TREES AND MARKETS ON-LINE
A newsletter on tree cultivation and marketing of products and services from trees
Published by World Agroforestry Centre, Kenya
Volume 2, No.1, July 2004
Input to this quarter's issue comes from: Diane Russell, Stella Muasya and Tony Simons
In this issue:
1.Introduction
2.Hot Topics
3.Funding News
4.Useful Website Links
5.Valuable Listserves
6.Key References
- Meetings and Courses
- Trading Ideas
1. Introduction
Greetings from the First World Congress of Agroforestry in Orlando Florida USA! This event has brought about 500 researchers and practitioners from around the world to share their research and lessons. Trees & Markets sponsored a symposium at the Congress that introduced its integrated approach to markets, domestication, seed systems and scaling up. There were also two sessions on domestication and a session on scaling up as well as several papers and posters on themes relevant to Trees & Markets. Tree crops are well represented, especially cocoa, as the Congress is in part sponsored by Mars Inc, the chocolate manufacturers. Dr. Norman Borlaug opened the Congress with a call for continued science based research to achieve food security. Dr Swaminathan asked us to go beyond the farm level and help create "biomass based rural industries." The Congress will wind up on Friday with a keynote by our own Dr Dennis Garrity discussing the relationship between agroforestry and the Millenium Development Goals. We will have more details to report in the next edition of TMN.
2. Hot Topics
A low cost / low tech tree seedlings hardening structure
Most tree species that ICRAF is promoting have not been investigated when it comes to nursery production, i.e. the basic conditions required in the hardening of deciduous woody plant seedlings. However, links between the quality of nursery stock and subsequent performance are well established such that seedlings planted with well developed lateral shoots have better growth rates than trees planted without laterals.
The object of hardening is to check the growth of the plant to the extent that it may be able to withstand adverse conditions after transplanting to the field, such as higher or lower temperatures, wind, dry soil or air, and hot sunshine.
Research has shown that small-scale nurseries are indeed the backbone of sustainable efforts to increase the numbers and diversity of trees on small-scale farms. These nurseries suffer from two major limitations: lack of money and of technical inputs. Any development of nursery production has to be on a low cost/low tech level so that an increase in seedling production can be done and still maintain a high seedling quality.
Currently, two popular hardening methods applied to tree seedlings have been the use of different colour nets (clothes), or tree shades. While studies of light and temperature on growth are documented; no reports have attempted to relate responses to possible patterns of growth with respect to the structures used during hardening, especially the environment under such structures. This is because stress conditions applied to roots affect the export of growth substances to the shoots; the effects of root environment on plant growth and development are of importance in the study of root-shoot relationships since hormones originating in the roots and transferred to the shoot via the xylem control physiological activities in the shoot under stress conditions, i.e. there is a modification of hormones transferred to the shoot, the root acting as an organ sensing the soil/media environment.
These two methods, however, have several disadvantages. Trees provide too much shade, while netting is expensive for most farmers, it may lead to stagnant air inside and two layers of 20% clothes do not necessarily provide 40% shade. Interestingly, some small-scale farmers use grass, reed or bamboo mats that are not durable, can harbour diseases and pests (also tree shade).
Is there a better and cheaper way of hardening tree seedlings due to the increase in demand for agroforestry technologies? The answer could be a lath house. A lath house is a valuable asset in raising seedlings, rooted cuttings, and young plants prior to setting them out in the field. When properly used, it will modify the environment in which they are growing by offering protection from hot, drying winds, reducing the duration of the sunlight, lowering temperatures, and maintaining higher humidity. During rainy seasons, the sides may be covered by plastic sheeting, which will furnish additional protection from rain. The thin narrow strips of wood are readily available and a large volume of plants is moved through the system in a short time.
Last year, a study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a lath house as a low cost /low tech tree seedlings hardening structure at the tree nursery, ICRAF to establish whether intermittent shading of seedlings (Leucaena trichandra and Moringa oleifera) during hardening produce high quality seedlings. By comparing the media temperatures, the number of seedlings lost during hardening (3 weeks), the growth rate among the transplants, and the adaptability in the field of seedlings from Lath house, black net, tree shade, and no shade (control). Final transplants’ performances were assessed by focusing on the final survival at the end of the trial period (10 weeks). Treatment effects on the numbers surviving were tested by tabulation of the average heights, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression models.
The results were as interesting as the process itself. The resultant seedlings from Lath house were of better performance (e.g. growth rate, morphology) in the field, while the other three shading types showed little consistency in seedlings’ performance. While the control [what was the control?] had the highest number of seedling loss, the others had no loss. Poor physiological conditions were apparent only after out planting, when seedlings performed poorly or died without any new root growth or before flushing. It [what?] also meant a lot of wasted effort that could also compromise efforts to promote agroforestry. The consequences of using such poor quality seedlings will only be known in the decades to come when they have grown into trees.
References
Edwin, S. and Carter, J. (1994); The organization of small-scale Tree Nurseries-Rural Development Study Guide 1; Odi.
Hartmann & Kester (1993); Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices-4th Edition; PHI.
Jaenicke, H. and Basweti, C. (2001); Tree nursery trade in urban and peri-urban areas; RELMA and SIDA.
Jaenicke, H. (1999); Good Tree Nursery Practices-practical guidelines for research nurseries; ICRAF.
Jaenicke, H (2001); Innovative strategy for Research on Small-scale Tree Nursery Development; ICRAF.
Kurata, K. and Kozai, T. (1992); Transplant production systems; Kluwer Academic.
Lindqvist, H. (November 2002); Potentially Important Research Areas in Nursery Production; ICRAF.
Pessarakli, M. (1984); Handbook of Plant and Crop Physiology; Marcel Dekker Inc.
Poincelot, R. P. (1979); Horticulture: Principles and Practical Applications; Prentice-Hall.
Sadhu, M.K. (1989); Plant Propagation; Wiley Eastern Ltd.
Wightman, K. (1999); Good Tree Nursery Practices: Practical Guidelines for community nurseries; ICRAF.
3. Funding News(full opportunities on our website under construction)
Bentley Fellowship
Charity Trends
Food for all Grants
Fulbright Competition to over 25 African Countries
Global Fund for Women (GFW)
International Forestry Review Young Scientist Publication Award
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
4. Useful Website Links(full group on our website under construction)
Databases
Carbon Glossary
Forestry and Woodworking report
Forest biological diversity
.
Global Ban on GM trees : People´s Forest Forum
People, land management and ecosystem conservation (PLEC)
The Rudy Grah Memorial Agroforestry Collection
What tree is that?
Organisations
African Forestry Research Network (AFORNET)
AidWatch
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN):
Biological sciences
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) (USDA):
International Association for Food Protection
International Finance Cooperation (The World Bank)
International Food Information Council
International Society of Tropical Foresters
International Tropical Timber Organization
Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD):
Pacific Islands Forests & Trees Support Programme (PIFTSP)
Plant Research International
Produce Marketing Association
Rural Development Forestry Network (RDFN)
World Trade Organization
5. Valuable Listservers (full list on our website under construction)
Asia Pacific Mountain Network (Mountain Forum)
Common names of plant diseases
Forest-related projects
European Commission policies and actions on (tropical) forests, environment and development!
Forest Information Services
Information Systems on Genetic Resources
Integrating Monitoring, Assessment and Management
International Organisation for Plant Information
Southern African Botanical Diversity Network (SABONET)
World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE)
/
6. Key References and Articles (full bibliography on our website under construction)
Better life from Pygeum (Prunus africana)
Environmental Biosafety Research
Focus on Trade
Forest-related projects
International Network of Forests and Communities (INFC)
Medicinal Plants
People, Land Management and Ecosystem conservation (PLEC)
Seed Savers Network
The Science of Sustainable Development: Local Livelihoods and the Global Environment
Tree Aid
Trees for the Future
World Outlook for Forestry and Woodworking
WWF Forests For Life
7. Meetings and Courses
July 5-7, 2004First World Conference on Organic Seed : Challenges and Opportunities for Organic Agricultureand the Seed Industry
FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy
Contact: IFOAMCharles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5D 53113 BonnGermany
Fax: +49-228 926 50-99
Email:
July 18-23, 2004
Plant Molecular Biology
Holderness School, Plymouth, NH
Contact:
Or
July 22-25, 2004
Socio environmental impact of Agroforestry in Nigeria. UNAAB, Dept. of Forestry & Wildlife Management
Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
Contact: Lawal Ibraheem , or
Ojelade Babatunde
Postal address: PMB 2240 UNAAB,
Jungle Club International,
UNAAB, Dept. of Forestry & Wildlife Management
Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
July 25-29, 2005
Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on the review of the implementation of the Programme of work on Forest Biodiversity
Bonn, Germany,
Contact: Mr. Hamdallah Zedan
Executive Secretary
Phone: +1 514 288 2220
Fax: +1 514 288 6588
July 30th - August 2nd, 2004
18th Annual Meeting
Society for Conservation Biology
Alfred Lerner Hall on the main campus of Columbia University, 116th Street and Broadway, New York NY 10027 USA
Contact: Sriram
CERC
Columbia University
1200 Amsterdam Ave.
MC 5557
New York NY 10027 USA
Fax: 1(212) 854-8188
Email:
August 1-10, 2004
Gender and Forestry: Challenges to Sustainable Livelihoods and Forestry Management. The Second Worldwide Symposium on Gender and Forestry
Kilimanjaro, United Republic of Tanzania
Contact:Headmark University College
Dr. Ann Furuberg
Phone: +4790 16 30 92
Fax: +4762 94 57 53
August 3-23, 2004
Production Technology of Seeds and Seedlings for Environmental Restoration (PROSEEDS)
Los Banos, The Philippines
Contact: The Director, Training Center for Tropical Resources &
Ecosystems Sustainability (TREES)
College of Forestry and Natural Resources
University of the Philippines Los Baños
P.O. Box 434; College, Laguna 4031, Philippines.
Tel. No.: +(63 49) 536-2268 or 536-2736
Fax: +(63 49) 536-3340
Email:
August 9–13, 2004
The Tenth Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property (IASCP): The Commons in an Age of Global Transition: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities
Oaxaca, México
Contact:Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales. Cd. de la Investigación en Humanidades. Circuito Mtro. Mario de la Cueva, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510 México, D.F.Tel. No. (52) (55) 5622 7423
Fax: (52) (55) 5622 7508Email:
August 10-13, 2004
Forest diversity and resistance to native and exotic pest insects
Hanmer Springs, New Zealand
IUFRO Conference:
Contact: Eckehard Brockerhoff Forestry Rd, University of Canterbury / PO Box 29237, Fendalton Christchurch 8004, New Zealand E-mail: and Forest ResearchTel.: +64 (3) 364 2949 Fax: +64 (3) 364 2812
August 16-20, 2004
International Symposium "Wood Science - Educational and Research Programs" Society of Wood Science and Technology, the Technical University in Zvolen, Slovakia and the IUFRO Division 5.
Contact:
August 23-29, 2004
Social Roles of Forests for Urban Populations (IUFRO conference)
Hokkaido, Japan.
Contact: Taiichi Ito-
Tel: +81-298-534576,
Fax: +81-298-552203,
E-Mail:
September 4-7, 2004
Transformation to Continuous Cover Forestry in a Changing Environment
University of Wales, Bangor, UK
Contact:
September 6-10, 2004
Ad hoc Expert Group on consideration with a view to recommending the parameters of a mandate for developing a legal framework on all types of forestsNew York, United States of America
Contact:Ms. Luz Aragon
Phone: + 1 212 963 1393
Fax: + 1 212 963 4260
September 6-10, 2004
The Use of Vegetation to Improve Slope Stability
Thessalonica, Greece
Contact: Sanna Dupuy
Fax: 33-5-566-80713
Email:
or
September 12-17, 2004
Fourth International Conference on Land Degradation
Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Contact: Prof. Dr. Ángel Faz Cano Department of Agricultural Production. Technical University of Cartagena. Paseo Alfonso XIII, 52. 30203 Cartagena. Murcia. Spain.
Tel.: +34-968-325440.
Fax: +34-968-325435
Email:
September 15-18, 2004
Forests soils under global and local changes: from research to practice. International symposium. Bordeaux, France.
Contact:
September 19-22, 2004.
IUFRO Tree Seed Symposium
Nanjing, P.R. China.
Contact: Dr. Fangyuan Yu
The Southern Tree Seed Centre
College of Forest Resources and Environment
Nanjing Forestry University,
Nanjing 210037, P.R. China
Tel.: 0086-25-5427403
Fax: 0086-25-5437403;
E-mail: .
September 27- October 8, 2004
International Training of Trainers on Wetland Management (ICWM-TOT)
Wageningen, The Netherlands
International Agricultural Centre (IAC) Contact: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (DBN) WUR building 425 P.O. Box 88 (Lawickse Allee 11) 6700 AB WAGENINGENThe NetherlandsTel.: +31 (0) 317 49 52 51Fax: +31 (0) 317 49 53 95 Email:
8. Trading Ideas
Cupuaçu: USP patents cupuaçu chocolate
Source: Agência Estado, 13 April 2004 (in Amazon News 15.4.04)
Scientists from the University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil, have patented a technology to fabricate chocolate made from cupuaçu, replacing cacao. Six products have been developed: three types of chocolate and three chocolate powdered drinks.
According to Suzana Lannes, the researcher responsible for the project, it is a refining of cupulate, the cupuaçu chocolate, patented almost 10 years ago by EMBRAPA but never commercialized. "Cupulate is an old product that required modifications to be marketed", she explained. "It melts very easily; it does not resist the heat." The new technology alters the properties of the fats fusion part of the cupuaçu, giving it more consistency.
The recipe is the same as chocolate, just that cupuaçu is used instead of chocolate. The flavour and the smell are almost identical, but as an Amazonia fruit it offers the advantage of being a native Brazilian product, with a decreased production cost. "It is a great business for Brazil", states the researcher. "Brazil has cacao but it does not have the necessary technology for the production of chocolate."
Cupuaçu, which is related to the Amazonian cacao, has become a symbol in the struggle against biopiracy following its being registered by Asahi Foods in Japan. This patent as well as that for cupulate had been removed by the Japanese government, but the company maintains its patents for these products in Europe.
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