Abstract
Solenostemon rotundifolius (Poir) J. K. Morton commonly called Hausa potato in Nigeria, is a herbaceous, annual crop, with distinctive fragrance and peculiar tuber taste. Ethnomedicinally, leaves of the crop are used to treat dysentery, blood in urine and eye disorders. The tubers are eaten as a main starchy staple or part of it in combination with legumes, vegetables or cereals. The crop which is popular in the middle belt and Northeastern Nigeria, is constrained by edaphic factors, extremes of climatic variables and biotic pressures resulting in tiny tuber formations, tuber branching, low yields and poor tuber storability due to rots and poor storage methods. Amongst these, rots have been identified as the greatest constraint; followed by dearth of documented information on proper methods of its storage. Synthetic fungicides are veritable agents of fungal rot control; however their use is being deemphasized due to ecological and human health concerns occasioned by residues in crops as well as development of resistance to chemical control agents in pathogens. Phytopesticides have been advocated as viable alternatives for tuber rot control. However, their use has not been sufficiently researched on Hausa potato. Besides, the phytochemical constitution of the leaves and tubers of the crop underpinning their fragrance, peculiar taste and ethnomedicinal uses have not been fully documented. So are the mineral and vitamins composition of the tubers. Poor scientific research attention is considered as the reason for the poor performance of some tuber crops in Africa, both in the field and store. If given adequate and focused research attention, Hausa potato as a delicate vegetable crop holds prospects for enlarged adoption into other agro-ecological zones of Nigeria, and thereby contribute to food security. This communication therefore enumerates the importance of Hausa potato and presents significant researchable opportunities on the crop.
Highlights
Its local names vary with geographic locations, for instance while in Ghana it is known as Salanga potato, in Nigeria it is called Hausa potato
The crop is thought to have originated in Kenya or Ethiopia in East Africa from where it spread throughout tropical Africa through the savannas of Togo, Guinea and into Southeast Asia including India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia (Harlan et al, 1976)
Some workers reported that the tubers of Hausa potato can be used to make aromatic, alcoholic beverages (Schipper, 2000; Phungpanya et al, 2013) while the leaves sometimes may be eaten as pot-herbs (PROTA, 2013)
Summary
Recent anthropological proposal assumes that human evolution is significantly tied to dependence on tubers (Schoeninger et al, 2000). At 10% substitution of wheat with its flour, no significant difference was observed in all the sensory attributes of taste, texture, and general acceptability of the bread produced from the composited flour (Aniedu and Agugo, 2010) Disintegrants such as starch and cellulose aids in breaking of tablets into smaller fragments in a fluid environment prior to dissolution of the active principle of the drug and its absoption in the gastro-intestinal tract. Several researchers agree that there is strong need to give greater prominence to root and tuber crops development especially the under-utilized and neglected species, in the agricultural scheme of things to meet economic, quantitative and qualitative nutritional needs of the nation (Idusigie and Olayide, 1975; Olojede, 2013).
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