Oenocarpus bacaba
Carapa guianensis
Bertholletia excelsa
Hevea brasiliensis
Theobroma cacao
Bio-economics and Ecosystem Services of Amazonian Native Seed
BESANS Hugh W. Pritchard1, Isolde D. Kossmann Ferraz2, Wolfgang Stuppy1, Manuel de Jesus Vieira Lima Junior3; Peter Toorop1; Yeda Maria Boaventura Correa Arruda3; Angela Maria Mendes3; Sidney Alberto do Nascimento Ferreira2; José Luis Campana Camargo4; Anderson Cleiton José5; Katherine J Willis1 1Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK; 2Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Brazil; 3Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Brazil; 4BDFFPINPA / STRI, Brazil; 5Universidade Federal de Lavras, Brazil. Email:
[email protected]
Introduction: The Amazon is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world. Ecological research in the region is fundamentally important to the sustainable and innovative use of native Amazonian species. This requires greater scientific capacity in seed biology and a better understanding of the local seed supply chain and demand for seeds and seedlings. BESANS aims to generate seed storage and germination data on selected Amazonian species, train young scientists in tropical seed biology and work closely with local plant producers. The goal is to improve the prospects for the supply of high quality seeds of native species to support the developing bioeconomy in the region.
Students during a practical at the BESANS course in tropical tree seed biology in Manaus in June 2015
Table 1: BESANS target species
Capacity building: During June 2015, BESANS trained 30 university students / staff and members of the Amazon Seed Network, during a twoweek course in tropical seed biology, based on mixed learning of practical work, field studies, and interactive lectures. In addition, the UK partners will welcome four post-doctoral scientists to learn new techniques (e.g. cryopreservation) and attend a conference on the biology of Amazonian species.
Andiroba oil pressed from the seeds of Carapa spp. has medicinal properties
Species selection: The selection of the BESANS target species is based on a 2015 list of the Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA) which names 53 seedling producers and seven seed producers in the State of Amazonas and the species these businesses want to offer in the National Register of seeds and seedlings (Registro Nacional de Sementes e Mudas -RENASEM). Using this information, we have identified a priority list of 42 target species of which the top 20 species are presented in Table 1.
Seed collecting in the rainforest during the BESANS course in tropical tree seed biology in Manaus in June 2015
Seed biology research and dissemination: Research on seed biology is critical to unlocking the economical potential of hitherto neglected and under-utilised species (e.g. for food/energy, medicine, ability to mitigate/adapt to climate change etc.) and the collection and conservation of germplasm. We have provisionally assigned the seed storage behaviour of the 20 priority species (Table 1) and are describing their seed germination and seedling morphology. A high proportion of them have desiccation sensitive, recalcitrant seeds, indicating an urgent need for comparative cryopreservation studies so as to enable the longterm preservation of their germplasm. We will continue to evaluate storage responses of species on the priority list of 42 species, develop a model to predict storage behaviour in Amazonian species and produce information sheets on the bio-economics of the species.
The recalcitrant seeds of ice-cream bean (Inga edulis) can germinate while still inside the fruit
Acknowledgement: This work is funded by the UK-Brazil RCUK-CONFAP programme of the Newton Fund. If you are interested in working with us in the Amazon please contact: Hugh W. Pritchard (
[email protected]) or Isolde Ferraz (
[email protected]).
