Abstract
Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) is an iconic tree of African savannahs. Its multipurpose character and nutritional composition of fruits and leaves offer high economic and social potential for local communities. There is an urgent need to characterize the genetic diversity of the Kenyan baobab populations in order to facilitate further conservation and domestication programmes. This study aims at documenting the genetic diversity and structure of baobab populations in southeastern Kenya. Leaf or bark samples were collected from 189 baobab trees in seven populations distributed in two geographical groups, i.e. four inland and three coastal populations. Nine microsatellite loci were used to assess genetic diversity. Overall, genetic diversity of the species was high and similarly distributed over the populations. Bayesian clustering and principal coordinate analysis congruently divided the populations into two distinct clusters, suggesting significant differences between inland and coastal populations. The genetic differentiation between coastal and inland populations suggests a limited possibility of gene flow between these populations. Further conservation and domestications studies should take into consideration thegeographical origin of trees and more attention should be paid to morphological characterization of fruits and leaves of the coastal and inland populations to understand the causes and the impact of the differentiation.
Highlights
The multipurpose tree species Adansonia digitata L., well-known as ‘baobab’, is one of the most important indigenous fruit trees of sub-Saharan Africa, with substantial social and economic importance [1,2]
This study has revealed high genetic diversity in all studied baobab populations and strong differentiation between inland and coastal populations
Gene flow mostly occurs within populations in both regions, a fact which is important for conservation and management issues
Summary
The multipurpose tree species Adansonia digitata L., well-known as ‘baobab’, is one of the most important indigenous fruit trees of sub-Saharan Africa, with substantial social and economic importance [1,2]. The tree provides food, medicine and fibre, whereas almost all tree parts, i.e. fruit pulp and shells, seeds, leaves, flowers, roots and bark can be used [3]. Baobabs contribute significantly to economy of many rural communities [4]. Leaves and fruits are collected for food and sold as raw or processed into a variety of products at local or international markets. Farmers and traders have been transporting fruits from village to village, and contributing significantly to baobab dispersal and gene flow [5], limited to Africa and to other continents, e.g. Caribbean Islands and India [6]
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