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Ethnobotany of Wild Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.): A Way Forward for Species Domestication and Conservation in Sudan

  • Gurashi, N.A. (Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Sinner) ;
  • Kordofani, M.A.Y. (Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, University of Khartoum) ;
  • Adam, Y.O. (Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Management, University of Khartoum)
  • Received : 2016.08.27
  • Accepted : 2017.07.12
  • Published : 2017.11.30

Abstract

Selection of superior phenotypes of fruit trees and products based on established criteria by local people is a prerequisite for future species domestication and conservation. Thus the study objective was to identify the local people's perceptions and preferences on baobab trees and products. A sample of 142 respondents was randomly selected using structured interviews in Blue Nile and North Kordofan, Sudan in 2013. Descriptive analysis was employed using SPSS and Excel programs. The study results indicated that local people use the morphological characteristics of the tree (leaves, fruits, seeds, kernels and bark) to differentiate individual trees. Based on the perceptions, local people recorded trees with delicious leaves, white pulp color, big fruit size and mature capsule size, and high pulp yield as criteria for differentiating between baobab trees in the study areas. In contrast, the undesirable traits were connected to trees with acidic pulp, slimy pulp, bitter leaves, and low pulp yield. The study concluded that the ethnobotanical knowledge of the baobab tree and its products may play an important role in tree domestication and improvement in Sudan. However, further research on tree genetics is needed to complement the ethnobotanical knowledge for baobab resources domestication and conservation.

Keywords

References

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