PROPAGATION OF THE MARULA (SCLEROCARYA BIRREA SUBSP. CAFFRA)

Ennobling the indigenous African marula was identified by the Dept. of Horticultural Science, Univ. of Pretoria in 1980 as a very high priority.

Since then from several thousands of wild trees, three were selected for superior production, fruit size and fruit quality and should soon obtain cultivar status.
These cultivars will be named:

‘PHARULANT’ : ‘SWARULA’     : ‘TOULARULA’ :

Phalaborwa marula found by Annie van Dyk at PhalaborwaR found by the South West African Police near Ondangwa found by Fred Barnard on the farm Toul near Trichardsdal

To establish orchards of the three cultivars for proper horticultural treatment and evaluation, propagation techniques were investigated.
It was found that the seed had an after-ripening period and could only be germinated in the spring.
Rooting of cuttings is possible although still very difficult and uneconomical, while spring grafting with terminal grafts covered with a sealant was highly sucessful.

International Symposium on the Culture of Subtropical and Tropical Fruits and Crops

L.C. Holtzhausen, E. Swart, R. Rensburg

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.275.39