Variations in Fruit and seed Characteristics of Baobab (Adansonia digitata L) in Wild Stands in the Sudan

Baobab is a multipurpose tree species, widespread throughout the hot, drier regions of tropical Africa. In Sudan, it forms belts in Centre of the country, extending through, Kordofan, Darfur and Blue Nile. The phenotypic variation in fruits traits of selected baobab trees in ten wild populations in Sudan was considered by sampling fruits and assessing their characteristics. Fruits were characterized from 130 trees, represented from two states distributed along a rainfall gradient (5 locations in each state). From each tree, six dry fruit were selected. For all the measured fruit shapes characters. The results showed highly significant differences between the two states, in fruit, pulp, and seed weight, number of seed, individual seed weight, seed length and width. Fruits from Blue Nile (wetter area) were heavier (large weight mean of capsules 209.22±84.32, pulp 30.8±14.09 and seeds 90.25± 48.8) than those from North kordofan, dry area (weight of capsules 153.18±78.45, pulp 24.54±10.47 and seeds 61.23± 39.08), as well as mean number of seed per capsule from Blue Nile was found to be larger (192.3 ±43.2) than those from North Kordofan (133 ±34.2). According to the fruit types, the highest mean pulp weight (70.18 g) was measured in Taloba location (in Blue Nile State) from spheroid fruits. Whereas in North Kordofan state the highest mean (39.97g) was measured only in ellipsoid fruits from KorTaggats location. 

It is concluded that environment and genetics play an important role in fruit shapes characters of baobab, and there is great phenotypic variability in fruit characters found between baobab population in studied area, offering opportunities for cultivar selection (domestication purpose and tree improvement).