Studies on the Phenology of African Breadfruit (Treculia Africana Decne) in South Eastern Nigeria
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Environment and Ecology Research 6(4): 248-258, 2018 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/eer.2018.060405 Studies on the Phenology of African Breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne) in South Eastern Nigeria Amujiri A. N.1,*, Nwosu M. O.1, Nzekwe U.1, Osayi E. E.1, Sani M. B.2 1Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nigeria 2Department of Biology/ Education, Federal College of Education (Technical), Potiskum, Yobe State, Nigeria Copyright©2018 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract Studies on the phenology of African the family Moraceae, order Rosales and genus Treculia. breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne) Moraceae was carried The tree is a forest and wetland species capable of growing out monthly for three years (2012 – 2014) in five up to 30 - 45cm in height and 3m at full maturity [1,2]. The Southeastern States of Nigeria in two seasons, dry and wet. tree bears fruits on the main trunk and big lateral branches, The study covered five towns across the States namely: and can be planted some distance away from residential Isulabor (Abia), Agulu (Anambra), Ezzamgbo (Ebonyi), areas to avert the danger posed by its heavy, large fruit Nenwe (Enugu) and Mbato (Imo State). The species was which is not traditionally harvested but allowed to ripen investigated to provide information on the species periods and drop from the tree[1, 3]. The plant has dichotomous and pattern of leaf exchange, leaf dispersal, flowering, fruit branches with spreading umbrella-shaped canopy, fluted formation, maturity and dropping. The species is trunk, thin, smooth or spineless bark which is dirty green semi-deciduous and fruits throughout the year with two when juvenile and grayish or white patches when mature fruiting periods (heavy and lean) which alternated each and buttress rooting pattern [4]. The leaves are glabrous, other. The reproductive and vegetative phenophases forest green in colour and leathery to touch; the fruit and overlapped each other. The observations were consistent in flower are globose, and fruits weigh about 10-25kg with a all the location. Early October showed various degrees of diameter of 10.5 - 20.5cm [5]. However, the fruit weight is vegetative growth; bud flush, leaf formation, maturity and dependent on the species variety because [6] delimited the leaf abscission, which spilled into November thus starting species into three varieties based on the size of the fruits the dry season phenophases. In dry season, light flowering, and seeds to include; var. africana, var. inversa and var. fruit formation and maturity stretched from November to mollusi with var. africana identified as the biggest. late March, while fruit dropping lasted from February to Treculia africana is found in Senegal, Southern Sudan, March. April as in October also showed various degrees of Angola, Central Mazambique and Sao Tome [6]and vegetative growth which spilling into May in the wet throughout the tropics including West and Central African season. In the wet season, heavy period of flowering was humid forest zones [3] as well as derived savanna regions. from May to June, fruit formation, maturity, ripening and The species is one of the multipotential Nigerian dropping began from July to September. These periods indigenous tropical tree food crops that significantly were shorter in the wet season than that of the dry season. T. mitigate seasonal food scarcity. In Nigeria, particularly in africana had highest fruit dropping (heavy periods) in the the South Eastern States, the species seed ranks first among wet season, alternated with lean periods in dry season. the popularly consumed food [7,8] and is variously named Therefore, the species is an indigenous Nigerian food crop by different ethnic tribes across Nigeria as ‘ukwa’ (Igbo), that can mitigate seasonal food scarcity throughout the ‘bere foo foo’ (Yoruba), ‘ediang’ (Efik and Ibibio), ‘ize’ year. (Benin), and ‘bafufuta’ (Hausa), though “ukwa” is most popular. The most highly sought after part of the species is Keywords Treculia africana, Reproductive the seeds that are variously consumed as food such as in Phenophase, Vegetative Phenophase pottage, food compliment, snack[7]and it is an alternative to rice and yam[9].Among the Igbos of Nigeria, Treculia has been recognized as the food of choice for royalty, which is specially served at celebrity during fulfillment of social obligations like wedding, traditional feasting such as; 1 . Introduction title taking, initiation of youths into their age grades, African breadfruit (Treculia africana) Decne, belong to meetings of communal leaders etc.[4,10]. Apart from food Environment and Ecology Research 6(4): 248-258, 2018 249 source, the species seeds play vital roles in improving heavy fruiting in the wet season alternating with that of people’s socio- economic life. Inter State trade on the lean fruit production in the dry season are available[22,23], species seeds generates substantial revenue to the resource the information on the species phenology appeared scanty. of the poor rural dwellers and the intermediary traders. Hence, knowledge of phenological sequence is essential Within the South Eastern States, hawkers on Treculia for obtaining information on breeding requirement for snacks can earn revenue that sustains their families [7,11]. species establishment. Therefore, the present study was [11] reported that 28 kg of undehausked / fresh seeds of the conducted in two seasons in five different locations to species sales at about #500 while per-boiled and dehausked assess the effect of seasonal changes on the species. Also, seeds attract as much as #850 per 28 kg. The same authors the variations on the species periods of: flowering, fruit reported a revenue yield of over #25,000 per tree per year formation, maturity and dropping (harvesting periods), for heavily fruited trees. The chemical nutrient content of pattern of leaf exchange dispersal in the two seasons were the seeds contain digestible proteins, carbohydrates, fat and also investigated to obtain information and plan for oil, magnesium, calcium, moisture etc in different collecting seeds for sexual propagation, so that the proportions [12,13,14,15], which can be recommended to seedlings do not over stay in the nursery before planting in the aged, patients of diabetics, allegery and anemia because the field. of the high percentage content of digestible protein in the species seeds [14] (Table 1).The species plant and seeds may be used as herbal medicine in traditional health care 2 . Materials and Methods delivery [16] its wood and stem latex are indispensible in bone setting[14].[17]reported that the species wood is a The study was carried out in five Southeastern States of good source of thermal energy (firewood) and very suitable Nigeria in two seasons, wet (May to October) and dry for pulp and paper production due to the woods good fibre (November to April), with annual rainfall of 1,600 – 2,500 qualities (Runkel ratio and fiber lumen). The seeds husk, mm. The mean temperature ranged from 27 + 2 to 30 + fruit pulp and leaves have been reported to be an important 2 in the wet season and 28 + 2 to 32 + 2 in the dry fodder especially in the dry season when fresh fodder is season [24,25,26].The locations randomly ℃selected for℃ the scarce [12]. study, were Isulabor (IS), Agul℃ u (AG), ℃Ezzamgbo (EZ), Nenwe (NE) and Okigwe (OK) because of availability of Table 1. Approximate compositions of the seeds of African breadfruit (Treculia afriicana) the species (Table 2). The study lasted for three years (2012 Composition – 2014) and study visits to each of the study location were Chemical Composition Elements (mg/100g made at an interval of one month. Experimental design property (%) DM) (Figure 1) was a Randomized Completely Block Design Carbohydrate 73.26 ± 0.01 Sodium 7.10 ± 0.10 (RCBD) adopted following method of vegetation study [27]. Crude Protein 12.47 ± 0.10 Potassium 587 ± 0.02 Prior to the study, juvenile plants were ignored because they have not attained reproductive age. Ten trees from Fat 4.23 ± 0.02 Calcium 165 ± 0.01 each study location were used and species stand at the edge of randomly laid blocks with about 80% of its branches Ash 2,26 ± 0.02 Magnesium 186 ± 0.01 inside the block be counted for that block. Phenophases of interest on the mature trees covered period and degree of: Fibre 1.62 ± 0.02 Iron 1.66 ± 0.01 leaf abscission, bud flush, leaf maturity, flowering, fruit Moisture 8.01 ± 0.10 Zinc 8.50 ± 0.02 formation, and fruit maturity, pattern of leaf dispersal and dropping of ripe fruits. Copper 3.67 ± 0.01 Meteorological data for rainfall, relative humidity temperature and vapour pressure were collected, summed Source: Osabor, et al., (2009). up and the mean recorded for the five towns was taken Phenological events of tropical species especially in Table 3. The data on Meteorological data were related to Nigeria are strongly related to seasonal changes. [18] the species phenological rhythm. Data obtained from fruit reported phenological cycle as a natural phenomena production in each location and season (Mean of ten trees) accompanied by corresponding cycles of vegetation were subjected to the analysis of variance and the means growth and reproduction associated with season. Most separated by Duncan Multiple Range Test. phenological cycles follow a pattern which may be annual Five (5) soil samples were collected from the five study (twelve months), or twice in a year [19,4,20]. [21] reported areas using a sharp Dutch Auger soil sampler by adopting that variation in seasonal changes can induce a high the procedure described by [28]. At each visit, soil samples diversity of phenological pattern.