Baobab and tamarind are plant species with high potential for arid and semi-arid areas in the developing world. They can provide food, medicine, timber and a number of secondary processed products for income generation that can help to meet basic needs of an increasing number of people in a context of decreasing land availability. Their potential has been recognised by West African farmers and the scientific community; both species are among the top five species for domestication in West Africa. Despite their potential, baobab and tamarind remain underutilised.

The DADOBAT project aims at developing sustainable production systems of baobab and tamarind in three West-African countries based on characterisation, conservation and use of local genetic resources. This is expected to have a positive impact on food security and income generation in the countries involved in the project. Issues of new crop/niche development are addressed through a holistic research approach and multidisciplinary research activities.
 

Research Objectives Evaluation and characterisation of germplasm collected in different ecological zones Eco-physiological characterisation Domestication of superior germplasm material Development of adapted cropping techniques Development of adapted plant material for introduction into (traditional and improved) agroforestry systems Evaluation of nutritional/medicinal composition of different plant parts Ethnobotanical evaluation of baobab and tamarind Improvement of processing/transformation of the species’ products; Development of national and international marketing strategies The structure of the project and the interrelation between the work packages allow the complete study of both target species from production to consumption (see figure below), thereby encompassing the whole domestication process.

Login

Home | AboutUs | Fruits | Research | Links | ContactUs