Twenty Seventh Annual Meeting 1991

Home , Breadfruit, Heart of palm

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CARI BEAN FOO~

27 Twenty Seventh Annual Meeting 1991

DOMINICA

Vol. XXVII HON-TIWJITIOIIAL noIT THU fOll UfORESTATIOR

G. Bs:rbeau

IICA Associated Personnel IICA Office Trinidad and Tobago

ABSTRACT

Fruit trees offer a practical possibility in a reforestation program. Reforestation with fruit trees may be. associated with other farming enter prises. In the Caribbean a few non-traditional fruit tree species could be used for reforestation. The ones herein described have been chosen for· their adaptability to local conditions, apparent resistance or tolerance to pests and dlsea11ea, rusticity in relation to the cultural practices and resistance of their fruits to transport. Nuts and non-perishable fruits are the •ost suitable.

INTRODUCTION

Fruit treeu constitute an elegant way to think about reforestation. Two objectives can be reached at the same time: a) to protect the soil from erosion and re-eatablish a vegetative cover, and b) to generate food and a monetary income on a long-term basis through the production of fruits.

Reforestation with fruit trees may also be associated with soae kind of extensive fanring including itinerant ground provisions and vegetable growing as well as sheep or cattle rahing. Thia type of farming should be considered as a low capital-and-labou·r consuming activity.

Good experiaenta have been conducted in North Africa with the medite rranean ah1ond tree (Prunua dulcla) a111d date palms (Phoenix dactylifera). Some attempts have also been made in Central America with the cashew (Anacardium occidentale) and the pee-wah (Guilielma gasipaes) and in Trop ical Africa with the tamarind (Tamarlndus indica) and dunks (Zlziphus mauri tania).

Attempts have not been always suc!cessful for many reasons; probably the three most important are: the incorrect choice of the species to be cultivated; unappropriated techniques of cultivation (soil preparation, terracing, weeding, etc., or intercro11ping; and lack of oonsciousneas from neighbours, mainly for not keeping away their domestic animals.

In the Caribbean a few non-traditional fruit tree species could be used for reforestation. The ones herein described have been chosen for their adaptability to local condition&, apparent resistance or tolerance to peats and diseases, rusticity in rdation to the cultural practices and resistance of their fruits to transport. Nuts and non-perishable fruits are the most suitable.

65 T&OPICAL HUMID ilEAS (Rainfall > 2 ,000-2 ,500 u 9 dry aeaaon

Breadfruit /Artocarpus altilis (Park,) Foab,7, cluataigne (A. altilis var. aeminifera) 1 and jackfruit Breadfruit is propagated by cuttings and this technique la well knov.11 in aoat of Caribbean nurseries. Chataigne and jackfruit are propagated by seeds. lacb species can develop into huge trees, 10 plantings auat be spaced with thla in •ind, allowing no more than 100 trees/ha. Breadfruit la an iaportant source of food in the Caribbean and baa certainly the beat export potential for North America and the EEC. Jackfruit la popular aaong populations of Indian origin.. Seada of both cbataigae and Jactfruit ere aataa bolled or roasted.

P'ee-wah or peach-palm .l,.Guilielma .l!!!I!.!!! (H.B.K,) BeUez_7. Thia apeciH luaa two advantages, Ita fruit• cam. be eaten after bolling in salt water and the heart of palm from its trunk can elao be eaten. It alao emits :new ahoota after the main trunk baa be,en cut do-, ao co-ercial ex ploit11tion la not destructive. Pee-wah thl'ivea better in high rainfall areas and tolerates occasional flooding. J:mprovad cultivara have been selected in CATIE, Turrialba (Costa Rica), both for fruits and for heart of pal~•. The traea can be propagated froa aeeda or basal suckers. Whe poa aible11 the latter technique allows for earl.y bearing and hoaogeneity. Guyaru1 la prH&Dtly producing and axportiD11 caDDad hearts of pal• to Europo.

:iapucaia Dut, paradiH nut, or monkey pot (Lecythh zabucajo Aubl.). Some tr••• bava been planted in Trinidad a few dacedaa ago, int.he Cuauto Coryal area (Puraglove, 1968). Their behavior caa be qualified as excel lent. At present, nuts are sold in local 11uperaarketa. These r11uta have a gre.at potential for export since they ar,e considered better than the true Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and their shell la not aa hard. Slow geralnatlon of the aeeda and late bearing of the trees represent serious constraints for propagation and COlllearclal production. Research work on vegetative propagation and tissue culture has been done in Brazil to try to solve these probleaa. It must be considered a long tera investment. The urn-like fruits which contain the nuta are very attrac tive and can originate the development of a handicraft activity.

TROPICAL DR.Y AREAS (Rainfall < 1,500-2,000 -; dry aeaaon from 3 to 6 months),

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.). Native of the savannahs •>f Tropical Africa, the tamarind is a very hardy and drought resistant fruit tree, slow growing and late bearing when propagated from seeds, but vegetative propa gation (budding) of outstanding cultivars reduces these inconveniences. Belonging to the legume family, its cultivation improves the soil fertility through the fixation of nitrogen. The fruits are collected during the dry season and can be stored in a dry place for a long time. The pulp can be e>ctracted and shaped into small balls and then wrapped in polythene sheets. Export market for both fresh frul.ta and pulp is developing.

66 Cashew (Anacardium occidentale I..) Cashew is a faat ,rowing, hardy, drought reaiataot, early bearing tre•i, able to produce high priced nuta and soft apples uaed to make juice, "ine, vinegar, and dried fruits. The apples are very perishable but even l'.f •oat of them are loat, the nuta can always be picked and stored in a dry place for a long time. The cashew n&t shell liquid (CNSL) alao baa •any industrial uaea. The main incon venience ia that the tree ia very ae11aitlve to fire. Many atte•pta of reforestation with thla apeclea have failed for thla reason. Another problea la the hi&h incidence of anthracnoae daaa&e on flowers and youna fruits when relative hu•idlty of the ataoaphere la too high durina tba flowering period. Tbeae proble•• can be solved throu&h proper selection of the aite and proper uoaaeaent of the tr•••·

Calabash tree (Crescentla cujet~ L.). lative of Tropical Allerica and the Wea t Ind lea, thla la a very hardy, faa t growlna tree. The frul ta are uaed for containera and handlcralEt. Seeds of the fruits aake a popubr drink ln Central Aaerlca. The bark of the trunk andtheuln branches are aoft and apon&y, ao lt la a boat-plant for many orchid• and bromeliad species and for aoae eplphytlc cactum belonalna to the Hylocereua &enua, which alao have edible frulta. Tr••• are eaally aro- fro• aeeda and cuttin&s.

Indian jujube or dunks ( Zlzlphu.!!. -uritanla La•.). Thia la a small thorny evergraen tree origlnatina in Tropical Africa and Asia, drought resistant and well adapted in the Caribbean. Trees bear small round fruits, rich lr1 vltuln C, which can be eaten fresh or candled. Cultlva tloii of this apeclea could be developed for reforeatatlon in the dtieat areas. Beat Cllltlvara can be propa&,ated by buddln&,

REFERENCES

Beard, J.S. 1946. The natural ve,etatlon of Trinidad, Oxford at the Clarendon Plt"eaa.

Marshall, R.C. 1934. The physiography and vegetation of Trinidad and Tobago. Oxford at the Clarendon Presa.

Purseglove, J.W. 1968. Tropical cro11s1 Dlcotlledona. Lon,_n scienti fic and technical, U.K.

Williams, R.O. 1928. Flora of Trinidad and Tobago1 Ranales.