Domestication of Non Timber Forest Products trees: Case study of Balanites aegyptiaca in West Africa (original) (raw)
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Acta horticulturae, 2010
Nigeria is a country with diverse landscapes and climatic conditions that result in a corresponding high diversity of biological niches harbouring many plant species. The country is equally endowed with several ecological zones, having on its far south mangrove/swamp while the far north is defined by its almost desert-like climate. Most of the states in this axis are Jigawa, Bornu, Kebbi, Yobe, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara. The vegetation cover of these areas is mostly Sudan savannah and Sahel savannah and the desert encroachment in these front line states is so fast and growing at an alarming rate. The resultant effect of this has been mass displacement of inhabitants, farms and their animals thus inflicting hardship and poverty. Meanwhile, studies have shown that few tree crops do relatively well in these areas and one of them identified is Phoenix dactylifera (date palm). Date palm has high nutritive and commercial value and plays an important role in the ecology of various desert and semi-desert environments as well. Date palm, which is an irreplaceable tree in irrigable desert lands, provides protection to under-crops from the harshness of the climate (heat, wind and even cold weather), reduces damage caused by sand storms and wind erosion. It is therefore noted with keen research interest that despite the huge potentials of the date fruit the availability of planting materials has been the major challenge of the cultivation and production of this very important desert crop due to the heterozygous and dioecious nature of the plant. The National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB)-the national focal point on genetic resources conservation and utilization-in one of her recent germplasm exploration and collection exercises in the affected front line states, is collecting several accessions of dates which could be subjected to in vitro propagation techniques using shoot tips and embryos in a modified Murashige and Skoog medium containing adenine, naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and activated charcoal. The generated plantlets could be subcultured into a liquid multiplication media using the Temporary Immersion Bioreactor systems (TIBs). The resultant products are expected to have a higher multiplication quotient than when the conventional solid multiplication media are used, thereby increasing the availability of planting materials for date palm estate establishment in Northern Nigeria.
ijgbio, 2022
The Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest and best-known cultivated fruit trees. The fruit is composed of very nutritive minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, chlorine, phosphorus, and magnesium. The tree can withstand relatively harsh climate and soil conditions, which no other crop can match. In Ethiopia, date palm is cultivated and/or wildly grown in the Afar, Dire Dawa, Somali, Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz regions. However, the yields of local cultivars are too low to meet the sharply increasing demand. Thus, research has been conducted to evaluate and register the best-performing, desirable yield and quality of introduced improved varieties. Fourteen (14) tissue-cultured introduced materials from England and Israel were planted at 10m x 10m spacing between rows and plants over three locations, viz., Werer Agricultural Research Center (WARC), Assiyta, and Afambo districts. Two varieties (Barhee and Medjool), early fruiting types, were individually evaluated out of 12 varieties on the basis of fruit yield for two years at WARC, while vegetative parameters were taken from the other locations. The study revealed that Barhee and Medjool were superior to the remaining date palm varieties. The annual yield advantage of Barhee (68.39 kg tree-1) over Medjool (50.87 kg tree-1) was 34.44%. The high offshoot production potential of Barhee and Medjool varieties could reduce the purchase of imported tissue-cultured date palms by the country as well as individuals. In conclusion, the newly released varieties Barhee and Medjool could be cultivated profitably and sustainably for commercial cultivation in the low land areas of the Afar regional state and other similar agro-ecology, and could also increase the income of smallholder farmers and agro-pastoralists.
Afrika Focus, 2012
Indigenous fruits/nuts of Africa’s humid tropics are increasingly being recognized for their contribution to food security, health (nutrition/medicine), income generation, employment and environmental benefits. However, cultivation of the trees yielding these fruits/nuts is constrained by lack of improved planting materials that are true-to-type and have a short enough juvenile phase to fruit production. In addition, information on both above and belowground growth attributes of these species is scarce. This paper presents an overview of the results of a doctoral research fo- cused on two African indigenous fruit tree species, i.e. Dacryodes edulis (G. Don) H. J. Lam (Burser- aceae) and Allanblackia oribunda Oliv. (Clusiaceae), which are currently under domestication. For D. edulis, the objective was to assess and compare the structural and ne rooting systems together with the above ground growth attributes of fruiting trees propagated either sexually or vegetatively. The research a...
International Journal of Agriculture and Biosciences
The Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest and best-known cultivated fruit trees. The fruit is composed of very nutritive minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, chlorine, phosphorus, and magnesium. The tree can withstand relatively harsh climate and soil conditions, which no other crop can match. In Ethiopia, date palm is cultivated and/or wildly grown in the Afar, Dire Dawa, Somali, Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz regions. However, the yields of local cultivars are too low to meet the sharply increasing demand. Thus, research has been conducted to evaluate and register the best-performing, desirable yield and quality of introduced improved varieties. Fourteen (14) tissue-cultured introduced materials from England and Israel were planted at 10m x 10m spacing between rows and plants over three locations, viz., Werer Agricultural Research Center (WARC), Assiyta, and Afambo districts. Two varieties (Barhee and Medjool), early fruiting types, were individually evaluated out of 12 varieties on the basis of fruit yield for two years at WARC, while vegetative parameters were taken from the other locations. The study revealed that Barhee and Medjool were superior to the remaining date palm varieties. The annual yield advantage of Barhee (68.39 kg tree-1) over Medjool (50.87 kg tree-1) was 34.44%. The high offshoot production potential of Barhee and Medjool varieties could reduce the purchase of imported tissue-cultured date palms by the country as well as individuals. In conclusion, the newly released varieties Barhee and Medjool could be cultivated profitably and sustainably for commercial cultivation in the low land areas of the Afar regional state and other similar agro-ecology, and could also increase the income of smallholder farmers and agro-pastoralists.
Beyond vegetative propagation of indigenous fruit trees: case of
Indigenous fruits/nuts of Africa's humid tropics are increasingly being recognized for their contribution to food security, health (nutrition/medicine), income generation, employment and environmental benefits. However, cultivation of the trees yielding these fruits/nuts is constrained by lack of improved planting materials that are true-to-type and have a short enough juvenile phase to fruit production. In addition, information on both above and belowground growth attributes of these species is scarce.
Indigenous fruit trees in the tropics: domestication, utilization and commercialization, 2008
In this chapter, we discuss the principal uses of baobab (Adansonia digitata), detar (Detarium microcarpum), nere (Parkia biglobosa), tamarind (Tamarindus indica), shea tree or karite (Vitellaria paradoxa) and ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) in Sahel, Africa. These species were preferred by farmers because of their nutritional, medicinal and income-generating values and their potential value. The current and future plans for their domestication are discussed.
SUMMARY In recent years, progress has been made with domestication of Triplochiton scleroxylon, an important timber tree of the moist West African forests. Seed viability has been extended from a few weeks to many months by appropriate drying and cold storage. Seed supply is irregular, but the successful development of vegetative propagation methods has provided an alternative, regular supply of planting stock. Rooted cuttings have the further advantage that they can readily be tested to identify promising clones of good form. To this end, experiments on the physiology of branching have allowed the development of a screening technique which can predict later branching habit from tests on small plants. The occurrence of precocious flowering in glasshouse conditions has allowed progress towards control over reproduction, and cross-pollinations with deep frozen pollen have produced viable seeds from clones only 2-5 years old. The possibility of similarly domesticating many other tree species is discussed in relation to the need for improved selections for use in diverse managed ecosystems. Obtaining sustained yields of food and wood products on land formerly under moist tropical forest clearly depends on learning how to combine increased output from currently under-utilized species with soil improvement and ex situ conservation. RESUME Triplochiton scleroxylon est un arbre des forets d'Afrique occidentale dont Ie bois est tres important. On peut rendre les graines plus viables en les faisant secher ou en les mettant dans une piece froide pendant quelques semaines ou meme pendant quelques mois. 11 est quand mSrne difficile de les obtenir reguliere-menta Les boutures, qui ont pris racine, ont l'avantage sur les graines par ce qu'elles sont plus disponibles et on peut les developper a partir d'un bon clone. Elles fleurissent tres jeunes quand on leur offre les conditions semblables acelles d 'une serre ou il est possible de controler la reproduction avec du pollen congele et cela a deja produit des graines viables a partir des clones ages de deux acinq ansa La domestication d'autres arbres deviendra possible par cette methode et avec l'amelioration de la terre il y aura plus de bois et plus de la nourriture dans les forets tropicales. RESUMEN En anos recientes se han hecho progresos en el cultivo de Triplochiton scleroxy/on, un importante arbol maderero de los bosques humedos del Africa occidentat La viabilidad de la semilla ha sido extendida de unas pocal semanas a varios meses madiante tecnicas apropriadas de secado y alma cenamiento en frio. EI abasteci-miento de semillas es irregular, pero el exitoso desarrollo de metodos de propa-gacion vegetativa ha proveido de una laternativa, el abastecimiento regular de