Okra—A Versatile Vegetable Crop

Abstract

Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] belongs to the Malvaceae or mallow family and is a relative of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Okra is one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops. The first recorded reference to okra was made by the Egyptians in 1216 A.D., although the plant explorer Vavilov indicated that there was strong evidence that the crop flourished even before that date in the tropical climate of Ethiopia, while others have identified its origin as India. It eventually spread completely around the Mediterranean and westward to the new world. Its arrival in the American colonies during the early 1700s is attributed to either slaves brought from Africa or early French colonists in Louisiana. Thomas Jefferson recorded the presence of okra in his garden log in 1748. It continued its march northward and was found in Philadelphia in 1781, and from 1800 onward it was mentioned by many garden writers. Genetic studies indicate that the crop may be composed of multiple species, origins of which might have been southeastern Asia, India, western Africa, or Ethiopia. The chromosome number of okra varies greatly, with the diploid ranging from 2n = 66 to 144. Okra actually may be of amphidiploid origin, exhibiting genomic contributions from hybridization of species of different ploidy levels. Cultivated species of Abelmoschus in addition to A. esculentus are semiwild species A. manihot (L.) Medikus and A. moschatus Medic. Wild species A. crinitus Wall., A. tetraphyllus (Roxb. ex Hornem) R. Graham, A. angulousus Wall. ex W.A A. ficulneus (L.) W.& A. ex Wight is present in western Africa (Duzyaman, 1997). A perennial treelike okra grown in west-African villages is believed to be an intermediate between A. esculentus and A. manihot (Rubatzky and Yamaguchi, 1997). The discovery of A. caillei (A. Chev.) Stev in western Africa (Chevalier, 1940) and later evaluations (Hamon and Yapo, 1986) have received much attention in the last decade. It is distinguished from A. esculentus by plant shape, number of epicalyx segments, and fruit shape and orientation (Siemonsma, 1982). Abelmoschus caillei is prized for its potentially prolific yield, vigorous growth, and tolerance to some negative environments, serving as a source of many desirable characteristics (Ariyo, 1993). However, it is a short-day plant, and will require selection for photoperiod insensitivity to make it more adaptable. Okra is sometimes called gumbo, although that name is more commonly associated with soups and other dishes containing okra. It is also known as gombo in French, bhendi in Hindu, bamiah in Arabic, and by other names such as quingumbo, quaio, and lady’s finger.