Effect of flooding depth and harvest intensity on soil moisture dynamics and production of baobab (Adansonia digitata) seedlings
Paper Details
Effect of flooding depth and harvest intensity on soil moisture dynamics and production of baobab (Adansonia digitata) seedlings
Abstract
Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is widely used in African drylands for nutrition and income, but its sustainability is threatened by inconsistent natural regeneration and intensive leaf harvesting. This study assessed how flooding depth and harvest intensity influence growth, leave yield, and soil moisture dynamics in baobab seedlings under semi-arid conditions. A randomized complete block design was applied with three flooding depths (10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm) and two harvest intensities (25% and 50%) across 84 days after transplanting (DAT). Soil water content (SWC) significantly increased with flooding depth (p < 0.05), with 3 cm irrigation raising SWC by 36.7%, 80.6%, and 71.6% at 21, 64, and 84 DAT, respectively. Seedlings under 50% harvest intensity maintained 16-38% higher SWC than non-defoliated plants at early stages, indicating reduced water use. Plant height and leaf number were significantly influenced by both harvest intensity and flooding depth (p < 0.05); 25% harvest intensity increased height by 15-22% and leaf number by 9-24% compared to controls at early DAT. Seedlings under 3 cm flooding depth showed 11.8% shorter stems and 4.9-17.7% thinner stem diameters relative to 1 cm flooding depth, suggesting potential waterlogging stress. Fresh leaf yield was temporarily higher under 50% harvest intensity (11.9 g/plant) compared to 25% harvest intensity (3.5 g/plant) at 21 DAT, while dry yield remained unaffected, indicating a temporary compensatory growth response. These results suggest that moderate harvest intensity combined with appropriate flooding depth can enhance early seedling performance, but further studies are needed to evaluate long-term sustainability and resilience under fluctuating environmental conditions.
Ahmed AEM, Mozzon M, Dawod AB, Mustafa EOA, Mukarram SA, ElObeid T, Kovács B. 2024. Evaluation of the nutritional impact of baobab leaves (Adansonia digitata L.) as a dietary intervention to combat nutrient deficiencies and poverty-related health problems. Nutrients 16(24), 4340.
Ambebe TF, Mendi AG, Shidiki AA. 2020. Influence of simulated harvest and nitrogen fertilization on compensatory growth of Gmelina arborea seedlings. Journal of Applied Life Sciences International 3, 59–66.
Asogwa IS, Ibrahim AN, Agbaka JI. 2021. African baobab: its role in enhancing nutrition, health, and the environment. Trees, Forests and People 3, 100043.
Balducci L, Fierravanti A, Rossi S, Delzon S, De Grandpré L, Kneeshaw DD, Deslauriers A. 2020. The paradox of harvest: declining tree water status with increasing soil water content. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 290, 108025.
Bhusal N, Adhikari A, Lee M, Han A, Han AR, Kim HS. 2022. Evaluation of growth responses of six gymnosperm species under long-term excessive irrigation and traits determining species resistance to waterlogging. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 323, 109071.
Byeon S, Kim S, Hong J, Kim TK, Huh W, Kim K, Kim HS. 2024. Waterlogging hardening effect on transplant stress tolerance in Pinus densiflora. Forests 15(3), 445.
Chen Y, Zhang JH, Chen MX, Zhu FY, Song T. 2023. Optimizing water conservation and utilization with a regulated deficit irrigation strategy in woody crops: a review. Agricultural Water Management 289, 108523.
Di Lucchio LM, Fensholt R, Markussen B, Ræbild A. 2018. Leaf phenology of thirteen African origins of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) as influenced by daylength and water availability. Ecology and Evolution 8(22), 11261–11272.
Erbilgin N, Galvez DA, Zhang B, Najar A. 2014. Resource availability and repeated harvest mediate compensatory growth in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedlings. PeerJ 2, e491.
Ezekiel O, Yisau JA, Aduraola AM. 2024. Effect of watering regime and mycorrhizal inoculation on the growth of baobab (Adansonia digitata). Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development 118(1), 5–18.
Hahn F, Valle S, Navarro-Gómez C. 2022. Pruning and water-saving management effects on mango high-density and mature orchards. Agronomy 12(11), 2623.
Kosola KR, Dickmann DI, Paul EA, Parry D. 2001. Repeated insect harvest effects on growth, nitrogen acquisition, carbohydrates, and root demography of poplars. Oecologia 129(1), 65–74.
Kuyah S, Buleti S, Dimobe K, Nkurunziza L, Moussa S, Muthuri C, Öborn I. 2023. Farmer-managed natural regeneration in Africa: evidence for climate change mitigation and adaptation in drylands. In Agroforestry for sustainable intensification of agriculture in Asia and Africa, 53–88. Springer Nature, Singapore.
Leakey RR, Tientcheu Avana ML, Awazi NP, Assogbadjo AE, Mabhaudhi T, Hendre PS, Manda L. 2022. The future of food: domestication and commercialization of indigenous food crops in Africa over the third decade (2012–2021). Sustainability 14(4), 2355. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042355
Ofori H, Addo A. 2023. A review of baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit processing as a catalyst for enhancing wealth and food security. Journal of the Ghana Institution of Engineering 23(2), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.56049/jghie.v23i2.66
Oluyede OJ, Ifesan BT, Ifesan BOT. 2024. Functional and antimicrobial potentials of spiced and unspiced beverage produced from baobab (Adansonia digitata) pulp and seed. Journal of Sustainable Technology 13(2).
Owolodun B, Merten S. 2023. Food security from the forest: the case of the commodification of baobab fruit (Adansonia digitata L.) in Boundou Region, Senegal. Land 12(7), 1423. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071423
Sun L, Li B, Yao M, Mao L, Zhao M, Niu H, Wang J. 2023. Simulation of soil water movement and root uptake under mulched drip irrigation of greenhouse tomatoes. Water 15(7), 1282. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071282
Van den Bilcke N, De Smedt S, Simbo DJ, Samson R. 2013. Sap flow and water use in African baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) seedlings in response to drought stress. South African Journal of Botany 88, 438–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2013.09.006
Wang M, Wang R, Sun Q, Li Y, Xu L, Wang Y. 2024. Integrated drip irrigation regulates soil water–salt movement to improve water use efficiency and maize yield in saline–alkali soil. Water 16(17), 2509.
Wang N, Zhao M, Li Q, Liu X, Song H, Peng X, Wang H, Yang N, Fan P, Wang R, Du N. 2020. Effects of harvest modalities on plant growth, leaf traits, and carbohydrate allocation in Amorpha fruticosa L. and Robinia pseudoacacia L. seedlings. Annals of Forest Science 77(2), 53.
Wang Z, Zhou Z, Wang C. 2021. Harvest-induced tree growth declines are jointly limited by carbon source and sink activities. Science of the Total Environment 762, 143077.
Yolou I, Yabi I, Kombieni F, Tovihoudji PG, Yabi JA, Paraïso AA, Afouda F. 2015. Maraîchage en milieu urbain à Parakou au Nord-Bénin et sa rentabilité économique. International Journal of Innovation in Science Research 19(2), 290–302.
Zakari S, Boukari SA, Tovihoudji GP, Yessoufou MWIA, Gbadamassi D, Akponikpe PBI. 2025. Leaf harvesting intensity alters growth and functional traits of baobab (Adansonia digitata) in semi-arid West African systems. Circular Agricultural Systems, in press.
Zhang X, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Liang Q, Wang G. 2024. Soil moisture influences wheat yield by affecting root growth and the composition of microbial communities under drip fertigation. Agricultural Water Management 305, 109102.
Zohoun PE, Baloubi DM, Azalou-Tingbe EM, Yabi I. 2021. Characterization of the ecosystem services rendered to the population by trees in the city of Parakou in Central Benin. Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning 6(1), 8–18.
Zuazo VHD, Lipan L, Rodríguez BC, Sendra E, Tarifa DF, Nemś A, Ruiz BG, Carbonell-Barrachina ÁA, García-Tejero IF. 2021. Impact of deficit irrigation on fruit yield and lipid profile of terraced avocado orchards. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 41(5), 69.
Sissou Zakari, Pierre G. Tovihoudji, Mouiz W. I. A. Yessoufou, Sékaro Amamath Boukari, Vital Afouda, Imorou F. Ouorou Barrè, 2025. Effect of flooding depth and harvest intensity on soil moisture dynamics and production of baobab (Adansonia digitata) seedlings. Int. J. Biosci., 27(6), 127-135.
Copyright © 2025 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.