Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

CORDIS (Service Communautaire d’Information sur la Recherche et le Développement) Commission Européenne

Titre : DADOBAT Domestication and development of baobab and tamarind

Région : Dryland

Code du projet : 32217 FP6-INCO

Durée : 2006-12-01 to 2010-11-30

Descriptif
Tamarindus indica often occurs wild in the tropics. Unimproved trees are often commercially exploited, but are considered as under-utilised crop. There is a lack of a national research agenda ; global interest and research impact are insignificant. Tamarind is used for timber, tool handles, charcoal and fuel wood. Its leaves are a source of food and medicine ; fruit pulp is the richest known natural source of tartaric acid and is used for flavouring chutneys, sauces and juices. Seed kernel powder, the major industrial product, is an important material used in sizing of textiles and paper. Adansonia digitata is a multipurpose, widely used African tree with similar research constraints/potentials as tamarind. Baobab occurs scattered in savannahs, often near dwellings. It has numerous medicinal properties and (non-) food uses. Young leaves, rich in minerals/vitamins, are cooked as spinach and sauces. High vitamin C fruit pulp, dissolved in water or milk is drunk, used as sauce, fermenting agent, etc. Seed kernels are eaten fresh, dry or ground and used in cooking, as thickening/flavouring agent, or roasted. Seeds are also a source of cooking oil. Bark fibre is used for rope, basket nets, fishing lines and weaving. Both species have high potential for (semi-) arid areas.
However, improved disease-free cultivars are not available ; rapid and easy methods of germplasm production/multiplication are not developed ; and distribution pathways are mostly non-existent. Integration into agroforestry systems could stabilise them, but trees with desired growth habit have yet to be developed. There is also a need to collect/conserve/utilise germplasm for tree improvement. Market chains and infrastructure are poorly developed. The project addresses issues of new crop/niche development through a holistic research approach and envisages multidisciplinary activities to broaden availability of improved plant material for introduction into agroforestry systems.

Participants au projet
Coordinateur : UNIVERSITY OF GHENT / UNIVERSITEIT GENT (Belgium)
Participants : UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON United Kingdom ; INSTITUTE OF RURAL ECONOMY / INTSTITUT D’ECONOMIE RURALE Mali ; BOMARTS FARMS LIMITED Ghana ; CENTRE D’ETUDE RÉGIONAL POUR L’AMÉLIORATION DE L’ADAPTATION À LA SÉCHERESSE Senegal ; UNIVERSITY OF ABOMEY-CALAVI / UNIVERSITÉ D’ABOMEY-CALAVI Benin ; UNIVERSITÄT FÜR BODENKULTUR / UNIVERSITY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES Austria

Budget
Coût total : EUR 2 099 944
Contribution UE : EUR 2 099 944

Présentation : Commission Européenne