Experts and National
Coordinators of the International Neem Network met in a workshop held
in Bangkok, Thailand, on 14 and 15 March 1996. The valuable assistance
of the Royal Forest Department in organizing the meeting is gratefully
acknowledged. The Regional Community Forestry Training Centre is thanked
for hosting the workshop. The list of participants and the agenda are
given in Annex 1 and Annex 2.
Following the recommendations and agreements of the First and Second International Consultations on Neem Improvement, Bangkok (Thailand) January 1993, and Jodhpur (India) March 1994, the International Neem Network was established with the long term objective to improve the genetic quality and adaptability of neem and to improve its utilization, throughout the world, as a contribution to development in the countries concerned, in particular in concern of meeting the needs of rural people. In the initial stage, the main component of the activities of the Network is: Provenance exploration, collection and exchange for establishment of internationally coordinated trials. The Network also decided to undertake research activities in Phenology, Seed Physiology and Tehnology, Genetic diversity and Reproductive biology, and Variation in chemical compounds.
National institutions of 23 countries, in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, are participating in the Network which is coordinated by FAO.
During 1993 and 1994, seed-sources were surveyed and documented throughout the natural range of the species and in areas of introduction. Pilot seed collection and exchange were undertaken to improve the procedures used in these very difficult operations, neem seed having a recalcitrant or intermediate behaviour. A training workshop was organised in July 1994, in Coimbatore (India), to familiarise Network Collaborators with the improved procedures.
Twenty six seed-sources, representing the eco-geographical variation in the range of distribution of the species, were selected for seed collection and exchange among Network Collaborators in 1995, for establishment of international provenance trials.
The main objectives of the workshop were to (i) report and discuss the 1995 activities of the network; (ii) discuss and adopt the guidelines for design and establishment of provenance trials; and (iii) to discuss the future activities of the Network.
This report describes and summarizes the discussions and recommendations of the meeting.
STATUS OF SEED EXCHANGE AND NURSERY PRODUCTION IN 1995 The seed exchange
has been successful, and the International Neem Network now holds the
experiense on how to collect and exchange neem seed efficiently. Sufficient
appropriate plants for trial establishment are now available, and 26 trials
are planned. A summary table showing the numbers of seedlings available
of each provenance in different countries is attached as Annex 3.
Transfer of seedlings not needed for trial establishment in a given country to countries in deficit was discussed. Due to the logistic, administrative and legal problems involved in such operations, it was not seen by the participants as a general model to be used. Trials should planned on already available seedlings and not on expectation of large supply of surplus seedlings from other countries.
Exchange of surplus seedlings might however be practicable in particular cases. Collaborators are invited to directly arrange these eventual exchanges among themsleves. To give an idea of exchanges which would be in theory possible, a table is given in Annex 4, showing the seedling deficit/surplus per provenance in different countries, based on a "standard" requirement of 200 seedlings per provenance and per trial.
The cost of transportation should in principle be covered by the receiving country. It was recommended that countries, who wish to receive extra seedings, urgently make necessary arrangements, as time may be needed to obtain phytosanitary certificates.
It was recommended
that surplus plants be used to establish ex situ conservation stands/provenance
stands where provenances are kept separately and isolated from natural
sources. Random and scattered distribution of the planting material was
not recommended due to the danger of introducing inferior genetic material
into the national genetic resources of neem (genetic pollution).
The objective of these first international provenance trials of neem is to study, on multiple sites, the overall adaptation and growth of the provenances included in the trials, which representing the eco-geographic variation of the species, and to assess site/provenance interaction.
Guidelines for trial design and establishment were prepared and presented by the working group on trial design. Considering the extent of variation, across the Network, in trial site conditions and number of seedlings available, it was not felt realistic, nor desirable, to use one single design for all the trials. Instead, the guidelines were designed to give practical advices for the design and establishment of statistically solid, robust trials, adapted to local conditions (and budget). The guidelines are based on well known experimental principles (nothing new), but they should be useful, particularly to those collaborators who have little experience in trial establishment and management. The guidelines, as adopted by the workshop, will be sent to the Network Collaborators by Elmer Lauridsen (DFSC), coordinator of the working group on design of trials.
A number of references
to statistical literature is given in the guidelines. If required, Danida
Forest Seed Centre will help make available such references to the Network
collaborators in order to facilitate the design of trials. In-country
assistance in trial design was offered by Danida Forest Seed Centre to
countries who express such need. Countries are requested to express their
interest immediately to FAO or Danida Forest Seed Centre.
The international provenance trials will be established in collaborating countries during 1996. Annex 5 gives, for different countries, a table showing, the planting period, the number, size and location of planned trial sites in each of the countries, as well as the type of planting material (stumps/seedlings). In accordance with the general principles of the Neem Network, establishment and maintenance of trials and their funding is the responsibility of the country, i.e. collaborating countries pay for their own trials. The workshop recognized and confirmed this general principle. Funding problems were mentioned in one case (These problems have been solved since then).
Because of differences in collecting dates (ranging from March to September) and the obligation to sow the seeds as soon as possible, the plants of some provenances (seedlings or stumps) which will be used in these first trials have been treated in a very abnormal way (very different from the normal, optimal procedures for neem planting stock production in the different countries). It was recommended that every possible measure (including exceptional ones such as irrigation, for some countries) be taken in order to have a survival close to 100% one year after planting. Thereafter, usual/normal trial plantation maintenance would be applied to the trials. In this manner, the assessment of survival and growth, starting after year one, should be less biased by the (unavoidable) bad state of seedlings of some provenances at planting time.
An early assessment of the trial should be conducted after planting. It was decided that total height and diameter of root collar should be measured on all trees as these initial parameters may prove to be important in later analysis of trial results (covariance analysis).
IDENTIFICATION OF THE SEED SOURCES INCLUDED IN THE TRIALSIn order to easily
identify seed sources during trial establishment and in later stages,
and in order to facilitate communication and exchange of data within and
between countries, a common numbering system was agreed upon. The 25 seed
sources included in the international exchange in 1995 are given in Annex
6. The seed sources should be identified according to an agreed code which
consists of a number (01 to 25), a three letter country code and the first
three letters of the seed source name e.g. 01/BGD/Naz will represent the
seed source Nazir Hat in Bangladesh. To ease the identification of
seed sources and the communication between countries this code should
always be used. For other local seed sources included in the trials,
the code would be without a number before the three letter country code
and the first three letters of the seed source e.g. PAK/Hyd for the seed
source in Hydrabad in Pakistan. In the case of two local seed sources
with same three letter code use a number after the code e.g. PAK/Hyd/1
and PAK/Hyd/2 for two different seed sources included from Hydrabad.
SEED SOURCE DESCRIPTION
All seed source descriptions including maps will be published in a booklet by the coordinators and sent to all members of the International Neem Network. The seed sources included in the network are all described very thoroughly, however, for some seed sources a few details are missing, including maps. The workshop urged all collaborators to provide the missing information to FAO as soon as possible in order to publish and distribute the booklet on seed sources.
The coordinators (FAO) should also be sent a copy of description of local seed sources included in the trials.
Summary information about the collections is given in Annex 7. All countries
have followed the guidelines and collected seed from at least 25 trees,
100 meters apart. Any additional information available on the seed collection
should be sent to the FAO.
The monitoring and analysis of adaptability (survival, health, flowering) and overall growth were identified as the main characters for assessment of the trials. A working group on trial assessment was formed at the workshop with participants from countries which already have experience with assessment of Neem provenance trials. Dr. Emanuel, India was elected as group coordinator, with Mr. Gaye, Senegal and Mr. Boontawee, Thailand as working group members. The working group was asked to produce a proposal for trial assessment, covering the first 5 years of the trials. The working group should report back to the Network collaborators within the next year. The draft guidelines for trial assessment should be presented and adopted at the Network Meeting planned for the first half of 1997.
Status and progress of the research components of the International Neem Network were reported upon by the coordinators of the different components.
A research proposal has been prepared by Dr. Hélène Joly (CIRAD-Forêt) in cooperation with other concerned network collaborators. IPGRI presented the proposal to the Government of France. The proposal has unfortunately not been accepted. The representative of CIRAD-Forêt in the workshop (Dr. Roberto Bacilieri) proposed to update and reformulate the research proposal in relation with concerned network collaborators. Application to EU/DG XII Research Programmes is envisaged. Other possibilities should also be considered. The reformulation of the proposal will be done by end of October 1996.
This component is coordinated by Danida Forest Seed Centre. The work has been concentrated on seed storage and seed desiccation studies. The seed physiology group consists of a number of countries which have agreed on common objectives and goals, and which are carrying out seed physiology research at the national level, using their own funds. The proposal has to be reformulated to coordinate activities with the on-going IPGRI/Danida Project on "Effective Conservation and Use of Intermediate and Recalcitrant Tropical Forest Tree Seed", which is funded by Danida. This project has Neem as one of the model species. A number of Neem Network collaborating institutes are taking part in the IPGRI-Danida project and the seed physiology group of the Neem Network. The Workshop emphasized the need for both activities, with the IPGRI/Danida project working on strategic research and the seed physiology group working on applied research.
Bangladesh, Lao P.D.R. and Vietnam expressed interest in joining the seed physiology group of the International Neem Network.
This component is coordinated by the Indian Council for Forest Research and Education. Research work is on-going in India and Thailand in this area. All workshop participants expressed interest in developing this component.
Coordination of the
activities of the component on genetic diversity with the component on
chemical compounds, and preparation of a common, integrated research proposal
were discussed, and generally found to be desirable.
The long term objective of the Network is the improvement of the genetic quality and adaptability of the neem planted and its sound utilization worldwide, as a contribution to development in concerned countries and, in particular, meeting the needs of rural people. Following a step by step approach, the Network, in the initial phase, concentrated its efforts in the exploration, sampling/collection and evaluation of the genetic resources of the species through international provenance trials. Once this basic activity is well underway, after the - hopefully - successful establishment of trials, by end of 1996, the Network should engage further in the following activities:
