Shea tree is a major economic plant contributing to household income through the sale of edible fruits, kernels and shea butter. Shea butter is used industrially in the production of cosmetic products, chocolates and margarines. Fruits are used by human and also by birds. This study aimed to explore strategies for the improvement of shea yield through pollination. Two types of pollination (manual and natural pollination) were applied for the comparison of fruits set and their ripening. The fruits set and ripening index as well as average weight of ripe fruits and kernels were estimated. The results showed a significant difference between the fruits set Index of manual pollination and natural pollination (H(1) = 33.437, p = 7.361 × 10-9). Similarly, there was a significant difference between the ripening Index of manual pollination and natural pollination (H(1) = 4.5113, p = 0.03367). However, the mode of pollination did not influence the weight of ripe fruits and kernels. Therefore, the manual pollination enhances pollen supply to receptive stigmas for fertilization and improved fruit yield in Vitellaria paradoxa.
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