This archive report was first published on 3 July 2020.
Deep in the semi-arid lands of Kitui, Kenya, a team of scientists at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (Kefri) is racing against time to save the endangered Osyris lanceolata (sandalwood) tree. The tree, native to these lands, has been rapidly vanishing due to high demand for its products in the global pharmaceutical industry.
According to a study published in the Journal of Horticulture and Forestry in 2014, the sandalwood tree has a symbiotic relationship with certain indicator plant species, including Rhus natalensis, a fruit tree in the same family as the omusangura tree, whose twigs are used in dental hygiene.
At the Kefri laboratory in Kitui, lab technologist Frouza Maingi is working tirelessly to propagate the sandalwood tree. She begins by separating the seeds from the wild, placing them in a jar filled with water, and then separating the good ones that sink from the bad ones that float.
Once the seeds are cleaned and prepared, they are sown in greenhouses and transferred to nurseries where they remain for 15 months before they are ready for the field. Dr. Albert Luvanda, the regional director, notes that the seeds' hard coat requires scarification and soaking in hot water for germination, which may take up to 60 days.
The scientists are working with a wide range of hosts, including several species of Acacia, croton, Terminalia brownii, and three shrubs. They have also achieved success in domesticating Melia Volkensii (mukau), a tree that was once threatened with extinction in Kenya.
With the goal of propagating up to 10,000 sandalwood trees a year, the scientists are working towards establishing demonstration farms with host trees already planted. These farms will provide Kenya's seed capital and help ease pressure on natural populations.
As the war on illegal loggers continues to be a losing battle, the scientists are hopeful that their efforts will give the sandalwood tree a better shot at survival.
“Some hosts are useful in the nursery but not in the field – and vice versa,” Frouza says, highlighting the complexity of the process.
With time running out, the scientists are working tirelessly to save the sandalwood tree and ensure its survival for future generations.
