Challenges to Stimulating the Adoption and Impact of Indigenous Fruit Trees in Tropical Agriculture - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 63

trees, they may provide an additional dietary supplement during peak times of
agricultural labour. They provide oil and fuel for cooking, and a wide range of
local medicines that contribute to health. The supply of fuelwood and oils can
influence nutrition through their impact on the availability of cooked food
(Falconer, 1989). Impacts of the promotion of indigenous fruit trees are
discussed in the following sections.
3.4.1 Influence of research outputs
There are a number of examples from major species which can be followed by
those promoting indigenous fruits and particularly by those designing and
implementing appropriate research, whether on crop diversification,
maintenance of agrobiodiversity, or meeting the needs of industries and/or
communities.
The research and development of any crop requires a multidisciplinary
approach. It is pertinent to investigate a range of species and also to focus on
any special needs in the areas where indigenous fruit crops are to be grown. A
wide range of species show different degrees of domestication and/or genetic
changes from the original wild species or progenitors as domestication
pathways vary tremendously and proceed along different lines. There is much
to be gained in developing research plans by those working on indigenous fruit
crops if they are aware of current advances in research in associated plant
sciences and even in human cultural research. To illustrate this, it is helpful to
consider species in varying stages of domestication (Rindos, 1984), for instance
the studies of baobab (Sidibe and Williams, 2002), shea-butter tree (Lovett and
Haq, 2000) and Moringa spp. (Harlan et al ., 1976) in Africa.
There are many local varieties available, which need systematic
characterization and evaluation. Diverse examples are found in the genera
Tamarindus , Ziziphus , Dacryodes and Irvingia (David, 1976; Gunasena and
Hughes, 2000; Pareek, 2001; Kengue, 2002; Anegbeh et al. , 2003). Research
on these species requires an understanding of the local agroecology and
patterns of genetic changes which have occurred and can be used further.
Multidisciplinary research may require a very strong ecological input
because data on limitations on the site adaptability are essential when
recognizing that some indigenous fruit species will grow well in entirely new
environments, while others often need to be adapted by specific management
or genetic selection.
The impact of research can influence the policy makers' decisions. For
example, influenced by the Global Programme on Fruits for the Future created
by ICUC, jackfruit was included in the national research programme of the
Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC). Similarly the Indian Council for
Agricultural Research (ICAR) created a new cell, the All India Co-ordinated
Network on Underutilized Fruits, which includes eight underutilized fruit species
for research and development.