FRUIT ABORTION IN A WEST AFRICAN HARDWOOD, TERMINALIA IVORENSIS

Abstract

Fruit abortion in Terminalia ivarensis and its causes were studied. Observations were made in one year on five fruiting trees located in a plantation on the grounds of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Nigeria. Cultures were prepared for the examination and identification of both insect and fungal pathogens of the fruits. The correlation between weather factors and total fruit abortion was investigated by regression analysis. A total of 1,662 fruits aborted from the five trees. Natural abscission accounted for 47.7% of abortions while apparent fungal disease and insect attack caused 28.8 and 23.5% respectively. A weevil, Apion ghanaense Voss (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was identified as the insect pest of the fruit Two fungi: Fusarium moniliformes Shelda and Humicicola species (Moniliales), were cultured from the fruits. Total fruit abortion in T. ivarensis is strongly correlated with soil temperatures and minimum and maximum temperatures at crown level of the trees.