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Collecting and Conserving Wild Species from Burkina Faso and Mali and Building Seed Conservation Capacity

Result of an expedition: bagged, cleaned seeds at CNSF, Burkina Faso

Many of the vulnerable species of West Africa are located in ecological buffer dry zones between the Sahara desert in the North and the remnant tropical humid forests in the South. The MSBP is collecting and conserving seeds and data of collections of important W African Sudano-Sahelian wild species that are ecologically threatened. These high quality seeds are banked both in-country in Burkina Faso, in Mali and also at the seed bank at Wakehurst Place in the UK. The project in W Africa is a collaboration between Burkina Faso and Mali, and RBG Kew, UK. It also enables Centre National de Semences Forestieres (CNSF; Burkina Faso) and Centre Regional de Recherche Agronomique (CRRA; Mali) to improve their seed banking facilities, testing protocols, and train their staff (1 MSc completed, and 2 PhD ongoing).

The project is making a major contribution to meeting the objectives of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in these countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, in addition to the Global Plant Conservation Strategy in both countries, in particular Targets 8 and 15. The number of trained people working with appropriate facilities in plant conservation is also increasing, according to national needs. Overall the project aims at achieving:

·           seed collection and conservation of about 800 important wild species in both countries, comprising about a ¼ of the flora of the region;

·           development of ex situ conservation capacity through networking with CNSF and CRRA and provision of essential equipment, training and technical support, and development of applied research through higher degrees; and

·           inculcation of best practices in CNSF and CRRA staff, regarding seed banking, laboratory research handling and data management for a better conservation and germination of wild seeds. 

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