Other Research Facilities

Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum

Situated on the edge of the low desert near Superior, Arizona, this public botanic garden is a two-hour drive from the UA campus. Thirty-eight acres of native and introduced plants from arid and semi-arid regions, together with about 1,000 addi- tional acres of undisturbed fauna and flora, are under Arboretum control. Additionally, large tracts of relatively undisturbed habitats in a variety of biomes lie in the surrounding Tonto National Forest.

This facility is operated cooperatively by The University of Arizona College of Agriculture, the Arizona State Parks Board, and the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum Board. The Arboretum has facilities for teaching and research – laboratory facilities and housing are available. The Arboretum is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except for Christmas Day.

For more information, contact Arboretum Affairs 37615 E. Highway 60 Superior, AZ 85273 (520) 689-2723 Web site: http://ag.arizona.edu/BTA

Spotlight: The Desert Legume Program

The Desert Legume Program (DELEP) was started in 1988 by R. Phillip Upchurch as a cooperative project of the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum and The University of Arizona College of Agriculture. The program was established for three reasons:

1. to develop a comprehensive seed bank of species in the legume family (Leguminosae or Fabaceae) indigenous to or adaptable to arid and semi-arid regions of the world,
2. to conduct ongoing investigations into the utility of these plants, and
3. to make seed samples available to people and organizations working with these plants.

DELEP focuses on legumes for several reasons. Leguminosae is a large plant family containing more than 18,000 species that provide food, medicines, fuelwood, lumber, livestock forage and feed, soil stabilization and improvement, and landscaping around the world. Many species of legumes are threatened with extinction, diminishing the earth’s genetic diversity. Although legumes are often well-represented in the floras of arid and semi-arid regions of the globe, no comprehensive collection of arid-land legumes has been undertaken before.

The seed collection currently includes more than 2700 accessions representing approximately 1200 species. DELEP acquires seed from wild and cultivated sources, and through donations, exchanges and purchases. Seeds of each species are germinated and grown out to determine their horticultural requirements at field plots at the UA Campus Agricultural Center in Tucson, and at the UA Yuma Mesa Agricultural Center. Many species are also planted in exhibits at the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum near Superior, Arizona.

Volunteers play a key role in DELEP and actively participate in many aspects of the program. A quarterly bulletin, Aridus, is available at no cost. In addition to the seed bank and field evaluation trials, DELEP provides plant material for pharmaceutical research projects, and works closely with members of the Arizona landscape nursery industry to make new landscape plants available.

For more information, contact Desert Legume Program 2120 East Allen Road Tucson, AZ 85719 (520) 318-7047

Document part of 1997 The Agricultural Experiment Station Today
Located at http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/general/azlp46-1/other_fac.html
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