{{Short description|Species of plant}} {{Speciesbox |image = Prosopis tamarugo.jpg |status = LR/cd |status_system = IUCN2.3 |status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=González, M. |date=1998 |title=''Strombocarpa tamarugo'' (formerly as: ''Prosopis tamarugo'') |volume=1998 |article-number=e.T32037A9676582 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T32037A9676582.en |access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref> |genus = Strombocarpa |species = tamarugo |authority = (Phil.) C.E.Hughes & G.P.Lewis |synonyms = ''Prosopis tamarugo'' }} [[File:Fruto del Tamarugo.jpg|thumb|Tamarugo fruit]]

'''''Strombocarpa tamarugo''''', commonly known as the '''tamarugo''', is a thorny evergreen [https://www.fao.org/4/ad316e/AD316E13.htm] species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamilia Mimosoideae. It is only found in northern Chile, particularly in the Pampa del Tamarugal, some {{convert|70|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of the city of Iquique. This bushy tree apparently grows without the benefit of rainfall, and it is thought to obtain some water from dew. Studies indicate it is a phreatophyte; having deep roots that tap into ground water supplies. It also participates in hydraulic redistribution moving water from deeper levels to the upper and also reversing the process in times of severe drought.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mooney|title=Further observations on the water relations of Prosopis tamarugo of the northern Atacama desert|first=HA|author2=Sl Gulmon|author3=PW Rundel|author4=J Ehleringer|journal=Oecologia|volume=44|issue=2|pages=177–180|doi=10.1007/bf00572676|pmid=28310553|jstor=4216007|year=1980|bibcode=1980Oecol..44..177M|s2cid=7485836}}</ref>

Scattered stands of the trees have been cut down for firewood. The trees grow on saline soils that do not allow for other trees. The species is a valuable source of charcoal and lumber and the leaves and fruits are also food for goats. It has been planted in Spain.<ref name="Plantas chilenas cultivadas en España">{{cite web|url=http://www.arrakis.es/~jmanuel/Plantaschilenas.pdf|title=''Chilean plants cultivated in Spain''|publisher=José Manuel Sánchez de Lorenzo-Cáceres|access-date=2010-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320001648/http://www.arrakis.es/~jmanuel/Plantaschilenas.pdf|archive-date=2009-03-20}}</ref>

== Physiology and biology == ''Strombocarpa tamarugo'' is a very drought and salt tolerant tree. Belonging to the family of legumes, the tree has the potential to fix nitrogen through rhizobial symbiosis with bacteria. On nutrient-poor soils the tree can therefore compete better compared to other non-nitrogen fixing plants. ''Strombocarpa tamarugo'' has the ability to grow very deep roots, leading to extreme drought tolerance. The plant has been observed to root down to groundwater tables at 20 m depth, allowing it to survive drought periods enduring several months.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Calderon|first1=Gabriela|last2=Garrido|first2=Marco|last3=Acevedo|first3=Edmundo|date=2015-12-02|title=Prosopis tamarugo Phil.: a native tree from the Atacama Desert groundwater table depth thresholds for conservation|journal=Revista Chilena de Historia Natural|volume=88|issue=1 |page=18|doi=10.1186/s40693-015-0048-0|issn=0717-6317|doi-access=free|bibcode=2015RvCHN..88...18C }}</ref> Furthermore, the tree is able to absorb moisture from atmosphere and redirect it to the rhizosphere, where water is exudated to the surrounding soil in a kind of reversion of a normal guttation process.<ref name=":4" />

=== Salt tolerance ===

Trees and shrubs of the genus ''Prosopis'', to which ''Strombocarpa'' species were formerly assigned,<ref name="iucn"/> are well known to tolerate high saline soils without major restrictions in growth. The tree's salt tolerance probably evolved responding to salty conditions at its geographical place of origin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Felker|first1=Peter|last2=Clark|first2=Peter R.|last3=Laag|first3=A. E.|last4=Pratt|first4=P. F.|date=1981-10-01|title=Salinity tolerance of the tree legumes: Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var.torreyana, P. velutina and P. articulata) Algarrobo (P. chilensis), Kiawe (P. pallida) and Tamarugo (P. tamarugo) grown in sand culture on nitrogen-free media|journal=Plant and Soil|language=en|volume=61|issue=3|pages=311–317|doi=10.1007/BF02182012|bibcode=1981PlSoi..61..311F |s2cid=6879121|issn=0032-079X}}</ref> In the northern Chilean Atacama Desert, thick salt crusts which were formed in the past through desiccation of lakes are found widely. The tree can grow under saline crusts of 0.10–0.40 m thickness.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/AD316E/AD316E15.htm|title=The Current State of Knowledge on Prosopis tamarugo|website=www.fao.org|access-date=2017-11-16}}</ref> Tolerating high saline water, the tree potentially can be irrigated with seawater in coastal regions.<ref name=":0" />

Less saline water concentrations tend to promote growth.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Time |first1=Alson |last2=Acevedo |first2=Edmundo |date=2020-12-29 |title=Effects of Water Deficits on Prosopis tamarugo Growth, Water Status and Stomata Functioning |journal=Plants |language=en |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=53 |doi=10.3390/plants10010053 |doi-access=free |issn=2223-7747 |pmc=7823844 |pmid=33383674 |bibcode=2020Plnts..10...53T }}</ref> Although the tree shows quite a high saline tolerance, an excessive salt concentration in water leads to a decrease in growth, but growth is not stopped. With high saline concentration in water the root diameter decreases due to a reduction of the cortex layers of the roots.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=VALENTI|first1=G. SERRATO|last2=FERRO|first2=M.|last3=FERRARO|first3=D.|last4=RIVEROS|first4=F.|date=1991-07-01|title=Anatomical Changes in Prosopis tamarugo Phil. Seedlings Growing at Different Levels of NaCl Salinity|journal=Annals of Botany|language=en|volume=68|issue=1|pages=47–53|doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.aob.a088217|issn=0305-7364}}</ref> Seedlings irrigated with high saline water concentration tend to have a decreased protein and carbohydrate content and a lower amount of photosynthetic pigments but a greater lipid content and oxygen uptake.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yan |first1=Shipeng |last2=Chong |first2=Peifang |last3=Zhao |first3=Ming |date=2022-12-31 |title=Effect of salt stress on the photosynthetic characteristics and endogenous hormones, and: A comprehensive evaluation of salt tolerance in Reaumuria soongorica seedlings |journal=Plant Signaling & Behavior |language=en |volume=17 |issue=1 |article-number=2031782 |doi=10.1080/15592324.2022.2031782 |pmid=35192777 |pmc=9176252 |bibcode=2022PlSiB..1731782Y |issn=1559-2324}}</ref>

== Agricultural use ==

=== History === In the 19th century, the natural forests of Tamarugo at Pampa del Tamarugal were intensively cut and used as source of firewood, so that they became almost extinct. Between 1960 and 1980 around {{convert|20000|ha}} in the Pampa del Tamarugal were revitalised with Tamarugo.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Ormazábal|first=C. S.|date=1991-06-01|title=Silvopastoral systems in arid and semiarid zones of northern Chile|journal=Agroforestry Systems|language=en|volume=14|issue=3|pages=207–217|doi=10.1007/BF00115736|bibcode=1991AgrSy..14..207O |s2cid=32748205|issn=0167-4366}}</ref>

=== Cultivation === The tree easy propagates and can be established from seedlings. It can grow in thick salt layers on clayey or sandy soils. Although it can absorb water from the atmosphere through its foliar system, initial costs can be reduced when tamarugo is planted where groundwater can be found between 2–10 m.{{original research inline|date=May 2025}}

The seeds used for propagation come from selected trees. Seeds receive water every 2–3 days initially, later when the plant has established only once every 15 days. The small plants stay in a nursery for 3–5 months until a height of 8–10&nbsp;cm. The plants are planted in a distance of 10 m from each other at a depth of 40–60&nbsp;cm whereby the saline crust is broken to facilitate establishment. At the beginning, watering is needed for the establishment of the plants.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Alonso|first=Jaime Latorre|date=1990-12-01|title=Reforestation of arid and semi-arid zones in Chile|journal=Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment|series=Proceedings of a Workshop on Degradation of Arid Zones in the Mediterranean Region Plant Growth|volume=33|issue=2|pages=111–127|doi=10.1016/0167-8809(90)90237-8|bibcode=1990AgEE...33..111A }}</ref>

=== Pests and diseases === Four insects are the main enemies of tamarugo:<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Luis|first=Zelada G.|date=1986-10-01|title=The influence of the productivity of Prosopis tamarugo on livestock production in the Pampa del Tamarugal — a review|journal=Forest Ecology and Management|series=Establishment and Productivity of Tree Plantings in Semiarid Regions|volume=16|issue=1|pages=15–31|doi=10.1016/0378-1127(86)90004-6|bibcode=1986ForEM..16...15L }}</ref> * "Palomilla violeta" (''Leptotes trigemmatus'') damages the fruits, leaves, flowers, and twigs * "Polilla del fruto" (''Cryptophlebia carpophagoides'') damages the fruit and seeds * "Polilla de la flor" (''Ithome sp''.) damages the flower * "Bruco del tamarugo" (''Scutobruchos gastoi'') damages the seed Controlling the pests with synthetic pesticides (pyrethroids) seems to be useful.<ref name=":3" />

=== Fodder use === At Pampa del Tamarugal, a silvopastoral system with small ruminants was established. The mature fruit and dry leaves of tamarugo fall on the soil and can be used as fodder for goats, sheep and cows.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Pak|first1=Nelly|last2=Araya|first2=Hector|last3=Villalón|first3=Raymona|last4=Tagle|first4=Maria A.|date=1977-01-01|title=Analytical study of tamarugo (prosopis tamarugo) an autochthonous chilean feed|journal=Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture|language=en|volume=28|issue=1|pages=59–62|doi=10.1002/jsfa.2740280109|bibcode=1977JSFA...28...59P |issn=1097-0010}}</ref> Thanks to the leaves and the fruits of tamarugo, around 7000–9000 sheep and goats can survive in an original desert region. In fact, a 14–22 years old tree can produce 20–70&nbsp;kg of fodder per year.<ref name=":2" /> With trees aged 7 to 10 years, the estimated carrying capacity is about 0.5 sheep/ha. Tamarugo is unused until an age of 6 years. For this reason the trees should be grown only in areas bigger than 500 ha to cover the development costs.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Riveros|first1=F|title=The genus Prosopis and its potential to improve livestock production in arid and semi-arid regions|url=http://www.fao.org/wAIcent/fAoInfo/AgrIcult/AGA/AGAP/FRG/AHPP102/102-257.pdf|website=FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|access-date=2017-11-18|archive-date=2005-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050502135749/http://www.fao.org/waicent/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGA/AGAP/FRG/AHPP102/102-257.pdf}}</ref> Although Tamarugo shows a high quantity of fruit fiber the forage quality is poor because of the low digestible energy content compared to cereal stalks. The goats are more efficient in digesting rougher forage and consume about 3.46&nbsp;kg of fruits and foliage per day whereas sheep eat only 1.88&nbsp;kg per day. Even if the existence of Tamarugo allows the livestock production in the Pampa del Tamarugal, supplemental feeding is needed. Locally available fodder are wheat bran and alfalfa hay.<ref name=":3" />

Besides fodder and fuelwood, tamarugo plantations provide shelter to wildlife and recreational opportunities. In contrast to the deserted land, tamarugo plantations also provide vegetation cover.<ref name=":2" />

== References == {{Reflist}} *{{cite web|url=http://www.arbolesornamentales.es/Prosopistamarugo.htm|title=''Strombocarpa tamarugo''|work=Ornamental trees in Spain|language=es|access-date=2010-03-30}}

{{Taxonbar|from1=Q132198534 |from2=Q2468526}}

tamarugo Category:Plants described in 1891 Category:Flora of northern Chile Category:Trees of Chile Category:Drought-tolerant trees Category:Conservation dependent plants Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot