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The baobab tree in Malawi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

Aida Cuni Sanchez
Aida Cuni Sanchez*
Affiliation:
Centre for Underutilised Crops, Fac. Engin. Environ., Univ. Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, U.K.,. aidacuni@hotmail.com Environ. Dep., Univ. York, Heslington, YO10 5DD, York, U.K.
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Abstract

Introduction. The baobab tree’s potential overexploitation has recently been reinforced by the acceptance of baobab fruit pulp in the EU and US food markets. Despite the number of recent studies on this species, Adansonia digitata, little is known from Malawi, the main exporter of baobab fruit pulp in Africa. Materials and methods. Information on distribution and density of baobab trees present in Malawi was gathered from field surveys. The Maxent software based on the maximum-entropy approach for species habitat modelling was used together with spatial environmental data and geo-referenced records of the baobab tree to analyse its ecological preferences and potential cultivation sites. Farmers were interviewed about who was using and buying baobab fruits in different areas. Fruit and leaf morphological diversity was assessed in eight study sites selected along a latitudinal gradient. Results and discussion. The baobab tree was found to be widely distributed in southern Malawi, with variable densities. Modelling results show that this species could be cultivated in most of the southern region. A large morphological diversity in both fruit and leaf characteristics was observed, which gives the opportunity to select more desirable characters for cultivation. Conclusion. Our study showed that, while some areas of high baobab tree density could be further exploited, its cultivation, however, should be recommended in areas with low density of baobab trees in southern Malawi because there is little natural regeneration. Moreover, this study suggested that there is room for selecting baobab planting material with desirable characteristics for cultivation purposes in Malawi.

Keywords

MalawiAdansonia digitatageographical distributionpopulation densitytraditional usesmultiple usebiodiversityagronomic charactersMalawiAdansonia digitatadistribution géographiquedensité de populationutilisation traditionnelleutilisation multiplebiodiversitécaractère agronomiqueMalawiAdansonia digitatadistribución geográficadensidad de la poblaciónusos tradicionalesuso múltiplebiodiversidadcaracterísticas agronómicas
Type
Original article
Information
Fruits , Volume 66 , Issue 6 , November 2011 , pp. 405 - 416
Copyright
© 2011 Cirad/EDP Sciences

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