Cover
collection, handling, storage and pre-treatment of Prosopis seeds in Latin America

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Cover:
A Selection of collecting equipment
(Photo: CSIRO Division of Forest Research, Australia)

by
Peter F. Ffolliot and John L. Thames
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona, USA

First published 1983
Reprinted 1986

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.


All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.


FOREWORD

The importance of conserving and utilizing existing genetic variation is recognized as fundamental in most tree species used in large-scale industrial plantations. However little or no information is yet available on intra-specific variation in a large number of tropical species which today are receiving increased attention as providers of goods and services for rural communities.

Following the recommendations made by the FAO Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources and with financial support from the international Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR), FAO's Forestry Department initiated in 1979 a project on the conservation and better utilization of genetic resources of arboreal species for the improvement of rural living. Based on a list of species drawn up by the FAO Panel and in accordance with the wishes expressed by the future cooperators, priority has been initially given to a few selected species mainly in the genera Acacia and Prosopis.

The general objectives of the project are the conservation and improved utilization of genetic resources of multi-purpose arboreal species growing in arid and semi-arid areas. The means of achieving these objectives are exploration, collection of reproductive material (mainly seed) and evaluation of genetic variability and adaptability to varying environmental conditions of the species included. These activities will enable appropriate action to be taken in conservation in situ and ex situ and in planting well-adapted and otherwise suitable species and provenances in village woodlots, firewood plantations, for food and fodder, and for shade, shelter and land amelioration.

As the species included in the project have not in the past received much attention, little information and experience are available on fundamentally important aspects such as taxonomy and seed collection, handling, storage and treatment. Where such information exists, it is often scattered and difficult to obtain. Yet, the species present a number of serious problems in these specific fields: their taxonomy is often confused and a number of inter-breeding species complexes are thought to exist, making proper identification difficult and predictability of performance in subsequent generations impossible; seed collection and handling are difficult because of the scattered, often remote stands in which the trees occur, irregularity of good seed years, difficulty of extraction and uncertainties on safe but efficient methods of breaking the seed dormancy. Last, but not least there are the problems caused by insects in all stages of development and storage of the seeds.

In order to remedy at least in part these identified information gaps it was decided to prepare a series of handbooks within the framework of the FAO/IBPGR project. Such handbooks, aimed at professional staff involved in actual field operations, have been prepared on taxonomy; seed collection, handling, treatment and storage; and seed insects of the two main genera, Acacia and Prosopis. The handbooks are published in English, French and Spanish to help bridge-language barriers between countries and continents.

We are aware of the fact that much more work is still needed in this field: the species covered are only a small fraction of those which merit urgent attention, the topics covered in these handbooks are but a few of the numerous ones which need to be systematically tackled. However, through this and related work we hope to catalyze action elsewhere in the world, to show one of the ways of going about the problems which we all should be determined to solve: the conservation of our heritage of genetic resources and the utilization of these resources for the betterment of life particularly of rural communities dependent on these resources.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
ROME © FAO 1983


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

SPECIES AND SEED COLLECTION AREAS

Species

Seed collection areas

PHENOLOGY, MORPHOLOGY, PRODUCTION, AND PHYSIOLOGY OF PROSOPIS SEEDS

Phenology

Morphology

Production

Physiology

PLANNING OF THE SEED COLLECTION OPERATIONS

COLLECTION OF FRUIT

Selection of trees as a source

Forecasting potential crops

Techniques of collection

Labelling of origin

PACKAGING OF FRUIT

TRANSPORTATION OF FRUIT TO POINT OF SEED EXTRACTION

EXTRACTION OF SEED FROM FRUIT

Mechnical methods

Mechanical-chemical methods

FUMIGATION OF SEED FOR INSECT AND FUNGUS CONTROL

Insects

Fungi

DRYING OF THE SEED

Air drying

Kiln drying

ASSESSMENT OF SEED QUALITY

Sampling

Purity test

Number of seeds per unit weight

Viability test

Germination test

PACKAGING OF SEED

STORAGE OF SEED

Short-term storage

Long-term storage

PRE-TREATMENT OF SEED BEFORE SOWING

Mechanical treatment

Water treatment

Dry heat treatment

Chemical treatment

Electrical treatment

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX 1   Sample seed collection form

APPENDIX 2   A device for threshing Prosopis seed