1. Shea improvement, management and exploitation strategies needed for the rapid
transformation of the shea industry
PRESENTATION BY
E. C. Okolo, Okwuagwu, C.O., Aisueni, N. O., Enaberue, L. O., Okolo, C. C and M. Koloche
NIGERIAN INSTITUTE FOR OIL PALM RESEARCH (NIFOR).
AT THE SHEA 2013 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES CONFERENCE HELD AT ABUJA ON THE 4TH – 6TH MARCH,
2013

2. INTRODUCTION
 The development of the shea industry in
Nigeria is burdened with numerous
problems.

3. Introd… Cont…
 The long gestation period of the tree
 Picking of fruits from the wild
 Inadequate butter processing
methods
 Frequent cutting of branches of the
tree for charcoal and firewood

4. Introd… Cont…
 Annual bush fires
 Unorganized marketing strategies for
butter
 Exploitation of woodland resources

5. NIFOR Experience
 Studies on distribution, density and
variation of Shea trees in Nigeria
 Vegetative propagation of Vitellaria
paradoxa C.F. Gaertn
 Shea Seedling establishment

6. Table 1: THE DISTRIBUTION OF SHEA IN THE ECOLOGICAL
BELTS OF NIGERIA
Coastal Mangrove
S/No. swamp/Rain Forest Derived/Southern Guinea Northern Guinea Sahel Surface Area Km2
1. Rivers Savannah Savannah 11,077
2. Bayelsa 10,773
3/ Lagos 3,345
4. Delta 17,698
5. Ondo 15,500
6. Akwa Ibom 7,081
7. Cross River 20,156
8. Ogun 16,762
9. Edo N. Edo 17,802
10. Imo 5,100
11. Abia 6,320
12. Ebonyi N. Ebonyi 5,670
13. Enugu N. Enugu 7,161
14. Oyo N. Oyo 128,454
15. Osun` N. Ogun 9,251
16. Ekiti N. Ekiti 6,353
17. Benue 34,059
18. Kogi 29,833
19. Kwara 136,825
20. Niger 76,315
21. FCT 7,315
22. Nasarawa 27,117
23. Plateau 30,913
24. Taraba 54,473
25. Adamawa 45,857
26. Bauchi 36,917
27. Gombe 18,768
28. S. Kaduna N. Kaduna 46,058
29. Kebbi 36,800
30. S. Born N. Borno 70,898
31. Yobe 45,502
32. Kano 20,131
33. Jigawa 23,154
34. Katsina 24,192
35. Zamfara 39,762
36. S. Sokoto N. Sokoto 25,973
Rainfall 2,500– 3,500 1,500 1,000 500
mm/yr.
Shea tree NIL V. High High Low
density

7. Table 2: Area of parcels, densities (shea trees and saplings) and mean girth, between trees of
Vitellaria paradoxa in Northern and Southern Guinea Savannah in Nigeria
• Northern Guinea Savannah Southern Guinea Savannah
• ________________________________________ __________________________________
• Land Girth Density Saplings Area Girth Density Saplings Area
• Uses (cm) (ha-1) (m2) (cm) (ha-1) (m2)
• ________________________________________________________________________________
•
• Cultivated 164 25 6 4.5 198 42 13 4.5
•
• Fallow 154 44 10 6.4 162 109 32 6.5
•
• Forest 62 54 38 8.8 116 200 80 8.9
• ________________________________________________________________________________
_

8. Table 3: Girth of Vitellaria paradoxa in cultivated, fallow and forest Lands
• ____________________________________________________________
• Girth size class Cultivated Fallow Forest
• ____________________________________________________________
• 51-66 0 0 0
• 67-82 3 2 5
• 83-98 0 1 1
• 99-114 2 1 7
• 115-130 3 3 2
• 131-146 1 2 1
• 147-161 2 2 2
• 163-178 0 4 0
• 179-194 1 0 0
• 195-210 4 2 0
• 211-226 1 0 0
• 227-242 1 0 0
• _____________________________________________________________

9. Vegetative propagation of Vitellaria paradoxa
 Shea fruit production encounters a number of
difficulties particularly in relation to ageing,
slow growth, long juvenile phase
 The juvenile phase of the naturally
regenerated shea varies between 15 and 20
years

10. Vegetative Propagation
 One of such strategies for the domestication and
genetic improvement of shea tree is by vegetative
propagation (grafting)
 Four grafting methods (Splice, Side veneer, Whip
and Tongue and Bench) were tested.
 It was observed that grafting carried out in the
dry season, were more successful compared to
grafting during the rainy season.

11. Table 4: Effects of season of grafting and grafting method on survival of
Vitellaria paradoxa three and six months after graft in Nigeria
Season Grafting Total no of % graft shea % graft shea
methods grafts after 3 months after 6 months
Dry Splice 25 32 0
Side veneer 25 8 0
Bench 130 57.6 32.3
Whip/Tongue 30 30 6.6
Rain Splice 15 26.6 0
Side veneer 20 40 0
Bench 40 37.5 2.5
Whip/Tongue 20 40 0

12. Table 5: Effects of grafting methods on leaf phenology of Vitellaria
paradoxa graft in Nigeria
Grafting Total no Days to first Days to Days to Days to Ave. No of
method of grafts foliar bud first leaf first green maximum no mature leaves
formation formation leaf of mature produced
formation leaves
Splice 25 45 88 113 170 11
Side veneer 25 49 90 129 169 12
Bench 130 39 85 118 158 14
Whip/Tong 30 41 97 131 168 10
ue

13.  It has been thirty six months after grafting
was carried out on the shea sapling, yet no
flowering has occurred.

14. Shea Seedling establishment
 Putting barrier under polybags for easy
transplanting
 Building of shade in the nursery
 Mulching
 Building small shade on the transplanted
grafted shea.

15. Strategies for the genetic improvement of shea
in Nigeria
 Characterization of the shea population in
Nigeria
 Knowledge of the biology of the crop
 Introduction of selected provenances
 Mastery grafting method; and
 Protection and improvement of natural
regeneration of shea

16. CONCLUSION
 Shea tree improvement is a very
long-term activity, necessarily inclusive
of a wide variety of interventions, from
the immediate and local to the large-
scale, regional and international.

17. Conclusion cont…
 Management studies on the juvenile and
mature shea trees should continue for the
purpose of an increased fruit production
and control of the parasites which affect
productivity.

18.  THANKS FOR LISTENING