The Role of Indigenous Fruit Trees in Sustainable Dryland Agriculture in Eastern Africa - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 206

Burley, 1991). There is, however, growing international concern about the
impact of introducing species into areas outside their native range. Reasons for
this concern include the reduction of local biodiversity and the introduction of
pests and diseases. In addition, income from the sale of wood to farmers is
insignificant because wood has a high weight-to-value ratio and transport is
expensive. Indigenous fruit trees provide better returns to farmers because fruits
have a lower weight-to-value ratio and are easier to transport than wood
(Teklehaimanot, 2004). Therefore, the use of native fruit tree species to
improve the sustainability and productivity of dryland agriculture is more
attractive to local communities than the use of exotic trees.
Since domestication is concerned with the selection and management of the
most highly valued indigenous fruit trees, prioritization is the first step in
domestication. Historically, tree species have been prioritized by researchers with
varying degrees of research self-interest. Setting priorities, however, requires
understanding of user needs and preferences. It is now widely accepted that
domestication is likely to be most effective when local people are involved in a
participatory process of priority-setting for tree species (Franzel et al ., 1996). The
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), in collaboration with national agricultural
research systems, has developed procedures and guidelines for species priority-
setting in which the participation of local communities is given great emphasis
(Franzel et al. , 1996). These methods were used in a priority-setting exercise for
the domestication indigenous fruit trees carried out in Eastern Africa by the
Association of Forest Research Institutions in Eastern Africa (AFREA) in
collaboration with IPGRI-SSA (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute -
sub-Saharan Africa) and national partner research institutions in Eastern Africa.
Among the indigenous fruit tree species of the drylands of Eastern Africa, the
following were identified as national priority species for domestication:
Adansonia digitata L., Carissa edulis (Forssk.) Vahl, Parinari curatellifolia Planch.
ex Benth., Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst. subsp. caffra (Sond.) Kokwaro,
Tamarindus indica L. and Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Chikamai et al. , 2005).
These tree species are known to have potential for wider use and could
contribute significantly to the improvement of dryland agriculture.
A more recent priority-setting exercise was carried out by Teklehaimanot
(2005) in five countries of Eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania
and Uganda. These countries represent a diverse range of dryland and socio-
economic conditions in Eastern Africa. Two stages were involved in the
exercise. The first consisted of national priority-setting through meetings and
discussions with researchers and extension agents in the five countries. The
second stage was a field survey conducted in the five counties. The aims of the
field survey were to set priorities among indigenous fruit trees at the local level,
to gather baseline information on the potential contributions of the priority
species to farm households and the rural economy, and to identify problems
and constraints in relation to their utilization, management and productivity,
with the participation of local stakeholder networks (Teklehaimanot, 2005).
After discussions involving 31 senior scientists and forestry extension agents
in the five countries, it was agreed that the field survey should focus on
indigenous fruit tree species that: (i) are currently underutilized either because of