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A project on the handling and storage of recalcitrant and intermediate tropical forest tree seed has been launched by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and the Danida Forest Seed Centre (DFSC), sponsored by the Danish International Development Agency (Danida). The project has participants from seed centres and research institutes in 20 countries in Africa, Asia, South and Central America, North America and Europe.
The development objective of the project is to improve the sustainable forest management and conservation of biological diversity through adequate conservation, use and handling of forest genetic resources. The immediate objectives are:
to strengthen the research capacity on forest tree seed in developing countries;
to develop effective techniques for seed handling (e.g. collecting, storage, germination, testing) for a number of economically valuable tropical forestry and agroforestry tree species through research and technology transfer;
to improve the basic scientific knowledge on recalcitrant/intermediate storage behaviour of tropical tree seed.
The project proposal was based on the results of a workshop held by IPGRI and DFSC in Humlebaek, June 1996, where leading scientists met together and contributed their knowledge (proceedings are in preparation for publication by IPGRI).
The project is divided into two phases; an applied research component and a strategic research component. During the first phase (the applied component) 20-25 species will be screened according to a common protocol with the objective of defining the storage category (recalcitrant, orthodox, sub-orthodox), and laboratories will also familiarize themselves with collection and germination procedures. Phase one will be implemented during 1996-98. In phase two (the strategic research component) in-depth research will be carried out using 3-5 model species, which will be selected based on the results in phase one. This part of the project will be formulated in 1996 and submitted for funding in 1997.
A training workshop on the screening protocol, was held in Durban, South Africa, March 1996.
The project publishes a newsletter twice a year. More information about the project and issues of the newsletter can be obtained from:
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Kirsten Thomsen
Danida Forest Seed Centre
Krogerupvej 3A
3050 Humlebaek
Denmark
Fax 0045 4916 0258
E-mail: [email protected] |
Abdou Salam Ouedraogo
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
Via delle Sette Chiese 142
00145 Rome
Italy
Fax 0039 6 5750 309
E-mail: [email protected] |
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