Tamarind monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future

germplasm banks can be maintained since seeds may be stored under
conservation conditions for long periods. However this is heterozygous
material and cannot quickly replicate superior phenotypes. Conservation
through utilisation is likely to be most successful method since access to
trees provides a sustainable incentive for local farmers to conserve them.
Hence there is a need to develop strategies for on-farm conservation
(including home gardens).
On-farm conservation should be linked to the establishment of protected
areas as practised for the conservation of forest genetic resources (Collins et
al., 1991). This method of in situ conservation has inherent problems for
tamarind as individual trees are often grown in villages, roadsides, boundary
plantings etc. and not in mixed stands as in natural reserved forests.
Protected areas and on-farm conservation can be linked to wood lots or
patches of trees that grow in different locations.
8.6 Conclusions
At present attempts are being made in different countries to collect
germplasm to improve tamarind to meet foreseen commercial needs and to
support rural development. It is necessary to support the maintenance of
existing germplasm collections and to expand most of these. A regional
collaborative arrangement is likely to be required to maximises efforts in
collecting and maintaining tamarind genetic resources. Additionally, a
strategy needs to be developed to support germplasm conservation and use
and for this to be translated into official policies.
Since considerable variation exists in the species there are enormous
opportunities for varietal improvement. Tree improvement holds the key for
boosting the yield of the plantations and it can utilise the genotypes which
are packed with desirable characteristics like fast growth, good tree form,
high yield and resistance to pests and diseases etc. (Radhamani et al., 1998).
It is necessary to understand the magnitude of the genetic variation for yield
and its components to adopt an effective breeding programme for its
improvement (Holden and Williams, 1984; Ram, 1997). In spite of this
widely accepted recognition, the use of tamarind germplasm collections for
tree improvement is limited and opportunities are not being fully exploited
(Gill, 1984; 1985).
An updated list of institutions with collections of tamarind germplasm,
individuals/institutes involved with research on tamarind, and seed suppliers
are given in Appendices I, II and III, respectively.
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