Tropical fruits
Introduction
Tropical fruits are important sources
of dietary vitamins, minerals and energy and also for enhancing both the
household income and national revenue and thus contribute significantly to the
well being of the people in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania (APO) region. The
region has rich diversity of native tropical fruit species and recognizing the
value of these species in enhancing nutritional security, reducing poverty and
protecting the environment, IPGRI undertakes several activities on conservation
and use of diversity of priority species which stepped up with funding support
from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Australian Centre of International
Agricultural Research (ACIAR) during 2000-2004.The Asian Fruit Genetic Resources
Network (AFGRN) involving 10 Asian countries has been established.
In
1998, a comprehensive project on ‘Conservation and Use of Native Tropical Fruit
Species Biodiversity in Asia” was developed, in collaboration with 10 Asian
countries, namely, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, the
Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. This project funded by the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) started in January 2000 and completed in
September 2003. The fruit species embraced in the project included mango,
citrus, rambutan, mangosteen, jackfruit and litchi. Significant accomplishments
were made in terms of germplasm collecting, characterization and evaluation,
documentation, identification of elite lines, ex situ and in situ
conservation, socioeconomics analysis, human resource development and capacity
building as well as regional and international collaboration.
The ADB funded project also
facilitated the establishment of Asia Fruit Genetic Resources Network (AFGRN).
The Network has helped to promote regional cooperation among the members to
access and share the information through its
website (http://www.afgrn.net).
A few countries, viz., Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia,
Sri Lanka and Vietnam have expressed interest in the exchange of germplasm. Some
countries have already initiated exchange of germplasm, for example, three
varieties of mango and one variety of lemon were supplied by India to Sri Lanka
in 2002 based on a bilateral agreement between the Indian Council Of
Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Council for Agricultural Research policy
(CARP), Sri Lanka.
For the second phase of the project, a proposal on ‘Conservation and Utilization
of Tropical Fruit Genetic Resources in Asia for Sustainable Livelihoods’ has
been submitted to ADB and is under consideration.
Another project funded by Australian Centre
of International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
'Development of Advanced Technologies for Germplasm
Conservation of Tropical Fruit Species’ is currently operating in Australia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The collaborating countries are
working on developing and disseminating new technologies for long-term
conservation of tropical fruit species genetic resources particularly for
recalcitrant-seed species already identified by the ADB Project (Phase 1). Some
of the species that are being worked on are mango, papaya, citrus, Davidson’s
Plum, rambutan, longan and litchi.
In 2003, a project on ‘Conservation and Use of Tropical
Fruit Species Diversity in the Philippines’ was developed jointly with
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research
(PCARRD) and The Philippine Agriculture and Resources Foundation, Inc. (PARRFI).
This 3-year project is funded by Department of Agriculture-Bureau of
Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), the Philippines. The project initiation meeting
was held 7 June 2004 and the workplan for the first year was developed.
More recently, UNEP/GEF
has approved support to a project on ‘Conservation and Sustainable Use of
Cultivated and Wild Tropical Fruit Diversity: Promoting Sustainable livelihood,
Food Security and Ecosystem Services’, which involves four Asian countries,
namely, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. This funding is for proposal
development and a full proposal on the same topic will be developed by June
2005. IPGRI is waiting for final clearance from UNEP/GEF and is in the process
of developing workplan in consultation with national partners for this one year
proposal development phase.
Purpose
There is tremendous amount of diversity in tropical
fruit species the region. This diversity, however, is not exploited fully to
its potential. Therefore, the purpose of IPGRI’s work on tropical fruits in
the region is to understand the available diversity in tropical fruits,
collect, characterize, conserve and make use of this diversity for fruit
crop improvement purposes and sustainable livelihoods of the people.
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Objectives
The major
objective of the projects/programmes on tropical fruit species is to improve the
conservation and use of genetic resources of priority tropical fruit species in
Asia. This objective is expected to contribute towards the long term goal of
improving human nutrition, reducing poverty and protecting the environment.
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Major activities include:
1. Locating and collecting diversity in the target
genepools.
2. Characterizing and evaluating diversity
3. Selection and improvement of native fruit diversity
4. Information documentation including development of
descriptors
5. Developing cost effective complementary conservation
methods i.e. cryopreservation, ex situ genebanks, in situ
conservation
6. Use of improved diversity in local communities.
7.
Human
resources development and capacity building
8. Exchange of information, technology and germplasm
9. Regional and international collaboration
Publications
-
Conservation Biotechnology of Plant
Germplasm:
Proceedings of Regional Training Course on In Vitro Conservation and
Cryopreservation of Plant Germplasm, NBPGR, New Delhi, India, 12-25 October 2000
by B.B. Mandal, Rekha Chaudhury, F. Engerlmann, Bhag Mal, K.L. Tao and B.S.
Dhillon, editorjjjs.
Source: IPGRI South Asia Office, New Delhi, India
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In Vitro Conservation and
Cryopreservation of Tropical Fruit Species:
Proceedings of Regional Training Course on In Vitro Conservation and
Cryopreservation of Tropical Fruit Genetic Resources, NBPGR, New Delhi, India,
4-6 February 2002
by Rekha Chaudhury, Ruchira Pandey, S.K. Malik and Bhag Mal, editors.
Source: IPGRI South Asia Office, New Delhi, India
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Descriptors for Citrus. 1999
Source: International Plant Genetic Resources,Via dei Tre Denari, Rome, Italy
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Descriptors for Jackfruit (Artocarpus
heterophyllus). 2000
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India.
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Descriptors for Litchi (Litchi chinensis).
2002
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Descriptors for Rambutan (Nephelium
lappaceum). 2003.
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Descriptors for Mangosteen (Garcinia
mangostana). 2003.
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Status Report on Genetic Resources of
Mango in Asia-Pacific Region, 2003 by Sant Ram and Shailendra Rajan
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Status Report on Genetic Resources of
Citrus in Asia-Pacific region, 2003 by Nobumasa Nito
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Status Report on Genetic Resources of
Indian Gooseberry-Aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) in South and
Southeast Asia. 2003
by R.K. Pathak.
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Status Report on Genetic Resources of
Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) in Southeast Asia. 2001
by Felipe S. dela Cruz
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Status Report on Genetic Resources of
Kuini (Mangifera odorata Griff.) in Southeast Asia. 2002
by Salma Idris and Raziah Mat Lin.
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Status Report on Genetic Resources of
Pulasan [(Nephelium ramboutan-ake (Labill.)] in Southeast Asia. 2002
by Salma Idria and Raziah Mat Lin.
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India
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Proceedings of the First Annual Meeting
of Tropical Fruit Genetic Resources Project, Pattaya, Thailand, 6-9 February
2001
by Bhag Mal, Y.S. Ramamani and V. Ramanatha Rao, Editors.
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India.
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Proceedings of the Second Annual Meeting
of Tropical Fruit Genetic Resources Project, Hanoi, Vietnam, 28 February- 2
March, 2002
by Bhag Mal, Y.S. Ramamani, and V. Ramanatha Rao, Editors.
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India.
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Proceedings of the Third Annual Meeting
of Tropical Fruit Genetic Resources Project, Chongqing, China, 25-28 March 2003
by Bhag Mal Y.S.Ramamani and V. Ramanatha Rao, Editors.
Source: IPGRI Office for South Asia, New Delhi, India.
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For
more information
contact
 Dr.
Bhag Mal
Senior Scientist, South Asia Coordinator
IPGRI South Asia c/o CG Centres Block, Ch.
Devi Lal National Agriculture
Research Centre,
Devi Prakash Shastri Marg, Pusa
Campus, New Delhi 110 012 India
Telephone: +91-11-25847546/25847547/25847537
Fax: +91-11-25849899
Email:
b.mal@cgiar.org
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