Environmental and Agricultural Biotechnologies

Acacia senegal is a widespread forest species in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Africa and is the species that is internationally known for the production of gum arabic. It is a drought resistant species and a legume that is grown in association with several cereals in Niger. The objective of this study is to understand how the genetic diversity of Acacia senegal is specifically organized in two sites (Tera and Kiki) of the western gum arabic production basin in Niger, in order to propose strategies for its conservation. To achieve this objective, we analyzed genotypic data generated with 11 microsatellite markers. The genetic differentiation estimated by the calculation of F-statistics shows a weak differentiation between the two populations. The Fst value (0.027, p ¿ 0.05) although statistically significant, is low, and the genetic distance tree reveals very little structure. These results would contribute to building sustainable conservation strategies for the species in the study area.