The development of genetic tools for non-model organisms has been hampered by cost, but advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have created new opportunities. In ecological research, this raises the prospect for developing molecular markers to simultaneously study important genetic processes such as gene flow in multiple non-model plant species within complex natural and anthropogenic landscapes. Here, we report the use of bar-coded multiplexed paired-end Illumina NGS for the de novo development of expressed sequence tag-derived simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers at low cost for a range of 24 tree species. Each chosen tree species is important in complex tropical agroforestry systems where little is currently known about many genetic processes. An average of more than 5,000 EST-SSRs was identified for each of the 24 sequenced species, whereas prior to analysis 20 of the species had fewer than 100 nucleotide sequence citations. To make results available to potential users in a suitable format, we have developed an open-access, interactive online database, tropiTree (http://bioinf.hutton.ac.uk/tropiTree), which has a range of visualisation and search facilities, and which is a model for the efficient presentation and application of NGS data.

Pinus species and other conifers have cones as an essential unit for seed production. Cone production in pines is not uniform and often varies among compartments and sectors within the crown. Many countries experience challenges in seed production from orchards due to poor practices. The present study aimed to evaluate within-crown cone production patterns, cone characteristics, and seed yield in a Pinus patula clonal seed orchard in Londiani, Kenya. Crown height was divided into three equal portions and a further subdivision done for each of the parts into two sections. There were differences in cone characteristics within the crown, between the sections and compartments. The majority (67.1%) of the cones in the present study were curved. The study also showed that cone shape had no significant influence on seed yield. The present study observed cones collected from the top portion of the crown yielded the highest amount of seed (33.3±4.91 seeds) (p<0.05) while the bottom part had the lowest (14.4±2.76) (p<0.05). The study recommends the collection of P. patula seeds from the upper part of the crown in unmanaged stands. Further, it suggests that management through pollarding needs to be done regularly to minimize within-crown differences.

Cupressus lusitanica is a key plantation species with many uses leading to demand for seed. This species produces seeds within cones, which are collected for seed extraction. There are variations in seed collection and handling which compromise quality. Few studies focus on cone morphometry and seed characterization, thereby causing a gap in quality improvement through packaging and subsequent germination. Fifty cones were collected from each of the thirty identified trees within a clonal seed orchard. Cone characterization, seed extraction and germination were performed in the laboratory. This was a factorial experiment with three factors: cone diameter, seed diameter and seed density and their influences on germination. The present study separated the cones by diameter (20mm sieve) and weight. Seed were sieved (2mm sieve) weighed, floated and germinated. The results showed that seed size and density heavily impacted on germination and thereby showing that sorting through sieving and floatation would provide a low cost technique for seed quality improvement. The technique in the present study improved germination from 25% to 50%, and also reduced the number of seeds per kilogram from 290,000 to 105,000.Contribution/Originality: The paper's primary contribution is finding that C. lusitanica seed size and density heavily impacted on germination and thereby showing that sorting through sieving and floatation would provide a low-cost technique for seed quality improvement. INTRODUCTIONCupressus lusitanica [1,2] also called Mexican cypress, was globally introduced in many tropical plantation areas to increase diversity of plantation species suitable for timber due to the susceptibility of other species to biological attacks [3,4]. In Kenya, C. lusitanica is the most widely planted commercial species comprising about

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Background: Globally, forestry faces challenges in the availability of seeds due to limited knowledge on seed handling of various species. Forestry seeds are constantly being reviewed and classified as either recalcitrant, intermediate, or orthodox based on their storage behavior. It is essential to understand the tree seed storage behavior to maintain seed viability and thus minimize seed losses. There is scanty literature combining factors of seed moisture content (6%, 9%, 12%, 15%, and 20%), seed storage temperature (20oC, 5oC and -20oC), seed storage duration (1, 4, 9 and 12 months), and germination in different sites with varying environmental variables. Ehretia cymosa is important in the Afromontane forestry landscape as a medicinal, rehabilitation, and conservation species. This study conducted desiccation and storage studies and their influence on the viability of E. cymosa seeds. The study sought to determine the optimum conditions for the storage of Ehretia cymosa that maintains viability. Results: This study observed that E. cymosa dried to seed moisture content of 6%, stored for 12 months at 20oC and sown in the laboratory had the highest germination performance (27.6 ± 3.18%) (p<0.05). Conclusion: This confirms that E.cymosa seeds exhibit orthodox storage behavior. The authors recommend longer storage studies (>12months) to determine the actual longevity of the seeds of this species. The significance of these results would be useful for foresters and farmers that would need to use this species for various purposes.