Domestication of Azadirachta excelsa:: some aspects of propagation and cultivation

Azadirachta excelsa is one of the species being promoted for planting by farmers and the private sector in Malaysia. This paper highlights the potential uses of the species and outlines the research program being undertaken at Universiti Putra Malaysia. The research program focuses on provenance evaluation, vegetative propagation using macro- and micro-techniques, and nutritional studies. Some promising results have been obtained, but a lot more research needs to be done before effective domestication of A. excelsa can take place.