OVERVIEW OF ICRAF RESEARCH IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICAN REGION Zac Tchoundjeu ICRAF Representative WCA-HT PO. Box 16 317 Yaoundé Cameroon Email: z.tchoundjeu@cgiar.org
1. ICRAF WCA ARTICULATIONS 2. Some of our Research Themes, 3. Participatory Tree Domestication - Why Indigenous fruit trees and medicinal plants? - Vegetative propagation Techniques Conclusion
21 countries 330 million people 1200 million ha
ICRAF WEST & CENTRAL AFRICAN NODES AHT is a hot spot with more than 1800 endemic plant species 31 endemic threatened birds 35 endemic threatened mammals
AHT SITES 100 Pilot nurseries in Cameroon, Gabon Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, D.R. Congo and soon in Ghana. Ghana Nigeria Equatorial Guinea Gabon Cameroon: DR Congo
WORK THEMES Tree Improvement * Development of germplasm collection and conservation methodologies * Development of appropriate propagation techniques * Selection and development of genetically superior propagules and cultivars * establishment of biological baselines for growth and development of improved materials
Agroforests Development WORK THEMES * Understanding farmers tree cultivation decision making process * Understanding the interrelation between tree cultivation and land tenure, participation, gender and well being * Assessment of the value of tree based systems, constraints and opportunities to make them more productive as well as environmental friendly * Integration of improved tree in the farming systems
WORK THEMES Marketing and Enterprise Development * Fostering the understanding of the structure and functioning of agroforestry product markets * Adding economic value to agroforestry products by developing effective harvest and post harvest techniques * Building an entrepreneurial spirit among farmers practicing participatory tree domestication
WORK THEMES. Scaling up agroforestry technologies * Analyzing, together with farmers, the opportunities and constraints of tree domestication * Building technical and organizational capacities of farmers through training workshops, farmer to farmer dissemination and exchange visits * Creating strategic alliances with a network of national, regional and international partners
Capacity Building WORK THEMES. * In-depth training and backstopping of farmers, NGOs workers and extension and development workers as well as students * Follow up and supervision of students within the framework of academic internship * Production of extension and didactic materials
WORK THEMES. Soil Fertility Improvement * Developing sustainable land management (SLM) to reverse the current trend of land degradation * Integrating (SLM) techniques to improve livelihoods in small production systems * Scaling up the integration of trees in farming systems
Communication WORK THEMES. * Transform the research into digestible form by different stakeholders (Decision makers, donors, Farmers etc) * Ensure PR of our program with many users of research results * Maintain links with different media for wide use of our research results.
PARTICPATORY TREE DOMESTICATION WHY FOCUSSING ON INDIGENOUS FRUIT TREES AND MEDICINAL PLANTS?
Economic Potential of indigenous fruit trees and medicinal plants Species US$ price /kg Wt. Traded (tonnes) Value trade US$ R. hedelotii 2.7 172 460 200 I. gabonensis 2.2 140 301 590 D. edulis 0.4 587 244 480 C. acuminata 1.0 212 211 970 Others - 401 122 580 Total for non-timber forest products - 1512 1340 820 Table 1: Market details of four non-timber forest products in Cameroon over a period of 6 months (Ndoye, 1995).
250.00 230.00 210.00 Volatility of coffee price NTFPS can generate more income (FCFA) 1600 1400 U S c e n t s / l b 190.00 170.00 150.00 130.00 110.00 90.00 70.00 1200 1000 800 600 400 Cocoa Irvingia Ricinod. 50.00 30.00 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 calendar year 200 0 1996 1997 1998 1999
Participatory Tree Domestication (PTD) Put simply PTD refers to: the means communities select, propagate and manage high-value indigenous fruit trees and medicinal plants and integrate them in the various farming systems, species which are mainly selected encompassing indigenous knowledge and genetic selection based on scientific principles a strong partnership with scientists, civic authorities and private companies. PTD is a farmer driven and market lead process. It focuses on species farmers consume best with high potentials for local, regional and international markets
STATUS OF SPECIES DOMESTICATED Species meeting the needs of small-scale farmers in less-favoured areas Species maximizing efficiency of local resources Species promoting strong participation of farmers in identifying problems and designing solutions Species in threatened habitats and populations Species with little knowledge on propagation and less knowledge on management
STATUS OF SPECIES DOMESTICATED Species with incomplete knowledge on nutritional qualities Species with no formal varieties Species with traditional wild harvest, little cultivation Species with no promotion campaigns and little product development Species with no market information systems PTD promotes strong participation of farmers in identifying problems and designing solutions AB responds very well to this status
AGROFORESTRY TREE IMPROVEMENT.. Categories of species under domestication process Indigenous fruit trees: Irvingia gabonensis, Dacryodes edulis, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Garcinia kola, Kola spp, Chrysophallum albidum, Allanblackia spp. 2. Medicinal plants: Prunus africana, Pausinystalia johimbe, Enantia chlorantha, Fagara heitzii, Fagara macrophylla (Zanthoxylum gillettii) 3. Spices: Afrotyrax lepidophyllus, Monodora myristica, Zanthoxylum macrophylla 4. Vegetable: Gnetum africana
SPECIES UNDER DOMESTICATION Kola nitida Ricinodendron heudelotii Irvingia gabonensis Gnetum africanum
Afrotyrax lepidophyllus Monodora myristica Zanthoxylum macrophylla Garcinia cola (Bitter kola)
60 50 40 Allanblackia Palm oil Palm kernel Rape oil 30 20 10 0 lauric myrist ic palmit ic stearic oleic C18:2 Allanblackia floribunda
P. Johimbe cutting Prunus. africana E. chloranta African Humid Tropics for Regional hepatitis Programme A, B, D, E World Agroforestry Centre
How to multiply the selected species: rooting cuttings
GRAFTING TECHNIQUES No new secrets but skills normally reside with station or research staff Farmers, extension services need the techniques
How to multiply the selected species: air layering
Creation of a cultivar Dacryodes edulis Earlier fruiting, smaller trees and uniform quality
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT IN PILOT VILLAGES DRC Nigeria Cameroon
Tree Diversification Bush mango Safou
PARTNERSHIP A very strong and strategic partnership was built with: - Ministry of Scientific research and Innovation - CIFOR, CARPE, IITA, - UNILIVER, Thales - NARS in six countries where we are working - Farmers groups -NGOs - Universities (Africa and Europe) - Religious congregations (DRC, Gabon) -Peace Corps
Conclusion Technologies for domestication well developed and ready for scaling up. Farmers already generating some revenues from production and sale of improved fruit trees Early fruiting and capture of desired traits are great incentive for adoption. Soil fertility Technologies of agroforestry extensively will be associated to tree domestication Market-oriented agroforestry through market analyses, policy studies, tree improvement
Conclusion Agroforestry and Tree Domestication now at the heart of key global environmental processes Convention to combat desertification Agroforestry for land regeneration Biodiversity Convention Role of agroforestry in biodiversity conservation Climate Change Convention Agroforestry as a key to adaptation Smallholder projects for carbon sequestration UN Forum on Forests Key role of trees outside forests
Ricinodendron 2000 2005 Many thanks for your kind attention