Domestication Of Indigenous Fruit Trees Research Articles

Participatory tree selection and fruit morphological characterization of Phoebe cooperiana (U.N Kanjilal ex A. Das) in the Eastern Himalayas of India

AbstractSelection of desirable phenotypes and characterization of variability in economically important traits are essential for domestication of indigenous fruit trees (IFTs). Currently, participatory tree selection is a widely accepted approach in IFT domestication wherein farmers' knowledge and preferences are included in tree selection processes. In Arunachal Pradesh, India, fruits of Phoebe cooperiana are extensively consumed by people and traded across the state. In this study, we employed a selection index to screen trees for superior fruit traits from a base population of 45 farmer-identified trees of P. cooperiana in Arunachal Pradesh. Based on fruit diameter length ratio, pulp fruit ratio and yield, 19 trees were selected for superior fruit traits. The per cent improvement for 10 fruit and seed traits ranged from 0.16 to 14.56% compared to the base population. Significant variation for all fruit and seed parameters was observed among the 19 trees with coefficient of variation values ranging between 1.92% for fruit diameter and 8.26% for seed weight. There was significant positive association between economic traits including fruit weight with pulp weight, fruit diameter length ratio with fruit weight and pulp thickness with pulp weight. Principal component analysis revealed that variability was largely contributed by fruit weight (0.49), pulp weight (0.46), seed weight (0.45) and fruit diameter (0.42). Cluster analysis grouped phenotypes into seven groups with no clear clustering of individuals from the same area. The study highlights the significance of participatory tree selection approach and the benefits of individual tree selection in capturing wider variation and locating extreme phenotypes in IFT domestication.

Advances in domestication of indigenous fruit trees in the West African Sahel

Fruit trees play an important nutritional role for livelihoods of rural people in the West African Sahel through provision of energy and nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Research on the domestication of local fruit trees has started recently through projects concentrating on some of the most important indigenous species of dry West Africa, i.e. Adansonia digitata, Parkia biglobosa, Tamarindus indica, Vitellaria paradoxa and Ziziphus mauritiana. We present a status of finalised and ongoing domestication research with the aim of defining research gaps that would need to be covered by future research activities to obtain higher yields and better quality fruits. Germplasm collection in central West Africa has been intense compared to elsewhere in the species’ distribution areas, but conservation status of the material is poor since it is only planted in few trials. Knowledge of genetic parameters, especially for fruit traits, is almost absent, but characterisation of genotypes is underway for some of the species. Mating systems and patterns are still unknown for many species. Efficient vegetative propagation based on simple techniques was shown to be possible for all species except P. biglobosa. In order to secure immediate as well as long term gains, we recommend combining clonal propagation of selected plus individuals with recombination and breeding of selected genotypes. We discuss whether local institutions in the Sahel have the financial capacity to carry out long term breeding programmes, and suggest that efforts should be made to find new ways of disseminating improved germplasm.

ANALYSIS OF MUSA PROCESSING BUSINESSES AND THEIR SUPPORT ENVIRONMENT IN MALAWI

An analysis of Musa processing businesses and their support environment in Malawi was carried out in 2005 by a national team with various expertise and experiences. The study aimed to identify all banana-based (Musa spp.) products on the market including processing and marketing procedures. The other aim was to profile all the small-scale Musa processing businesses including their support service providers. Results revealed that there are a lot of informal businesses related to Musa like wine, snack, handcraft and paper making, and drying of ripe bananas. The manufacturing industry is using bananas as a flavoring ingredient. However, these are being faced with a lot of challenges and hence need support from other key players like financial, technology development and training institutions, and organizations that supply inputs for production and packaging. Business information and services are available, though not readily to end users. This entails that the potential for up scaling of small-scale Musa processing businesses is possible as long as there is creation of an enabling environment where all the concerned stakeholders have one goal. The emergence of small-scale Musa processing businesses has led to an improvement in rural livelihoods as evidenced by the fact that most of the groupings are moving towards being more organized and self-sufficient in their operations by constructing their own buildings and purchasing modern equipment. This is more evident with a project initiated by the World Agroforestry Center on the domestication of indigenous fruit trees which has now grown into a potentially lucrative banana-based business.

Indigenous fruit trees in the tropics: domestication, utilization and commercialization

<title>Abstract</title> This book comprises 5 parts and 21 chapters discussing the domestication of indigenous fruit trees in Africa, Oceania, Latin America and Asia; and describes the biophysical and socio-economic aspects of Miombo fruit trees.

Adoption potential of two agroforestry technologies: improved fallows and domestication of indigenous fruit trees in the humid forest and Savannah zones of Cameroon

Abstract English: Strategies to combat poverty in the humid tropics of West and Central Africa should not only tackle problems of shortening fallows and declining soil fertility, but also reduce farmers’ vulnerability and dependence on a few cash crops. The main objective of the present study was to assess adoption potential of agroforestry technologies by farmers in the humid forest and savannah zones of Cameroon and to suggest means to ameliorate and accelerate adoption. The following aspects were examined: (1) characteristics of the technologies themselves, i.e. biophysical performance and technical requirements, complexity, profitability, acceptability and users’ perception of benefits and disadvantages, relevance and compatibility; and (2) existing land-use systems and farmers’ livelihood strategies. The study demonstrated that the interest of farmers in tree fallows currently is low because of modest yield increases compared to natural fallows, en low profitability of the technology. In addition, farmers in the study sites do not yet perceive declining soil fertility as a major production constraint and they adopt tree fallows in the first place because of the additional benefits (honey, stakes, fuel wood and weed suppression). On the other hand, the adoption potential of shrub fallows with Cajanus cajan is higher because the technology is profitable and more suitable for farmers with insecure land tenure and women. However, wide dissemination of improved fallows can only be obtained if farmers’ awareness on the benefits of improved fallows is raised and if extension is targeted to areas where fallow periods are rapidly shortening, where soils are poor and where weed incidence is a serious problem. The study also showed technical and financial feasibility of vegetative propagation of a number of indigenous fruit trees in farmer nurseries. However, wide-scale adoption of vegetative propagation is likely to be constrained by the cost of nursery infrastructure and materials. Measures to enhance adoption potential would thus include reducing nursery costs, whereas the possibilities of using credit and subsidies for the creation of farmer nurseries should be further studied. Samenvatting Nederlands: Strategieёn met het oog op armoedebestrijding in de vochtige tropen van West en Centraal Afrika moeten niet alleen problemen i.v.m. de daling van de bodemvruchtbaarheid aanpakken, maar eveneens de kwetsbaarheid van de boeren en hun financiёle afhankelijkheid van enkele exportgewassen verminderen. Dit doctoraatsonderzoek had als doelstelling het adoptiepotentieel van twee land- en bosbouwtechnieken in Kameroen te evalueren. De volgende aspecten werden behandeld: (1) de karakteristieken van de technieken zelf, namelijk biofysische doeltreffendheid en technische vereisten, graad van complexiteit, financiёle rentabiliteit, aanvaardbaarheid, waarneming van de gebruikers omtrent voor- en nadelen, relevantie en verenigbaarheid; en (2) de bestaande landbouwsystemen en levensonderhoudsstrategieёn van de boeren. De studie toonde aan dat de interesse van de boeren in verbeterd braakland met bomen momenteel laag is omwille van de modeste verhoging van de gewasopbrengsten, in vergelijking met natuurlijke braak, en de lage rentabiliteit van de techniek. Bovendien beschouwen de boeren in het studiegebied de verslechtering van de bodemvruchtbaarheid nog niet als een prioriteit. De boeren adopteren verbeterde boombraak in de eerste plaats omwille van de bijproducten (honing, staken, onkruidbestrijding) en niet voor het verbeteren van de bodemvruchtbaarheid per se. De studie laat echter vermoeden dat het adoptiepotentieel van verbeterde struikbraak met Cajanus cajan hoger ligt omdat de techniek wel financieel rendabel is en bijzonder geschikt is voor boeren die geen landeigenaar zijn en voor vrouwen. Een wijde verspreiding van verbeterd braakland kan echter enkel bekomen worden indien de boeren goed ingelicht worden over de voordelen en wanneer de vulgarisatie zich toespitst op gebieden waar de natuurlijke braakperiodes drastisch verminderen, de bodem nutrient-arm is en waar onkruid de landbouwproductie ernstig belemmert. De studie toonde eveneens de technische en financiёle haalbaarheid van vegetatieve vermenigvuldiging van een aantal inheemse fruitboomsoorten in plattelandskwekerijtjes aan. Desalnietemin zal de wijde verspreiding van deze technieken gehinderd worden door de relatief hoge investeringskost. Verder onderzoek moet daarom gericht zijn op het verlagen van deze kosten, terwijl de mogelijkheden van krediet en subsidies voor het oprichten van kwekerijtjes bestudeerd moet worden.

Adoption Potential of Two Agroforestry Technologies: Improved Fallows and Domestication of Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Humid Forest and Savannah Zones of Cameroon

Adoption Potential of Two Agroforestry Technologies: Improved Fallows and Domestication of Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Humid Forest and Savannah Zones of Cameroon

DOMESTICATING PRIORITY MIOMBO INDIGENOUS FRUIT TREES AS A PROMISING LIVELIHOOD OPTION FOR SMALL-HOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

ISHS XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Citrus and Other Subtropical and Tropical Fruit Crops: Issues, Advances and Opportunities DOMESTICATING PRIORITY MIOMBO INDIGENOUS FRUIT TREES AS A PROMISING LIVELIHOOD OPTION FOR SMALL-HOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA