i Parkia biglobosa - School of Forest Resources & Environmental ...

are some of the illness that are treated from the bark, flowers, seeds, husks, and leaves of
P. biglobosa. The chemicals in the pods also act as fish poison. Another notable use is
the empty pod husks. The husks are boiled and the red mucilage extracted and the liquid
solution is used to treat pottery, mud walls, and floors. The husks contain a large amount
of tannins. Tannins derived from the bark are used locally for tanning leather and dyeing
cloth.
P. biglobosa presence on farmlands and around households improves and
enhances the local environment. Wind and rain erosion are especially severe in Kandiga
and contribute to the loss of topsoil. The trees provide windbreaks and vegetative cover
that reduces soil erosion. The broad and widely spread canopy provides considerable
shade in the hot dry environment. The roots of P. biglobosa readily fix nitrogen, while
the leaf fall adds organic matter thereby enriching the poor local soils. The improved soil
and shade create better growing conditions under the tree that are compatible with local
crops. The tree’s ability to coppice allows lower branches to be cut and used as fodder for
livestock. The leaves are rich in protein and energy providing a good source of feed for
the large proportion of livestock in Kandiga. Goats, sheep, and cattle often forage and
assemble under the shade of the tree, urinating and defecating, thereby enriching the soil
beneath the tree.
I initially focused on local dawadawa preparation and its financial benefit to local
producers, compared to the cash expense and cost required to purchase a commercially
manufactured bouillon cube product of dawadawa. I assumed that spending cash for a
commercial product was deleterious to the already financially strapped household
accounts. The commercial product had little consequence on household expenses
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