Report on Activities
by
Ing. Agr. Graciela Verzino
Coordinator, National Prosopis Germplasm Bank
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
C.C. 509
5000 Córdoba, Argentina
The activities of the National Prosopis Germplasm Bank of Argentina are closely coordinated with those of the State Forest Service of Argentina and individual States, Universities and Seed Banks in Argentina. This collaboration is organized through the National Prosopis Commission, which includes members of both private and public institutions. Considering the actual and potential importance of species of the genus Prosopis and other dry-zone genera in Argentina, at both national and international level, FAO's Forestry Department has actively contributed to this work, and collaborated with the Germplasm Bank during the last several years.
The activities of the National Germplasm Bank have mainly concentrated on exploration and collection of reproductive materials. Approximately 700 kg of pods of Prosopis chilensis and P. flexuosa were collected in December 1990 and February 1991. The collected seedlots have been kept seperate by mother treein order to facilitate genetic studies at a later stage.
The seedlots presently stored at the seedbank (at +4°C), cover areas ranging from 25°S to 32°S, 64°W to 69°W and altitudes from 300 to 2000 m.a.s.l. Rainfall ranges from 150 mm/year to 800 mm/year.
A total of 650 seedlots are held by the seedbank, and sufficient seed for international exchange is available of 355 seedlots of the species Prosopis flexuosa, P. chilensis and (in smaller quantities) P. argentina, P. alba aff. panta and P. caldenia.
For these species, which are available from store, requests can be handled with minimum delay. Concerning other species, primarily Prosopis ferrox, P. hassleri and additional quantities/provenances of P. caldenia, seedlots can be made available at request; such requests should be sent to the Germplasm Bank between May and November each year. Collected seed will the be available from February on. 3
For additional information, please contact the author of this article (see address above).
1 Manuscript received July 1991. Orginal Spanish
