TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT OF SAFOU (<i>DACRYODES EDULIS</i>): POPULATION VARIATION AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
In the last two decades, growing interest in the production and utilisation of safou (Dacryodes edulis), an indigenous fruit tree species of West and Central Africa, has stimulated work on the selection of genetic resources with desired traits, timing of fruit collection and the tree's reproductive biology. In this context, 58 germplasm accessions were collected in Nigeria during 1998. The periodicity of fruiting was found to vary geographically and a preliminary characterisation showed a wide range of variation in fruit traits. About 4% of fruits were seedless. The importance of this knowledge is discussed with regard to genetic selection and improvement, and the need to extend germplasm collection activities to wild relatives of the species. In the humid forest zone, the main insect pollinator is Meliponula erythra. Allogamy has been found to be the main reproduction system of D. edulis, while hermaphrodite flowers are self-compatible.