Abstract
A study was done to determine the influence of Acacia senegal variety senegal and var.kerensis on quality of gum arabic in Solit, Kapkun, Kimorok and Maoi, Marigat division, Baringo District. Soil and gum arabic samples were collected, dried and analysed to establish their chemical characteristics. Gum nitrogen from A. senegal variety senegal in Kapkun and Solit was negatively correlated to soil nitrogen (r = -0.28), while gum nitrogen from variety kerensis at Kimorok and Maoi was positively correlated to soil nitrogen (r = 0.16), respectively. High nitrogen content in soils was significantly correlated to high content of nitrogen (0.30%) in gum arabic obtained from the A. senegal varieties. Gum copper was highly correlated to soil copper (r = 0.09; P < 0.01), soil iron was highly correlated to gum iron (r = 0.09; P < 0.05) and soil manganese and gum manganese was negatively correlated (r = -0.08; P < 0.05). Gum zinc from A. senegal variety kerensis in Kimorok and Maoi was positively correlated to soil zinc (r = 0.53; P < 0.05), while gum nitrogen from A. senegal variety senegal at Kapkun and Solit was negatively correlated to soil nitrogen and (r = -0.15), respectively. Nitrogen, iron, manganese and zinc contents in gums from A. senegal varieties fell within the ranges of the international standard specifications (0.26 to 0.39% N, iron (730 to 2490 ppm), manganese (69 to 117 ppm) and zinc (45 to 111 ppm), respectively. A. senegal variety senegal in Solit and Kapkun produced better quality of gum arabic than A. senegal variety kerensis in Kimorok and Maoi. Key words: Study sites, Acacia senegal varieties, chemical properties, gum quality.
Highlights
Acacia senegal (L.) Willd is a leguminous multipurpose tree species, belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Leguminosae, found in gum belt of the Sahelian countries of West Africa, which run through the dry woodland forests of Eastern and Southern Africa (Duke, 1981a)
The international specifications state that quality parameters of gum arabic must conform to certain chemical specifications and these must be adhered to by both the producers and processing enterprises (Table 1)
Quality parameters of gum arabic obtained from A. senegal variety senegal were high levels of copper, iron and manganese, while in A. senegal variety kerensis, they were high levels of zinc and nitrogen, respectively
Summary
Acacia senegal (L.) Willd is a leguminous multipurpose tree species, belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Leguminosae, found in gum belt of the Sahelian countries of West Africa, which run through the dry woodland forests of Eastern and Southern Africa (Duke, 1981a). Acacia senegal tree produces gum arabic and capable of surviving all but the most severe of droughts in arid and semi-arid environments in subSaharan Africa (Chikamai, 1997). About 90% of the total gum arabic produced worldwide comes from Acacia senegal, cultivated as a cash crop in agroforestry systems in the Sudan (Duke, 1981a: Keddeman, 1994). Gum arabic is a natural polysaccharide of high-molecular weight, mainly calcium, magnesium, and potassium salts and some mineral elements (Anderson, 1966)
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