Indigenous knowledge of rural communities in Malawi on socio-economic use, propagation, biology, biodiversity and ecology of Uapaca kirkiana Muell. Arg

Uapaca kirkiana Muell Arg. is one of the most popular indigenous fruit trees in the Miombo woodlands of southern Africa. An investigation into existing indigenous knowledge and socio- economic use ofthis fruit tree was conducted in Malawi. The survey revealed that U. kirkiana fruits contribute considerably to livelihood as a food supplement and for income generation among local communities.However, U. kirkiana trees are not widely cultivated due to lack of improved planting materials and difficulties in establishment outside their natural habitats. The results from the survey indicate thatfruits are the main non-timber products that contribute to demand for domestication and the attributes preferred by the rural communities for improvement are mainly related to fruit taste and yield. Poormanagement and anthropogenic activities have resulted in the destruction of forest reserves and the local people do not have maximum stewardship of U. kirkiana trees in the forest reserve. Theindigenous knowledge on U. kirkiana trees provides a valuable basis for domestication, propagation and improvement of fruit and tree attributes, and management issues on both co-managed and government forest reserve

Phenotypic variation in fruit, seed and seedling traits of nine Uapaca kirkiana provenances found in Malawi

Uapaca kirkiana is one of the priority indigenous fruit tree species for domestication in southern Africa. Natural populations of U. kirkiana are declining due to deforestation, forest fragmentation and wildfires. Knowledge of genetic variation is prerequisite for development of conservation strategies. A provenance evaluation study was conducted at Bunda College of Agriculture in Lilongwe, central Malawi to determine the variability in fruit, seed and seedling characteristics of nine populations found in the southern, central and northern regions of Malawi. Results showed significant differences (P≤0.05) between provenances in fruit weight, seed weight, seed length and seed width. The central Malawi provenances of Dzalanyama and Chimaliro had the heaviest mean weight of fruits of 23.9g and 23.8 g respectively, the lightest fruits (14.6g) were found in Namoni Katengeza provenance. There were no significant differences (P ≤0.05) in number of seeds per fruit within and between provenances. The provenances differed significantly in cumulative germination percentage, ranging from 26% for Tsamba provenance in southern Malawi to 87% for Dzalanyama provenance in central Malawi. There was a consistent regional variation in stem collar diameter and height growth with central Malawi (Dzalanyama and Chimaliro) and northern Malawi provenances having taller seedlings ranging from 5.2 to 9.0 cm, with the exception of Namoni Katengeza provenance in central Malawi. The root collar diameters were significantly higher for Dzalanyama and Chimaliro (2.5 to 3.9 cm) than southern Malawi provenances whose seedling collar diameter averaged 2.3 centimetres. The nursery provenance trial has shown existence of considerable variation in seed germination, fruit and seed traits in U. kirkiana. Seed and seedling growth traits may prove to be important criteria for selection of provenances for domestication to provide farmers with sustained fruit production for consumption and economic benefits. Keywords: domestication, germination, height, indigenous fruit, seed, seedling, provenance, Uapaca kirkiana Southern African Forestry Journal Vol. 208, 2006: 15-2