Baobab Monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future

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pretreatment, emergence is 4-6 days after sowing, and all those that will germinate will have emerged by 18 days. In rural areas the acid pretreatment can be replaced by manual scarification (chipping). In some cases seeds are boiled in water for 15 min, but this is a more risky procedure. When seedlings emerge it is best to shade them for 8 days, provide half shade for 4-7 days and then expose to full light at 12-15 days after emergence. Seedlings require watering morning and evening (but not excessively otherwise there is a danger of stem rot) and also protection from rodents such as rats and mice by using a small mesh wire netting. Early transplanting is not possible. Normally seedlings need to be at least 3- 4 months old, when they have reached a height of 40-50cm, for transplanting. Nursery seedlings can be fertilised using bi- or tricalcic phosphorus and urea with 46%N. 8.1.3 Planting and spacing Direct seeding into the field has not been very successful; hence seedlings are mainly raised and transplanted into the field at 10x10m spacing. The hole size is 60x60x60cm, but smaller may be suitable (40cm 3 ) and organic matter is added during planting. Planting is done when the rainy season has started. Protection has to be provided against animal grazing and fire. 8.2 Vegetative propagation The advantage of vegetative propagation is that identified, superior, mother trees can be grown, thus avoiding a great deal of heterogeneity which results from seed propagation. 8.2.1 Stem cuttings Since pruned branches frequently sprout young leaves when minimal conditions are present, stem cuttings may be taken, rooted in the nursery and transplanted to the field. 8.2.2 Grafting The Forestry Department of Mali has shown that it is easy to graft baobab. A 68
veneer graft is used with a plastic film to control transpiration. Rootstocks used are 3 month old nursery seedlings. Scions were collected in Ségou and Koutiala region from high vitamin C content fruit trees. A success rate of 46% was found with scions kept for 8 days. However the best rate of success (92%) was found with 1 to 2 day old scions. The use of a cap to control transpiration is required in the case where scions are conserved for some time (Sidibé, 1992). Use of grafting resulted in trees of a lower height than those developed from seeds (plate 35). This facilitates the access for harvesting leaves and fruits. First flowering after grafting was at 3 years. This is extremely significant because grafting noticeably shortens the time to first flowering (8-23 years in plants raised from seed) (Wickens, 1982). 8.3 Growth and production Data on growth rates relate to seed-propagated trees. On average, a height of 2m is reached in 2 years and about 12m by 15 years (von Maydell, 1986). Young trees add 30cm per year in diameter. Sidibé et al., (1996) reported that transplanted individuals of 0.5m height grew to 2m in the first year after transplanting. There are few data on production. Arum (1989) estimated that, allowing for variation in site conditions, genotypes, and amount of leaf harvesting incurred, an average mature fruiting baobab produces 200kg of fruit per season. However, it has been noted that wild trees may go several years not fruiting and this is probably due to ecological factors (Swanapoel, 1993). Harvesting of leaves is constant during the vegetative period, but there are no data relating to production or production related to harvesting frequency and intensity. There are no data relating to fibre production. 8.4 Husbandry Baobab trees near habitation are ‘protected’ and therefore nurtured. They tend to receive more water than those trees scattered in the savannah. It has already been mentioned that the Dogon people of Mali used to transplant wild seedlings to areas arranged for showering so that adequate wet conditions were provided until trees were large enough to transplant to other protected sites. 69
Page 2 and 3:
BAOBAB Adansonia digitata L. Author
Page 4 and 5:
DFID/FRP and DISCLAIMERS This publi
Page 6 and 7:
ABBREVIATIONS FAO - ICRAF - ICUC -
Page 8 and 9:
5.2 DOMESTIC NON-FOOD USES, OTHER T
Page 10 and 11:
LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1.1. NOMENCLAT
Page 12 and 13:
PREFACE Tropical fruit trees are im
Page 14 and 15:
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND TAXONOM
Page 16 and 17:
Table 1.1. Nomenclature of Adansoni
Page 18 and 19:
Language Country Name Yao Malawi Ml
Page 20 and 21:
CHAPTER 2. DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 2
Page 22 and 23:
disc below but divided to half or m
Page 24 and 25: Figure 2.2. Flower of baobab showin
Page 26 and 27: Table 2.1. Phenology of Adansonia s
Page 28 and 29: 2.2.3 Seed dispersal and tree regen
Page 30 and 31: CHAPTER 3. DISTRIBUTION 3.1 Baobab
Page 32 and 33: 3.2 Regional diversity and distribu
Page 34 and 35: Plate 1. Large, showy, white flower
Page 36 and 37: Plate 5. A tree retaining its leave
Page 38 and 39: Plates 9 and 10. Holes in trees var
Page 40 and 41: Plate 13. Cosmetics containing baob
Page 42 and 43: Australia and the Victoria River ar
Page 44 and 45: Amino acid A B SD for A % of total
Page 46 and 47: Table 4.4 Chemical composition of b
Page 48 and 49: 4.3 Seeds Seed kernels are widely u
Page 50 and 51: The Baobab Fruit Company (2002) has
Page 52 and 53: Table 4.11. Cyclic fatty acid conte
Page 54 and 55: 5.1.2 Fruit pulp The dry pulp is ei
Page 56 and 57: 5.3 Medicinal uses 5.3.1 Traditiona
Page 58 and 59: Plate 18. Selling baobab dried leav
Page 60 and 61: Plate 22. Morphotype ‘Siradie’
Page 62 and 63: Plates 26 and 27. Morphological var
Page 64 and 65: Plate 32. Baobab trees intercropped
Page 66 and 67: The Southern African Natural Produc
Page 68 and 69: studied. Some initial work is under
Page 70 and 71: CHAPTER 7. AGROECOLOGY 7.1 Eco-clim
Page 72 and 73: 7.2 Elevation The most common altit
Page 76 and 77: The Forestry Department of Mali is
Page 78 and 79: easy to cut while the sickle is use
Page 80 and 81: 9.2 Research and extension contacts
Page 82 and 83: NIGER - Centre de Semences Foresti
Page 84 and 85: CHAPTER 10. RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
Page 86 and 87: REFERENCES Abbiw, D. K. (1990) Usef
Page 88 and 89: Capuron, B. (1960) Contributions à
Page 90 and 91: Igboeli, L. C., Addy, E. O. H. and
Page 92 and 93: Palmer, E. and Pitman, N. (1972) Tr
Page 94 and 95: Toury, J., Lunven, P., Giorgi, K. a
Page 96 and 97: calyx - the outer whorl of floral e
Page 98 and 99: ovary superior - with the flower-pa
Page 100 and 101: INDEX A. alba, 10 A. baobab, 10 A.
Page 102: Senegal, 8, 11, 22, 23, 24, 26, 51,
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