Dalbergia melanoxylon needs a serious propagation and conservation to serve it from extinction
Last review of the literature of D. melanoxylon (African Blackwood) or Mpingo was done on the late 1990’s under the African Blackwood Conservation Project (ABCP) stationed in Tanzania. Recent investigations on propagation methods of this species has brought new attention of researchers to look forward on how they can rescue the species from being threatened or extinct which can be caused by its low regenerative ability by natural methods in the natural environments. It was now a proper time to add new information to the literature of D. melanoxylon from various recent findings covering about thirteen (13) years from the last review of the literature of the species. This literature review was written to organize useful information for researchers who are planning to investigate advanced propagation techniques on this species including tissue culture and mycorrhiza association of the species as recent findings on the species. This review has also exposed the threats of the species, recent status of the species in Tanzania and Africa, recently recommended research to be taken in consideration Ethnobotanical and ecological literatures as previous and early findings were not able to take botanists to the advanced propagation techniques which have been reported recently and finally Biology and silviculture of Dalbergia melanoxylon.
Mkwawa University College of Education