PhD students Dennis Kyereh and Marie Kalousová; from the Tropical Biodiversity Research Group (TBG) were in Cameroon for the implementation of the project entitled: “Morphological and genetic characterization of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Heckel in natural and domesticated populations in Cameroon”.
The project aim was to (i) compare morphotypes of R. heudelotii of wild and domesticated populations. (ii) determine the genetic differentiation of R. heudelotii with SNPs markers between populations from different geographic areas and land-use systems, finally (iii) assess farmers’ knowledge on the silvicultural aspects of R. heudelotii.
The data collected were mainly barks (phloem) for DNA extraction at CZU molecular genetic laboratory. Upon the DNA extraction, samples will be sent to Diversity Array Technology in Australia for generating high DArT and SNPs markers. While fruits will be mixed for nutritional analyses at the Faculty of Agrobiology and Natural Resources (FANR). Other activities were also to carry out household surveys about the sylvicultural management of the R. heudelotii populations in the targeted areas.
The sampling was done in two agro-ecological areas, such as:
- South region; subdivision: Valee du Ntem; division: Ma’an; Villages (Alen, Tya’Assono, Mvili Menguele).
- Centre region ; Division: Akonolinga; Subdivision: Nyong et Mfoumou and Village (Ondek) ; Subdivision: Mengang and Village (Ebassi).
All the mentioned activities are related to the University Grant Competition (UGC) student grant and implemented under project Improvement in Quality of the Internal Grant Scheme at Czech University of Life Sciences, CZU, reg. no. CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/19_073/0016944.
We would like to express our gratitude to our host institutions in Cameroon, (i) The World Agroforestry (ICRAF) through Dr. Ann DEGRANDE, Country Representative; (ii) The Higher Institute of Environmental Sciences (HIES/IBAYSUP), thanks to Prof. Zacharie TCHOUNDJEU, the founder of HIES.
Author: Choungo Nguekeng Patrick Bustrel
For more informations, kindly contact: Patrick_bustrel@ftz.czu.cz
