Résumé
Introduction. Tamarindus indica is a fruit species of economic interest. Domestication in the Sahel requires prior assessment of the variability of its phenotypic characteristics throughout its distribution area. The aim of our study was to characterize different provenances of tamarind from the phenotypic characteristics of their seeds and seedlings.
Materials and methods. The study in a nursery in Burkina Faso focused on the study of seeds and seedlings from nine provenances including two from East Africa, two from West Africa, two Asian and three insular zones. We measured the length, width, thickness and 100-seed weight of each provenance, and height, collar diameter and dry weight of the stem; and length of the main root, number of secondary roots and dry weight of root systems for 50 seedlings aged 3 months. We conducted an analysis of variance, then a principal component analysis on data-scores of all variables, and finally ascending hierarchical classification based on similarity indices.
Results and discussion. Differences between variables were highly significant. In the seed study, we obtained a group linked to the Indian and East African provenances, another linked to West African origins, and a middle group from Thailand. In the seedling study, there was a group with strong aerial growth and a short main root, highly branched, and a group with low aerial growth and a long primary root, but weakly branched. The dendrogram obtained from phenotypic similarities (seed and seedling variables) shows a structure by geographical area.
Conclusion. The phenotypic interprovenance variability of seedlings and seeds combined with the correlations between variables could be used to select early provenances according to the objectives defined for the selection.