Cedrela odorata L. ("Spanish Cedar"; Meliaceae)is a valuable timber tree native to central and Southern America (LAMP, 1968; PENNINGTON, 1981), often grown in combination with coffee or cocoa in agroforestry systems. However, attempts to establish the species in plantations in areas within its natural range have met with repeated failure,largely because of attack by shoot boring moth larvae (Hypsipyla spp).(NEWTON et al.,1993a). Shoot borers destroy the terminal shoot, resulting in a highly branched or forked tree of little economic worth (GRIJPMA, 1976; NEWTON et al.,1993a). Evidence from performance and progeny test of C.odorata indicate that some gynotypes may display tolerance of the pest (GRIJPMA, 1976; NEWTON et al, 1993b) by displaying strong apical growth of the leading shoot after attack (CHAPLIN, 1980;VEGA,1976). Although such a characteristic is clearly of great potential value,the physiological and genetic basis of this pattern of response is not well understood.
Publication year
1995
Authors
Newton A C; Cornelius J P; Mesén J F; Leakey R R B
Language
English
Keywords
seedlings, agroforestry systems, plantations, progeny
