Comparative physiology, field performance and propagation of plants of the genus Prosopis
Background
The Republic of Cape Verde has suffered from serious environmental degradation through overgrazing, soil erosion, loss of fertility and predisposition to drought and famine. A key factor in developing such arid and semi-arid areas is appropriate sustainable forestry and agroforestry, aimed at environmental stabilisation and soil improvement, and the provision of fuelwood, fodder, human food and other locally important products. Legume trees and shrubs play a potentially important role in such developments but information was lacking on selection and management of promising species of the genus Prosopis.
This research aimed to document a wide range of Prosopis germplasm, compare the ability of members of this genus to withstand drought, to make recommendations on the use of the Prosopis species and to develop optimum methods for propagation and grafting of Prosopis species.
Research activities
Garden Organic carried out 6 years of research with the government of Cape Verde and a university in Oman. Work included the collection, documentation and selection of a wide range of Prosopis germplasm.
Findings
Several species, not previously cultivated on the Cape Verde islands, were proven to be successful in the reforestation of inland areas suffering from extreme drought and have thus facilitated species diversification. Prosopis species as well as those from the genera Acacia and Atriplex were selected for their ability to survive the combined wind, salt and drought stresses prevailing on exposed coastal sites. Advances were made in the vegetative propagation of trees using simple low cost methods of conventional propagation. Physiological studies in Oman provided an understanding of the basis of drought tolerance in Prosopis.
Papers summarising this work were published in various scientific journals. Copies are available free of charge.
Outputs
- Harris PJC, Sandys-Winsch DC and Hyde EA (1990) Establishment of a living collection of nitrogen fixing trees in the Republic of Cape Verde. Nitrogen Fixing Tree Research Reports 8: 67-68.
- Sandys-Winsch DC, Theisen P and Harris PJC (1990) Evaluation of Prosopis and Acacia species for coastal afforestation in the Republic of Cape Verde. Nitrogen Fixing Tree Research Reports 8: 71-72.
- Sandys-Winsch DC, Theisen P and Harris PJC (1991) Performance of Prosopis and Acacia species at an arid site in the Republic of Cape Verde. Nitrogen Fixing Tree Research Reports 9: 56-58.
- Sandys-Winsch DC and Harris PJC (1991) The effects of season, soil salinity and wind on foliage loss from Acacia and Prosopis species at a coastal site in the Republic of Cape Verde. Nitrogen Fixing Tree Research Reports 9: 58-61.
- Sandys-Winsch DC and Harris PJC (1991) A simple method for the vegetative propagation of Prosopis juliflora. Nitrogen Fixing Tree Research Reports 9: 117-118.
- Sandys-Winsch DC and Harris PJC (1992) Forestry and agroforestry in the Cape Verde Islands. Agroforestry Systems 19: 79-91.
- Pasiecznik NM, Harris FMA and Harris PJC (1993) Growth of Prosopis and Acacia species and their effects on soil fertility. Nitrogen Fixing Tree Research Reports 11, 1-3.
- Harris PJC (1993) Vegetative propagation of Prosopis. pp. 175-192. In: Dutton RW (ed), Prosopis species; Aspects of Their Value, Research and Development, Proceedings of the Prosopis Symposium, University of Durham, 27-31 July 1992, CORD, Durham.
- Sandys-Winsch DC and Harris PJC (1994) Green development on the Cape Verde Islands. Environmental Conservation 21: 225-230.
- Harris PJC, Bradbury M, Pasiecznik NM and Arya S (1994) Prosopis: an under-exploited forestry resource. Science and Technology Now 5, 14-17.
- Pasiecznik NM, Vera Cruz MT and Harris PJC (1995) Prosopis juliflora withstands extreme aridity and goat browsing in the Republic of Cape Verde. Nitrogen Fixing Tree Reports 13.
- Harris PJC, Pasiecznik NM, Vera-Cruz MT and Bradbury M (1996) Prosopis genetic improvement trials in Cape Verde. Pp. 4-4 - 4-20 In: Felker P (ed.). Prosopis: Semi-arid fuelwood and forage tree; building consensus for the disenfranchised. Washington DC 13-15 March 1996.
- Pasiecznik NM, Vera-Cruz MT, Sandys-Winsch DC and Harris PJC (1996) The current status of Atriplex on the Cape Verde Islands. Journal of Arid Environments 34: 507-519.
- Harris PJC, Pasiecznik NM, Bradbury M and Ramirez L (1998) Problems and potential of Prosopis. Pp 277-293 In, Prendergast HDV, Etkin NL, Harris DR and Houghton PJ (eds.), Plants for Food and Medicine. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
- Pasiecznik NM, Harris PJC, Tavares, JdeP and Cassamá M (1998) Pretreatment of Prosopis seeds to break dormancy. International Tree Crops Journal 9: 187-193.
Staff
Phil Harris
Nick Pasiecznik
Francis Harris, no longer at Garden Organic
Collaborators
Instituto Nacional de Investigacao e Desenvolvimento Agraria, Cape Verde
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Contact
Julia Wright, International Research Coordinator, research@gardenorganic.org.uk
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