Trait diversity in wild and parkland baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) populations in Malawi

Baobab ( Adansonia digitata L.) is a multipurpose fruit tree with high nutritional and economic importance across sub-Saharan Africa. We characterised fruit, seed, and tree trait diversity in five wild and parkland baobab populations in Malawi to generate baseline information for conservation and germplasm selection. A total of 135 trees were sampled. Thirteen fruit shapes were identified, with ellipsoid the most common across all populations. Eleven quantitative fruit and seed traits differed significantly among the 13 fruit shapes (p ≤ 0.001). High spheroid fruits consistently showed superior productivity, with the greatest fruit weight (235 ± 17 g), fruit width (9.6 ± 0.3 cm), pulp weight (45.3 ± 3.9 g), total seed weight (98.1 ± 8.1 g), and number of seeds per fruit (208 ± 16). Oblong fruits ranked second for most weight-related traits. PCA identified two principal axes explaining 66.4% of the total variance. PC1 (42.0%) represented a fruit productivity gradient associated with fruit weight, seed weight, and seed number, whereas PC2 (24.4%) captured independent variation in seed size traits, including length, width, and thickness. Diameter at breast height (DBH) also varied significantly among populations (F = 12.25, p < 0.001), with Karonga supporting the largest trees and Neno the smallest. Overall, the substantial trait diversity documented, particularly in Karonga and Salima, provides a strong foundation for conservation, domestication, and selection of superior baobab germplasm in Malawi.