Record Details

Replication data for: Morphological variation in Balanites aegyptiaca fruits and seeds within and among parkland agroforests in eastern Niger

World Agroforestry - Research Data Repository Dataverse OAI Archive

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title Replication data for: Morphological variation in Balanites aegyptiaca fruits and seeds within and among parkland agroforests in eastern Niger
 
Identifier https://doi.org/10.34725/DVN/HC0ECP
 
Creator John C. Weber
 
Publisher World Agroforestry - Research Data Repository
 
Description Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile. is one of the priority indigenous fruit trees for rural communities in the West African Sahel. As part of a participatory tree omestication program in Niger, phenotypic variation in fruit and seed morphology was assessed in four natural populations in eastern Niger. Measured variables were weight of the fruit, seed coat and kernel; length and width of the fruit and seed (25 trees per population, 30 fruits per tree). Derived variables were the tree’s coefficient of variation (CVs) for each measured variable, and two sets of factor scores from principal compo
nents analysis of tree means and CVs. ANOVA indicated significant variation in all measured variables due to trees nested in populations. ANOVA and simple linear regression indicated significant geographic variation in some ariables: the drier parts of the sample region tended to have heavier fruits and kernels, longer/narrower seeds, and lower within-tree variability in fruit and seed width. Length and width were strongly correlated between fruits and seeds, fruit weight was moderately correlated with seed dimensions, and CVs of fruit weight and width were moderately correlated with the CV of seed width. Some hypotheses for the geographic variation are presented, and some practical implications of the correlations for tree domestication programs are discussed.
 
Subject Agricultural Sciences
Balanites aegyptiaca
Domestication
Fruit and seed morphology
Selection
 
Date 2011