ADVANCED JOURNAL OF PLANT BIOLOGY
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2992-4928
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/AJPB
Start Year: 2019
Email: ajpb@integrityresjournals.org
Influence of differential watering regimes on physiological performance and productivity of Vachellia tortilis, Vachellia nilotica, and Senegalia senegal in the Semi-Arid Zone of Maiduguri, Nigeria
https://doi.org/10.31248/AJPB2025.048 | Article Number: 7D9DC1E21 | Vol.6 (4) - December 2025
Received Date: 26 October 2025 | Accepted Date: 23 December 2025 | Published Date: 30 December 2025
Authors: Mali Bulama Gubio and Mohammad Saquib*
Keywords: Nigeria., Drought stress, net primary productivity, physiological adaptation, relative water content, Vachellia, Senegalia, dryland forestry
Water stress is a major constraint on plant productivity in semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the physiological responses and productivity of three leguminous species, Vachellia tortilis, Vachellia nilotica, and Senegalia senegal, under differential watering regimes in the semi-arid zone of Maiduguri, Nigeria. Seedlings were subjected to four treatments: M0 (control; watered four times per week), M1 (slight moisture stress), M2 (moderate stress), and M3 (severe stress). Relative water content (RWC), plant water deficit (PWD), chlorophyll pigments, total dry matter accumulation (TDM), and net primary productivity (NPP) were measured at 60, 90, and 120 days. Results showed that V. tortilis and S. senegal maintained high RWC and exhibited adaptive increases in NPP under moderate stress, while V. nilotica produced the highest biomass under optimal moisture but experienced significant reductions in NPP and pigment content under severe drought. Chlorophyll stability improved under moderate stress in V. nilotica and V. tortilis, whereas S. senegal was more sensitive to severe moisture deficits. Correlation analysis revealed strong negative relationships between NPP and watering regimes, particularly in V. nilotica. The study highlights species-specific drought responses: V. tortilis and S. senegal demonstrated greater physiological plasticity under moderate water stress, whereas V. nilotica was more productive under favourable conditions but less tolerant to prolonged drought. These findings support the suitability of V. tortilis and S. senegal for dryland afforestation and ecological restoration, and emphasise the usefulness of NPP as a quantitative indicator for selecting drought-resilient species under climate variability in West African drylands.
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