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- 2020| Springer NatureIndigenous fruit tree species (IFTs) can play a crucial role in poverty alleviation and as a source of food in South Africa. Although these species contain nutrient-rich edible fruits that are also locally processed to food products such as jams and jellies, they are still underutilized and also harvested from the wild. This study aimed to prioritize in northern KwaZulu-Natal, IFTs with domestication and commercialization potential. A literature survey and focus groups were used to list tree species that produce edible fruits with this potential. Plant experts, through focus groups and reference group meetings, further ranked fruit trees using a scorecard method based on various attributes. A total of 29 prioritized IFTs was obtained, of which the Sapotaceae was the most represented family with a maximum of four species. Based on scorecard assessment, the most preferred species in descending order were Strychnos spinosa Lam., Garcinia livingstonei T.Anderson, Englerophytum magalismontanum (Sond.) T.D.Penn, Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich) Hochst., Dovyalis caffra (Hook.f. & Harv) Hook.f., Vangueria infaustia Burch. and Berchemia zeyheri (Sond.) Grubov. Strychnos spinosa was ranked as the first most important IFTs with a final score of 151, whereas Berchemia zeyheri was ranked the least with the final score of 146.1. However, the final scores of all most preferred species were relatively similar to one another. The top seven species identified in this study should be considered as a baseline for future IFTs development programmes such as domestication, whereby these species are introduced to small-holder farmers and food processing industries.
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- Natural forests are an important source of livelihood for various communities. Yet economically important fruit tree species endemic to sub Saharan Africa e.g. Sclerocaryea birrea (Marula) are critically endangered due to over-exploitation and climate change. Effective conservation, management and utilization of native fruit trees require accurate quantitative information on how the trees interact with their environment. In this study we investigated the water use patterns and fruit yield dynamics of S. birrea, and another widely used species Strychnos spinosa (Monkey orange) growing on nutrient poor sandy soils in northern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The study aimed to understand how the water use and yield of these species are influenced by climate and soils. These data are essential to support biodiversity conservation and management, and agroforestry programs. Transpiration was measured on co-occurring trees of each species over two years using the heat ratio sap flow method. The sap flow and environmental data were used to develop and test a simple Penman-Monteith transpiration model. The model provided insights on how environmental factors affected water use and yield in the trees’ natural habitats. The two species had similar diurnal transpiration trends characterized by midday stomatal closure. Peak transpiration per unit leaf area was higher for S. spinosa (∼2.3 L/m2/d) than S. birrea (∼1.4 L/m2/d). S. birrea transpiration responded strongly to rainfall pulses with the soil water deficit explaining ∼ 65% of the variation in tree water use. S. spinosa transpiration, on the other hand, was largely driven by the atmospheric evaporative demand rather than by soil water availability (R2 < 0.10), suggesting that the two species had different mechanisms to cope with drought stress. Despite the contrasting water relations, transpiration could be determined accurately using the combination model. The model has potential applications in agroforestry and species-specific conservation programs by providing accurate information on their water requirements.
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