Tree Biotechnology Project (TBP)

Poverty and population pressure often invariably push poor farmers to cut down forests for their livelihoods.

In East Africa for example, deforestation is so profound wood has become very scarce and expensive for ordinary people, who depend on it for energy and other needs. And this is likely to persist for sometime, as demand for wood far outweighs supply. In fact, many studies in the region have shown that more hectares of forests are cleared annually than are replanted. The consequences are drought, crop failure, rapid soil erosion, global warming, desertifi cation and frequent power rationing, among others. TREE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROJECT (TBP) In response to the above needs, ISAAA AfriCenter in 1997 masterminded the transfer of genetically superior clonal eucalyptus from the Mondi Forest of South Africa to East Africa and helped in establishing TBP in collaboration with the Forestry Department to propagate and diffuse the trees to farmers in the region. The project, based at Karura Forest, near Nairobi, provides farmers with improved eucalyptus seedlings and clones that are:

  • Faster in growth.
  • Resistant to some common diseases and pests.
  • Superior in grain formation for better quality of timber.
  • Drought resistant and able to grow well in marginal rainfall areas.
  • Uniform in maturity thus more profi table.

Some of the popular species of eucalyptus the project produces are E. grandis, E. camaldulensis, E. tereticornis and E. urophyllar.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the project are to:

  • Establish a testing program for both imported and locally produced germplasms.
  • Establish a breeding facility with a capacity to produce over three million clones and seedlings annually.
  • Develop regional nurseries with appropriate linkages for effi cient distribution of plantlets in main tree-
    growing areas.
  • Build strong partnerships along the value-chain so as to create a sustainable biotechnology production and distribution program in the region

PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS

The main achievements of the project so far are:

  • Increased access to large quantities of improved, disease-free seedlings
  • Improved income for poor farmers, hence better social and economic status.
  • Trained forest offi cers in tree marketing and diffusion skills
  • Improvement of tree-cover in the region, as millions of trees have been planted
  • Reduced pressure on forests due to increased availability of trees for other uses.
  • Trained farmers on better management of tree farms
  • Better economic use of hitherto idle lands in arid and semi-arid areas.
  • Easy access to fi rewood means more women and children now have more time to spend on other productive engagements.

WAY FORWARD

  • Upscale the technology to other needy African countries.
  • Promote private sector investment in distribution of plantlets.

PROJECT PARTNERS

Institution Role
ISAAA AfriCenter Technology transfer, diffusion and management
Mondi Forest Technology developer and donor
Gatsby Foundation UK Financial support
Farmers, NGOs, Schools, entrepreneurs, Forestry Department and Kenya Research Institute (KEFRI) Adaptive research, trials and
extension service
TBP, Genetics Technologies International Limited Clonal and seedling production
Kenya Gatsby Trust Financial management