Shea improvement, management and exploitation strategies needed for the rapid transformation of the shea industry

PRESENTATION BY

E. C. Okolo, Okwuagwu, C.O., Aisueni, N. O., Enaberue, L. O., Okolo, C. C and M. Koloche NIGERIAN INSTITUTE FOR OIL PALM RESEARCH (NIFOR).

AT THE SHEA 2013 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES CONFERENCE HELD AT ABUJA ON THE 4TH – 6TH MARCH, 2013

INTRODUCTION

The development of the shea industry in Nigeria is burdened with numerous problems.

Introd… Cont…

The long gestation period of the tree Picking of fruits from the wild Inadequate butter processing

methods Frequent cutting of branches of the

tree for charcoal and firewood

Introd… Cont…

Annual bush fires Unorganized marketing strategies for

butter Exploitation of woodland resources

NIFOR Experience

Studies on distribution, density and

variation of Shea trees in Nigeria Vegetative propagation of Vitellaria

paradoxa C.F. Gaertn Shea Seedling establishment

Table 1: THE DISTRIBUTION OF SHEA IN THE ECOLOGICAL

BELTS OF NIGERIA

S/No.

Coastal Mangrove

swamp/Rain Forest

Derived/Southern Guinea

Savannah

Northern Guinea

Savannah

Sahel

Surface Area Km2

1.

Rivers

11,077

2.

Bayelsa

10,773

3/

Lagos

3,345

4.

Delta

17,698

5.

Ondo

15,500

6.

Akwa Ibom

7,081

7.

Cross River

20,156

8.

Ogun

16,762

9.

Edo

N. Edo

17,802

10.

Imo

5,100

11.

Abia

6,320

12.

Ebonyi

N. Ebonyi

5,670

13.

Enugu

N. Enugu

7,161

14.

Oyo

N. Oyo

128,454

15.

Osun`

N. Ogun

9,251

16.

Ekiti

N. Ekiti

6,353

17.

Benue

34,059

18.

Kogi

29,833

19.

Kwara

136,825

20.

Niger

76,315

21.

FCT

7,315

22.

Nasarawa

27,117

23.

Plateau

30,913

24.

Taraba

54,473

25.

Adamawa

45,857

26.

Bauchi

36,917

27.

Gombe

18,768

28.

S. Kaduna

N. Kaduna

46,058

29.

Kebbi

36,800

30.

S. Born

N. Borno

70,898

31.

Yobe

45,502

32.

Kano

20,131

33.

Jigawa

23,154

34.

Katsina

24,192

35.

Zamfara

39,762

36.

S. Sokoto

N. Sokoto

25,973

Rainfall mm/yr.

2,500– 3,500

1,500

1,000

500

Shea tree density

NIL

V. High

High

Low

Table 2: Area of parcels, densities (shea trees and saplings) and mean girth, between trees of Vitellaria paradoxa in Northern and Southern Guinea Savannah in Nigeria

• Northern Guinea Savannah Southern Guinea Savannah • ________________________________________ __________________________________ • Land Girth Density Saplings Area Girth Density Saplings Area • Uses (cm) (ha-1) (m2) (cm) (ha-1) (m2)

• ________________________________________________________________________________ • • Cultivated 164 25 6 4.5 198 42 13 4.5 • • Fallow 154 44 10 6.4 162 109 32 6.5 • • Forest 62 54 38 8.8 116 200 80 8.9 • ________________________________________________________________________________

_

Table 3: Girth of Vitellaria paradoxa in cultivated, fallow and forest Lands

• ____________________________________________________________ • Girth size class Cultivated Fallow Forest • ____________________________________________________________ • 51-66 0 0 0 • 67-82 3 2 5 • 83-98 0 1 1 • 99-114 2 1 7 • 115-130 3 3 2 • 131-146 1 2 1 • 147-161 2 2 2 • 163-178 0 4 0 • 179-194 1 0 0 • 195-210 4 2 0 • 211-226 1 0 0 • 227-242 1 0 0 • _____________________________________________________________

Vegetative propagation of Vitellaria paradoxa

Shea fruit production encounters a number of difficulties particularly in relation to ageing, slow growth, long juvenile phase The juvenile phase of the naturally

regenerated shea varies between 15 and 20 years

Vegetative Propagation One of such strategies for the domestication and

genetic improvement of shea tree is by vegetative propagation (grafting)

Four grafting methods (Splice, Side veneer, Whip and Tongue and Bench) were tested.

It was observed that grafting carried out in the dry season, were more successful compared to grafting during the rainy season.

Table 4: Effects of season of grafting and grafting method on survival of Vitellaria paradoxa three and six months after graft in Nigeria

Season Grafting methods

Total no of grafts

% graft shea after 3 months

% graft shea after 6 months

Dry Splice 25 32 0

Side veneer 25 8 0

Bench 130 57.6 32.3

Whip/Tongue 30 30 6.6

Rain Splice 15 26.6 0

Side veneer 20 40 0

Bench 40 37.5 2.5

Whip/Tongue 20 40 0

Table 5: Effects of grafting methods on leaf phenology of Vitellaria paradoxa graft in Nigeria

Grafting method

Total no of grafts

Days to first foliar bud formation

Days to first leaf formation

Days to first green leaf formation

Days to maximum no of mature leaves

Ave. No of mature leaves produced

Splice 25 45 88 113 170 11

Side veneer 25 49 90 129 169 12

Bench 130 39 85 118 158 14

Whip/Tongue

30 41 97 131 168 10

It has been thirty six months after grafting was carried out on the shea sapling, yet no flowering has occurred.

Shea Seedling establishment

Putting barrier under polybags for easy transplanting Building of shade in the nursery Mulching Building small shade on the transplanted

grafted shea.

Strategies for the genetic improvement of shea

in Nigeria Characterization of the shea population in

Nigeria Knowledge of the biology of the crop Introduction of selected provenances Mastery grafting method; and Protection and improvement of natural

regeneration of shea

CONCLUSION

Shea tree improvement is a very long-term activity, necessarily inclusive of a wide variety of interventions, from the immediate and local to the large-scale, regional and international.

Conclusion cont… Management studies on the juvenile and

mature shea trees should continue for the purpose of an increased fruit production and control of the parasites which affect productivity.

THANKS FOR LISTENING