Abstract
The genus Allanblackia consists of multipurpose, valuable non-timber forest tree species found in the rain forest zones of Africa. The seed oil of Allanblackia spp. has a high commercial value and demand for industrial purpose amounting to >100,000 kg oil per year. Wild harvesting from Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania cannot meet the market demand for Allanblackia oil, hence the need for domestication. A genebank of A. parviflora A. Chev. was established in Ghana in July 2007 for conservation of the genetic resources of the species and for future use in its domestication programme, using 406 seedlings derived from collections made from eight different populations in three different provenances in Ghana. Six years after establishment, the survival rate, growth parameters (height and diameter), reproductive biology (flowering and fruiting behaviour, flower colours and sex ratio of the trees) were assessed. The mean survival rate was 73.65 %. There was no significant difference in mean tree height (cm) (F = 1.017, df = 7, P > 0.05) and mean diameter at breast height (F = 1.683, df = 7, P > 0.05) among the populations. Mean tree height (F = 0.309, df = 2, P > 0.05) and mean diameter at breast height (F = 0.686, df = 2, P > 0.05) were also not significantly different among the provenances. There was a highly significant positive correlation between the volume of the tree and the number of fruits per tree (R = 0.483, P < 0.0001), suggesting that fast growth could be an index for productivity and should be considered during selection.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adubofuor J, Sefah W, Oldham JH (2013) Nutrient composition of Allanblackia parviflora seed kernels and oil compared with some plant fats and oils and application of the oil in soap preparation. J Cereals Oil Seeds 4(1):1–9
Akinnifesi FK, Leakey RRB, Ajayi OC, Sileshi G, Tchoundjeu Matakala P, Kwesiga FR (2008) Indigenous fruit trees in the tropics: domestication, utilization and commercialization. CAB International, Wallingford, p 457
Atangana A, Beaulieu J, Khasa DP (2010) Wild genetic diversity preservation in a small sized first generation breeding population of Allanblackia floribunda (Clusiaceae). Tree Genet Gen 6:127–136
Barany M, Hammet AL, Sene A, Michev B (2001) Non-timber forest benefits and HIV/AIDS in sub Saharan Africa. J For 99:36–42
Bosu PP, Cobbinah J, Nichols JD, Nkrumah EE, Wanger MR (2006) Survival and growth of mixed plantation of Milicia excels and Terminalia superba 9 years after planting in Ghana. For Ecol Manag 233:352–357
Chambers PGS, Potts BM, Tilyard P (1997) The genetic control of flowering precocity in Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus. Silvae Genet 46(4):207–214
Gonçalves PS, Moraes MLT, Silva MA, Gouvêa LRL, Aguiar ATE, Costa RB (2009) Prediction of Hevea progeny performance in the presence of genotype-environment interaction. Braz Arch Biol Technol 52:25–33
Hall JB, Swaine MD (1981) Distribution and ecology of vascular plants in a tropical rain forest. Forest vegetation in Ghana. W. Junk, The Hague, p 383
Hawthorne W (1990) Field guide to forest trees in Ghana. Chatham. Natural resources institute for overseas development administration, London. Ghana For Series 1: 278
Hawthorne W, Gyakari N (2006) Photoguide for forest trees of Ghana. A tree spotter guide for identification of large trees. Oxfords Forestry Institute, UK, p 432
Hermann M (2009) The impact of the European novel food regulation on trade and food innovation based on traditional plant foods from developing countries. Food Policy 34:499–507
Iqbal M (1993) International trade in non-wood forest products. An overview. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome
Irvine FR (1961) Woody plants of Ghana, with special reference to their uses. Oxford University Press, London
Jamnadass R, Dawson IK, Anegbeh P, Asaah E, Atangana A, Cordeiro NJ, Hendrickx H, Henneh S, Kadu CAC, Kattah C, Misbah M, Muchugi A, Munjuga M, Mwaura L, Ndangalasi HJ, Njau CS, Nyame SK, Ofori D, Peprah T, Russell J, Rutatina F, Sawe CT, Schmidt L, Tchoundjeu Z, Simons AJ (2010) Allanblackia, a new tree crop in Africa for the global food industry. Market development, smallholder cultivation and biodiversity management. For Trees Livelihoods 19:251–268
Kaplunovski PS (1972) Grafting of Beech in seed orchards. Lesovodstven Issled i Proizv Opyt v Karpatakh, pp 81–92
Ladipo DO, Fondoun JM, Ganga N (1996) Domestication of bush mango (Irvingia spp.): some exploitable intraspecific variations in west and central Africa. In: Leakey RRB, Temu AB, Melnyk M, Vantomme P (eds) Domestication and commercialization of non-timber forest products in agroforestry systems. Proceedings of an international conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, p 193–205
Nwoboshi LC (1994) Growth and biomass production of Gmelina arborea in conventional plantations in Ghana. Ghana J For 1:5–11
Ofori DA, Kehlenbeck K, Munjuga M, Jamnadass R, Asaah E, Kattah C, Rutatina F (2013) Allanblackia species: a model for domestication of high potential tree crops in Africa. Acta Hort. 979:311–318
Ofori DA, Munjuga M, Jamnadass R, Anjarwalla P, Assah E, Tsobeng A, Tchoundjeu Z, Peprah T, Asomaning, J, Mwanaidi K, Sesiwa H, Mowo GJ (2014) Development of propagation protocols for Allanblackia species. Final report to Unilever, World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, p 24
Ofori DA, Obiri BD, Gyimah A, Adam KA, Jimoh SO, Jamnadass R (2012) Ethnobotany, propagation and conservation of medicinal plants in Ghana. Ghana J For 28(1):29–38
Ofori DA, Peprah T, Siaw D, Cobbinah JR (2006) Domestication of Allanblackia in Ghana. Workshop on extending cacao for biodiversity conservation, FORIG, Kumasi, Ghana
Ofori DA, Peprah, T (2011) Domestication of Allanblackia parviflora in Ghana. Report to ICRAF
Payne RW, Murray DA, Harding SA, Baird DB, Soutar DB (2009) Genstat for windows, 12th edn. VSN International, Hemel Hempstead
Peprah T, Ofori D, Siaw DEKA, Addo-Danso SD, Cobbinah JR, Simons AJ, Jarnnadass R (2009) Reproductive biology and characterization of Allanblackia parviflora A. Chev. in Ghana. Genet Resour Crop Evol. 56:1037–1044
Potter K, Douglas J, Brick E (2004) Impacts of agriculture on aquatic ecosystems in the humid United States. In: De Fries R, Asner GP, Houghton RA (eds) Ecosystems and land use change. American Geophysical Union, Washington, pp 31–40
Sefah W (2006) Extraction and characterization of vegetable fat from Allanblankia floribuda. Thesis, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, M.Sc
Simons AJ, Leakey RRB (2004) Tree domestication in tropical agroforestry. Agrofor Syst 61:167–181
van Breugel M, Hall JS, Craven DJ, Gregoire TG, Park A, Dent DH, Wishnie MH, Mariscal E, Deago J, Ibarra D, Cedeno N, Ashton MS (2011) Early growth and survival of 49 tropical tree species across sites differing in soil fertility and rainfall in Panama. Forest Ecol Manag 261:1580–1589
Walter S (2001) Non-wood forest products in Africa. A regional and national overview. Les produits forestiers non ligneux en Afrique. Un apercu régional et national. Working Paper/Document de Travail FOPW/01/1. Food and Agriculture Organization, Forestry Department, Rome, Italy
Zomer RJ, Trabucco, A, Coe R, Place F (2009) Trees on Farm: Analysis of Global Extent and Geographical Patterns of Agroforestry. ICRAF Working Paper 89. Nairobi, World Agroforestry Centre, p 72
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to Unilever and IFAD/EC for financial support to this study. We are also grateful to the field staff of CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana for their immense contribution in the establishment of the genebank, tending and data collection.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ofori, D.A., Peprah, T., Koech, G. et al. Survival, growth performance and reproductive biology of Allanblackia parviflora A. Chev., a high valued indigenous fruit tree species in Ghana. Genet Resour Crop Evol 63, 791–800 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-015-0283-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-015-0283-x