Studies on the Phenology of African Breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne) in South Eastern Nigeria

摘要

Studies on the phenology of African breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne) Moraceae was carried out monthly for three years (2012 - 2014) in five Southeastern States of Nigeria in two seasons, dry and wet. The study covered five towns across the States namely: Isulabor (Abia), Agulu (Anambra), Ezzamgbo (Ebonyi), Nenwe (Enugu) and Mbato (Imo State). The species was investigated to provide information on the species periods and pattern of leaf exchange, leaf dispersal, flowering, fruit formation, maturity and dropping. The species is semi-deciduous and fruits throughout the year with two fruiting periods (heavy and lean) which alternated each other. The reproductive and vegetative phenophases overlapped each other. The observations were consistent in all the location. Early October showed various degrees of vegetative growth; bud flush, leaf formation, maturity and leaf abscission, which spilled into November thus starting the dry season phenophases. In dry season, light flowering, fruit formation and maturity stretched from November to late March, while fruit dropping lasted from February to March. April as in October also showed various degrees of vegetative growth which spilling into May in the wet season. In the wet season, heavy period of flowering was from May to June, fruit formation, maturity, ripening and dropping began from July to September. These periods were shorter in the wet season than that of the dry season. T. africana had highest fruit dropping (heavy periods) in the wet season, alternated with lean periods in dry season. Therefore, the species is an indigenous Nigerian food crop that can mitigate seasonal food scarcity throughout the year.