Fruiting Efficiency of Pentaclethra Macraphylla Benth: A Case Study in Ekpoma and Onne South-south, Nigeria

Abstract

The influence of location on fruiting efficiency and gynoecium-drop of
P.macrophylla was investigated in Ekpoma and Onne between 2004 and
2007. Ten sample trees of P. macrophylla were randomly selected in a
traditional agroforestry plantation in Ekpoma. Similarly, another ten sample trees were randomly selected in compound farms at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Onne. Twenty inflorescences were randomly selected per tree in each location. Fruiting efficiency was calculated for each site by expressing the mean number of fruits set per inflorescence as a percentage of the pooled mean number of flowers produced per inflorescence. P.macrophylla had regular fruiting pattern in both locations with no inter-annual variability. The mean fruiting efficiency per inflorescence in Ekpoma and Onne were 0.061% and 0.063% respectively. Similarly, the mean gynoecium–drop per inflorescence was 99.94% for both locations. Competing sinks for photosynthate during flowering, fertilization and pollination failures are suggested as contributory factors to the very low fruiting efficiency in P. macrophylla.

Keywords: Pentaclethra macrophylla, fruiting efficiency, gynoecium
abortion, inflorescence number.