(Information provided by R. Kemp, CFI Oxford)
A new Seed Centre is now being established in the Honduras Republic in Central America, under a joint project between the Corporación Hondureña de Desarollo Forestal (COHDEFOR) and the United Kingdom Ministry of Overseas Development (ODM).
The forests of Honduras are a major natural resource of that country. During the past two years, since its inception, COHDEFOR has not only been actively concerned with the development and proper management of the natural forests, but is also looking ahead to the need for reafforestation programmes, in which the Seed Centre will play a key part.
The forest genetic resources of Honduras are also of great international concern. The largest area of natural pine forest of any Central American country is found in Honduras. The most widespread species is Pinus oocarpa Schiede, but there are also important populations of P. caribaea var. hondurensis Barr and Golf., such as those found in the severely dry conditions of the upper Choluteca valley, where conditions are more arid than anywhere else in the natural range of this variety. P. pseudostrobus Lindl. also occurs, at higher elevations than the other two pines, and among the great variety of broadleaf species are such valuable hardwoods as Cedrela odorata and Swietenia macrophylla. International provenance research on several of these species is already in progress, through programmes such as that of the Commonwealth Forestry Institute, Oxford, financed by ODM, under the general coordination of the FAO Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources.
The Seed Centre is based on the campus of the Forestry School (Escuela de Capacitación Forestal) at Siguatepeque and the Director of the school (Dr. Jose G. Flores Rodas) has taken a prominent part in the planning of the Seed Centre project. The U.K. silviculturist (Mr. A.M.J. Robbins) and the U.K. specialist in seed storage, seed testing and other laboratory studies (Mr. G.M. Buszewicz) are already in residence at the Centre. Mr. Buszewicz was previously the Principal Seed officer in the U.K. Forestry Commission Research Station. The Honduras counterpart staff includes the sub-director of the school (Ing. Isaac Abastida) and Sr. Oscar Ochoa, who received training at the Seed Centre of the Corporación Nacional Forestal in Chile.
Construction of the laboratory building and seed stores has been carried out by COHDEFOR. The refrigeration plant and laboratory equipment for seed testing have been provided by ODM, who have also supplied two landrovers to the project. The Seed Centre is expected to play an important part in the conservation and development of forest genetic resources in Central America.
