A Letter from DELEP founder, Dr. Phil Upchurch

Dear Arboretum Friends,

The authorities at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum have asked me to address the issues of the history and scientific value of the Desert Legume Program (DELEP). In 1988, I held the position of Director of Arboretum Affairs at the University of Arizona. In this capacity, I was able to fulfill my long-held vision as to the merits of collecting, preserving, and sharing seeds of legumes that evolved under arid land conditions. Some history is in order.

My connection with legumes began in 1942, when as a high school student, I became a paid worker in the forage crops program at N.C. State University. Legumes are important forages. I went on to become a forage crops professional. My Master’s thesis at NCSU involved a study of the root system of alfalfa, which had evolved under arid lands of the Middle-East. At the University of California Davis, my PhD thesis was on ladino clover, another important forage legume. Along the way, I was formally schooled in the ecology of plants.

With the above background in mind, I found myself in the Spring of 1975, contemplating the prospect of moving to Arizona to become head of the Plant Sciences Department at the University of Arizona. During this contemplation, I came up with the idea of studying the legumes that evolved under arid lands. My hope was that my administrative duties in Arizona would allow me some time for an academic project such as the study of desert legumes. Thirteen years would elapse before I found myself with the flexibility to implement the idea on desert legumes I had long held.

Robert Phillip Upchurch “Phil” was an administrator in the Ag College of the University of Arizona, 1975-1995. For the University, he had oversight responsibility for the Arboretum.

The idea for DELEP was born out of academic curiosity – one of the benefits to society of having professors who are free to follow their instincts when deciding what to investigate. But my curiosity about an arcane subject resulted in a program with great importance, as I shall now relate.

The population of our planet with an immense variety of plant species occurred over millions of years. Through the process of evolution, new species appeared uniquely adapted to every soil and climate setting that existed. Arid lands required unique plant traits if plant species were to survive and reproduce. The end result is that thousands of legume species now present in arid lands represent plants with distinctive genetic traits. These traits are the result of unique DNA patterns that constitute the chromosomes and the genomes of the species involved. The traits such as drought tolerance and heat resistance are two simple examples. There are many more. Additionally, desert legumes contain unique chemicals that could have medical or industrial implications. All of these traits remain hidden, waiting to be discovered.

Best Wishes,

Dr. Phil Upchurch Professor Emeritus, DELEP Founder, Previous Director of Arboretum Affairs, University of Arizona