Water use efficiency of indigenous fruit trees in South Africa

Abstract

South Africa is endowed with many indigenous fruit tree species (IFTs). Besides Marula (Sclerocaryea birrea subsp. Caffra), use of indigenous fruit products in the country is generally low compared with other countries on the African continent. Indigenous fruit can play an essential role in alleviating poverty through income generation and improving food security especially in poor rural households. The main objective of this study was to measure the water use of indigenous fruit trees with domestication & commercialisation potential, monitor the fruit yield and eventually calculate the Water Use Efficiency (WUE). Tree transpiration was measured using the Heat Pulse Velocity method of the sap flow technique while fruit yield was obtained by manually counting the number of fruits. The WUE of indigenous trees was low compared to that of exotic species found in literature. Use of indigenous fruit products should be invigorated as these fruits thrive with minimal water demand while having potential to alleviate poverty.