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Impact of agroforestry practices on the flowering phenology of Vitellaria paradoxa in parklands in southern Mali

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Abstract

The impact of human practices on the phenology of flowering was assessed for an important agroforestry tree species of the Sudano-Sahelian zone: Vitellaria paradoxa. Flowering was monitored at two sites in southern Mali over 2 years. At each site, the impact of agricultural practices on flowering phenology was assessed by comparing field, fallow and forest. The site effect and agricultural practices were significant for all the monitored variables. The proportion of individuals that flowered was 89% at Koumantou and 40% at MPeresso. About 98, 95 and 75% of individuals at Koumantou and 88, 12 and 20% at MPeresso flowered in the field, fallow and forest, respectively. The mean length of flowering ranged from 69 to 81 days at Koumantou and from 45 to 108 days at MPeresso. The mean number of days for the active phase ranged from 36 to 49 days at Koumantou and from 27 to 64 days at MPeresso. Koumantou’s favourable climatic conditions resulted in better flowering ability and a higher probability of abundant flowering. Field appeared to provide better conditions than fallow and forest regarding flowering ability and probability of abundant flowering. However, tree diameter did not affect flowering phenology. Agricultural practices appear to have a noticeable impact on the phenology of flowering of V. paradoxa. Trees flowered abundantly in the parkland and therefore increased gene flow via pollen and/or seeds and the dynamics of genetic diversity.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to the European Union, the INCO project on shea trees, and to BRG (Bureau des Ressources Génétiques) of France for financial support, to IER (Mali) and the Cirad department (Montpellier, France) for all logistics. Many thanks to everyone who participated at any time in any way in this work, and particularly to our colleagues at the Forestry Resources Programme for their help during fieldwork. Many thanks also to Koumantou and MPeresso farmers for allowing us to carry out this study on their parcels and for participating in field activities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut d’Economie Rurale, Programme Ressources Forestières Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique de Sikasso, BP 178, Sikasso, Mali

    Bokary Allaye Kelly

  2. Cirad Environment and Society Department, “Natural Forest Dynamics” Research Unit, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA 10C, BP 5035, Montpellier, 34035, France

    Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury

  3. Cirad Biological System Department, “Genetic Diversity and Breeding of Forest Tree Species” Research Unit, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA 10C, BP 5035, Montpellier, 34035, France

    Jean-Marc Bouvet

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  1. Bokary Allaye Kelly
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  2. Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury
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  3. Jean-Marc Bouvet
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Correspondence to Jean-Marc Bouvet.

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Kelly, B.A., Gourlet-Fleury, S. & Bouvet, JM. Impact of agroforestry practices on the flowering phenology of Vitellaria paradoxa in parklands in southern Mali. Agroforest Syst 71, 67–75 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-007-9074-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-007-9074-5

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