Survival and growth of Adansonia digitata L. tall bare-roots in farm fields: a case study from Bankass, Mali (West Africa)

The survival and growth of Adansonia digitata tall bare-roots were tested in farm fields at Bankass (Mali). Saplings were planted by involving l4 farmers. The survival rate, the diameter at the basis, the diameter at breast height and the total height were recorded at three and fifteen months after planting. The mean survival rate after three months was 98%, and it decreased to 82% after 15 months. The mean survival rate of A. digitata tall bare-roots was higher than of those planted by using container seedlings (52–59%) and short bare-roots (< 5%). The means of growth variables were 5.44 cm, 2.30 cm and 228 cm for DB, DBH and TH, respectively. The annual increments were 0.4 cm year −1 for DB, 0.47 cm year −1 for DBH and 34 cm year −1 for TH. The mean annual height increment of tall bare-roots (34 cm year −1 ) was higher than that of container seedlings (17–22 cm year −1 ). Based on these findings, tall bare-roots of A. digitata could be successfully used for enriching parklands at Bankass and restore the vegetation. They have a better chance to resist and survive harsh climatic conditions, and farmers highly value the use of this plant material in their fields. More widely, tall bare-roots of A. digitata could be used in larger-scale restoration projects in similar contexts and conditions in the Sahara and Sahel region.