Dr Terry Pennington is making a systematic study of the genus at Kew, while agricultural schools, conservation orgonisations and forestry NGOs in Central and Western South America are undertaking field trials. Each trial is assessing five local species, including ones with no known uses but which the systematic survey identified as having agroforestry potential. Preliminary results have been spectacular with one or more species in each trial proving to be exceptionally fast growing, producing large quantities of fuelwood, and having excellent weed control ability. Fruit of Inga velutina . The cornerstone of any sustainable forestry strategy seeking to enhance a nation's welfare is the renewal and conservation of forest resources.
Seed is, in practice, the basis of renewal.
However, information on the storoge characters of tree seed is not widely available for some important families. ODA has supported tropical tree seed studies for 15 years and it is now funding a 77,000 project, based at Wakehurst Place, to construct a database that will integrate the results of research and combine them with proctical recommendations. Capsules of mahogany seed . Dr Paul Thompsett Flora of Ceylon ODA is funding completion of a Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon , an update of Trimen's classical account written at the turn of the century. The contract is held jointly by Kew and the Royal Botanic Garden, Peradeniya, enabling close co-operation in field work and text preporation.