Analyzing the Effect of Management Strategies on Gum Talha Yield from Acacia Seyal, South Kordofan, Sudan

The present study was carried out from September 2007 to February 2008 in Umfakarin natural forest reserve, South Kordofan, Sudan. The objective was to analyze the effect of different management strategies on yield of gum talha from Acacia seyal. A total of 493 single target trees were selected, based on their diameters, and assigned to tapping treatments in three different stand densities (making a total of nine treatments per stand density). The treatments are as follows: tapping date with three levels (first of October, 15 October and first of November) and two levels of local tapping tools (sonki, and makmak). Untapped trees were used as control. The first picking of gum was started fifteen days after tapping while the subsequent pickings were done in intervals of fifteen days. Yield per tree throughout the season was obtained by summing up the gum yield from all pickings. Yield throughout the season (from first to the last picking) were analyzed. General linear model (GLM) was used to test the effect of different tapping treatments on the yield of gum talha. Post hoc test after analysis of variance (ANOVA) based on Scheffe test was performed to examine the differences in gum yield as a result of different management strategies. The results showed that tapping has a significant influence on gum yield. Analysis of pick-to-pick yield indicated that only three treatments in dense stand density showed a decreasing pattern while the rest of treatments either have constant or unclear patterns. The results of the present study were based on a single season data and that may underscore the real effect of Acacia seyal stands' management strategies on gum talha yield. Conducting gum yield experiments in permanent trial plots are highly recommended in order to analyze gum yield of seasonal time series.