VARIATION AND CORRELATIONS IN TRAITS OF PROSOPIS AFRICANA AND BALANITES AEGYPTIACA IN THE WEST AFRICAN SAHEL: IMPLICATIONS FOR TREE DOMESTICATION PROGRAMS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rural communities in the West African Sahel use Prosopis africana and Balanites aegyptiaca for construction wood, fuel and other needs. Provenance/progeny tests were established at one site in Niger, and evaluated after 11 (growth, survival) and 13 years (wood basic density, calorific value). Based on analysis of variance, growth and wood density varied significantly among provenances and families of P. africana only. For both species, linear regressions demonstrated that provenances from drier zones of the Sahel grew faster than those from more humid zones. P. africana provenances from drier zones also had denser wood and higher survival. In contrast, wood calorific value of both species was generally higher in provenances from more humid zones. Larger trees of both species tended to have denser wood and higher calorific value, but density and calorific value were not significantly correlated. Results suggest that selecting faster growing trees could indirectly increase both wood density and calorific value.