cauliflower harvests in the country or rendered them unfit for consumption or export due to heavy leaf spotting.
“This new variety promises to help Mauritian farmers reduce their reliance on chemical pesticides, lower their production costs and ensure a stable supply of cauliflower,” said Rita Nowbiuth, Principal Research Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) of Mauritius.
For over a decade, IAEA and FAO experts have supported their counterparts at FAREI through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme, delivering hands-on training, organizing fellowships and providing expert guidance to strengthen national capacities in mutation induction, detection and breeding using advanced nuclear technologies. These efforts and other vital support from the laboratories have now culminated in the July 2025 release of Local Cream seeds to selected farmers, at a high-level ceremony presided over by Arvin Kumar Boolell, Minister of Agro-industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries of Mauritius.
“Our collaboration has brought advanced nuclear and related biotechnologies to the heart of national breeding programmes,” said Dongxin Feng, Director of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre. “Through mutation induction, advanced screening techniques, and modern breeding approaches, Mauritius now possesses the tools and expertise to develop resilient crop varieties for generations to come, as exemplified by the Black Rot–tolerant cauliflower”
“Agriculture is essential to life, for it produces food and nutrients. Here in Mauritius, it is important that we adopt a smart, green and healthy approach to agriculture,” said Minister Boolell during the launch ceremony. “Research on the new variety of cauliflower by FAREI spanned close to eight years and benefitted from the technical assistance of the IAEA. This research, innovation and development in the agriculture sector is key to propelling development.”
