1998 (updated 2000)
by Agnete Thomsen and Pierre Sigaud
Despite the widespread use of neem, global programmes for the evaluation and improvement of genetic resources of neem have previously not been initiated. The lack of activity in this field and the reliance on locally available germplasm is partly caused by problems of seed viability and handling, which have placed a serious constraint on seed collection and transfer. As a result, the genetic material presently used in plantations is generally thought to have been originally collected on few stands or trees, and its genetic base is in many cases likely to be very narrow, particularly in countries outside the natural range of the species. Neem decline is presently affecting many Sahelian countries and is alleged to be caused by a number of interacting environmental and genetic factors, possibly aggravated by pathogens.
Following the recommendations and agreements of the First and Second International Consultations on Neem Improvement in Thailand 1993 and India 1994, the International Neem Network was established in 1994. The collaborating countries and the focal institutes for the International Neem Network are given in box 1.
The long term objective of the International Neem Network is to improve the genetic quality and adaptability of neem and to improve its utilisation, throughout the world, as a contribution to development in the countries concerned, with particular focus on meeting the needs of rural people. The Network collaborators decided to undertake activities related to provenance exploration, seed collection and exchange for establishment of internationally coordinated trials. The Network collaborators also decided to undertake research in seed physiology and technology, genetic diversity and reproductive biology, as well as studies on variation in chemical compounds.
This note gives an introduction to the activities and achievements of the International Neem Network. It focuses on the organisation, the principles and the functions of the International Neem Network and outlines some experiences gained from it over the first four years of operation. The general background and presentation of activities are based upon already published articles in FAO's bulletin 'Forest Genetic Resources Information' no. 22 (1994), no. 24 (1996) and no 25 (1997).
Table 1: Countries and national focal institutes collaborating in the International Neem Network (as by December 1997)
| Country | National Focal Institute |
| Bangladesh | Forest Research Institute, Dhaka |
| Burkina Faso | Centre national de semences forestières, Ouagadougou Institut de recherche en biologie et écologie tropicale |
| Chad | Direction des forêts et de la protection de l'environnement, N'Djaména |
| China | Chinese Academy of Forestry , Kunming (joined in 1997) |
| Denmark | Danida Forest Seed Centre, Humlebaek |
| France | CIRAD-Forêt, Montpellier |
| Ghana | Forest Research Institute, Kumasi |
| India | Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehra Dun |
| Lao P.D.R. | Department of Forestry, Ventiane |
| Mali | Institut d'économie rurale, Bamako |
| Myanmar | Forest Research Institute, Yezin |
| Niger | Direction de l'environnement, Niamey |
| Nepal | Forest Research and Survey Centre, Kathmandu |
| Nicaragua | Centro de Mejoramiento Genetico de Semillas Forestales, Léon |
| Nigeria | Federal Department of Forestry, Abuja |
| Pakistan | Pakistan Forest Research Institute, Peshawar |
| Philippines | Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau, Laguna |
| Senegal | Institut Sénégalais de recherche agronomique, Dakar |
| Sudan | Forest Research Institute, Khartoum |
| Tanzania | National Tree Seed Programme, Morogoro |
| Thailand | Royal Forest Department, Bangkok |
| Viet Nam | Forest Science Institute, Hanoi |
Note: Guinea applied for membership in 1998.
Note:
1 This note is based on a paper, The International Neem Network a case study on networking, written by Agnete Thomsen, Danida Forest Seed Centre and Pierre Sigaud, FAO. The paper was presented at a workshop organized by IPGRI on the conservation and sustainable utilisation of forest genetic resources in Sub Saharan Africa, Ouagadougou 16-27 March 1998, and is included in the proceedings (in French) of this workshop (Ouédraogo A.S. et J.-M. Boffa. 1999. Vers une vision régionale de la conservation et de l'utilisation durables des ressources génétiques forestières en Afrique au sud du Sahara: Actes du premier atelier régional de formation sur la conservation et utilisation durable des ressources génétiques forestières en Afrique de l'Ouest, Afrique Centrale et Madagascar, IPGRI, Rome (1999).
