This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
Terminalia brownii, commonly known as Mbarau, is a tree species native to arid and semi-arid regions of East Africa, including Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Published in 2005, Useful Trees and Shrubs for Kenya by Maundu and Tengnas notes that Mbarau thrives in deep, sandy, and loam soils with annual rainfalls of 500 to 1,300 mm.
In Kenya, the tree grows in agro-ecological zones with altitudes ranging from 0 to 1,400 metres above sea level.
Mbarau has several local names, including Leh heli (Boni), Biress (Boran), Muuku (Kamba), lbukoi (Samburu), and Orbukoi (Maasai).
Despite its potential, Mbarau's poor seed germination has hindered its domestication and commercial use.
Researchers have identified that the pericarp, the part of the fruit that encloses the seed, prevents the seed from soaking in enough moisture and oxygen to break dormancy.
Removing the pericarp and soaking the seeds in cold water for 24 hours can partially break dormancy, but the highest germination percentage achieved was 35 per cent.
The Kenya Forestry Research Institute (Kefri) is using these findings to propagate Mbarau for sale to farmers, with the goal of making its use sustainable.
Dr. Albert Luvanda, the regional director of Kefri's Kitui station, notes that intercropping Mbarau with other crops such as green peas, cowpeas, beans, maize, and sorghum can increase productivity and make its domestication more feasible.
