Underutilized Crop Research Articles

Neglected and Underutilised Crops: A Systematic Review of Their Potential as Food and Herbal Medicinal Crops in South Africa.

The African continent harbours many native species with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential. This study reviewed underutilised crops in South Africa to determine their potential as food and herbal medicinal crops. Over 5,000 species have been identified and earmarked for their medical attributes in formal and informal setups. Researchers, plant breeders and policymakers have mostly ignored the development potential of these crops. Consequently, their value chains are poorly developed. In South Africa, there is a wide range of neglected and underutilised crops, which were historically popular and used by communities; however, over the years, they have lost their status within farming systems and been relegated to the status of neglected and underutilised. Recently, driven by the need to transition to more sustainable and resilient food systems, there has been renewed interest in their potential as food and herbal medicinal crops to establish new value chains that include vulnerable groups. They are now gaining global attention, and their conservation and sustainable utilisation are now being prioritized. The review confirmed that several of these crops possess nutraceutical and pharmaceutical properties, highlighting their potential for development as food and herbal medicines. However, current production levels are too low to meet the requirements for industrial development; research and development should focus on all aspects of their value chain, from crop improvement to utilisation. A transdisciplinary approach involving a wide range of actors is needed to develop the identified neglected and underutilised crops’ potential as food and herbal medicinal crops and support the development of new and inclusive value chains.

Effects of Replacing Soybean Meal with Fermented Bambara Groundnut Meal (Vigna subterranea) Meal in the Diet of Clarias gariepinus Fingerlings

Background: Efforts to reduce fish feed cost have been geared towards fishmeal replacement with cheap ingredients. However, the price of soybean which is a supplementary protein source in fish diet is also soaring due to impact of covid-19 pandemic couple with competition by man and livestock; this therefore calls for a search for its alternatives. Bambara groundnut (BG), although highly nutritious and climate resistant crop, is described as a neglected and under-utilized crop in most countries of Africa.
 Aims: To ascertain the effect of replacing soybean meal with Fermented Bambara Groundnut Meal (FBGM) on the growth performance and feed utilization of C. gariepinus.
 Study Design: Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used with five treatments and three replicates. Diet FBGM00 with no FBGM was used as control. Various replacement levels were designation as FBGM25, FBGM50, FBGM75 and FBMG100 for 25, 50, 75 and 100% respectively.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; Central Labouratory, University of Uyo, Nigeria, between May 2021 and August 2021.
 Methodology: We fermented Vigna subterranea for 72 hours, air-dried, weighed and oven dried at 60˚C for 24 hours, followed by cooling. Dried flour of FBGM and other ingredients were analyzed for proximate composition used in the formulation of experimental diets. These were milled at 2 mm pellets, sundried and stored at 10 per cent moisture content, in black polythene bags. Diets were fed to one hundred and fifty (150) fingerlings of catfish (C. gariepinus) with mean weight 50±2.35 for 84 days. Growth performance, feed utilization and survival rate parameters were calculated and statistically compared.
 Results: Physico-chemical parameters fluctuated slightly but were within the optimum range. The highest daily weight gain (85.29±14.46 g) was recorded in FBGM75 while the lowest (68.29±8.49 and 69.86±8.73 g) were recorded in the control diet (FBGM00) and FBGM25 respectively. The specific growth rate, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio and percentage survival rate also followed the same pattern. However, no significant differences (P>.05) were detected in all these parameters.
 Conclusion: Fermented Bambara Groundnut Meal can totally replace soybean meal in the diet of C. gariepinus, without adversely affecting growth performance, feed utilization and survival rate. However, the optimum replacement level lies in FBGN75. More researches are needed on the adults or grow out stages to unveil its effects on the grow out stage and brooder and different processing methods employed and compared to the best processing method that will be mild enough to increase the nutrient content while removing the phytochemicals.

The potential of Bambara groundnut: An analysis for the People’s Republic of China

AbstractWhile China has transformed its economy over recent decades, challenges such as climate change and land degradation have continued to impact its agriculture. These effects along with changes in diets and growing food imports will force China to look for alternative cropping options. Despite the broad potential of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) as a resilient and nutritious underutilized crop, less is known about its potential in Asia. Here, we explore the potential of Bambara groundnut to become a mainstream crop in mainland China. A suitability analysis is presented for Bambara groundnut to examine the degree of seasonal adaptability of this crop against its climate and soil requirements across China. Results showed that the crop has yield potential in areas that can be too marginal for production of other mainstream crops such as soybean (Glycine max). If realized, the potential of Bambara groundnut could contribute to China's agriculture and reduce its reliance on vegetable protein imports. Using an average seasonal potential yield of 0.85 t/ha over a potential available area of between 55 and 112 million ha (based on 4 land availability scenarios) and modest price of 143 USD/t, yearly income between USD 6 and 13 billion can potentially be contributed by widespread cultivation of this crop. As well as food security, this drought‐resistant nitrogen‐fixing legume could also contribute to land rehabilitation, particularly in the areas where shift in planting dates and land degradation is noticeable. This study demonstrates the need for more investment and research into adoption of Bambara groundnut and other underutilized crops that have the potential to transform agriculture in populous Asian countries.

Exploring the effects of increasing underutilized crops on consumers\u2019 diets: the case of millet in Uganda

Known in the literature as underutilized, neglected or orphan crops, these crops have been cited as having the potential to improve food and nutritional security. The literature also highlights however that consumers in developing countries are increasingly abandoning their traditional diets that these crops are part of, and are replacing them by western diets. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumption and nutritional implications of expanding the participation of underutilized crops in current diets. This was done using a modified version of the microeconomic consumer problem. This was augmented with a linear constraint using generalized rationing theory that can be found in the economics literature. The method was applied to the case study of the consumption of millet (finger millet, botanical name: Eleusine coracana) by rural, urban-poor and urban-affluent Ugandan socioeconomic groups. The results indicated that millet could contribute to improving the intake of macronutrients and of some micronutrients, though the overall picture is complex. However, under current preferences and given its demand inelasticity, to achieve a substantial increase in the quantity of millet in the diet will require a significant reduction of its price. Otherwise, the net impact on nutrition as measured by the mean adequacy ratio will be only slightly positive for rural and urban-poor households. Our findings indicate that supply-side initiatives aimed at increasing the productivity of underutilized crops (reducing crop price) are likely to produce disappointing results in restoring their importance unless accompanied by specific interventions to expand demand.

Breeding Potentials of Bambara Groundnut for Food and Nutrition Security in the Face of Climate Change.

Constant production of quality food should be a norm in any community, but climate change, increasing population, and unavailability of land for farming affect food production. As a result, food scarcity is affecting some communities, especially in the developing world. Finding a stable solution to this problem is a major cause of concern for researchers. Synergistic application of molecular marker techniques with next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies can unlock the potentials hidden in most crop genomes for improving yield and food availability. Most crops such as Bambara groundnut (BGN), Winged bean, and African yam bean are underutilized. These underutilized crops can compete with the major crops such as cowpea, soybean, maize, and rice, in areas of nutrition, ability to withstand drought stress, economic importance, and food production. One of these underutilized crops, BGN [Vigna subterranea (L.), Verdc.], is an indigenous African legume and can survive in tropical climates and marginal soils. In this review, we focus on the roles of BGN and the opportunities it possesses in tackling food insecurity and its benefits to local farmers. We will discuss BGN’s potential impact on global food production and how the advances in NGS technologies can enhance its production.

Breeding an underutilized fruit crop: a long-term program for Hylocereus.

This review describes three decades of introduction, agro-technology development, breeding and selection of Hylocereus species, known as pitaya or dragon fruit, as an example of a holistic program aimed to develop the horticultural potential of a perennial underutilized fruit crop. Interspecific homoploid and interploid crosses and embryo rescue procedures produced improved hybrids, some of which have been released to farmers. Molecular tools and morphological and phenological comparisons between the parental species and the resulting hybrids provided valuable information on dominant/recessive traits and on genetic relationships that could be exploited for further hybridizations. In addition, Hylocereus were crossed with species of the closely related genus Selenicereus, producing valuable intergeneric hybrids. In situ chromosome doubling resulted in the production of autopolyploid lines, from which an understanding of the effect of increased ploidy on fruit traits and metabolomic profiles was obtained. Gamete-derived lines were produced, adding to our biobank homozygote lines that were subsequently used for further hybridization. Spontaneous chromosome doubling occurred in haploid gamete-derived Hylocereus monacanthus lines and in interspecific interploid Hylocereus megalanthus × H. undatus hybrids obtained from an embryo rescue procedure, resulting in plants with double the expected ploidy. Challenging technical problems were addressed by the development of protocols for DNA isolation, flow cytometry, in situ chromosome doubling, androgenesis, gynogenesis and embryo rescue following interspecific and interploidy crosses. Current research leading to the development of genomics and molecular tools, including a draft genome of H. undatus, is also presented. Perspectives for further development of Hylocereus species and hybrids are discussed.

Influence of acid on isolation of starch from pearl millet (underutilized crop) and its characteristics

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is the most widely grown millet crop and a good alternate source of starches. Pearl millet starch isolation was done by sodium azide (NSM-1), mercuric chloride (NSM- 2) and sodium metabisulfite with lactic acid (ASM −3). The yield of starch was found to be high in NSM1 (52 g /100 g) followed by ASM- 3 (49 g /100 g) and NSM −2 (40 g /100 g). With reference to chemical composition, starch isolated with acid (ASM −3) had protein (0.21 g/100 g), fat (0.06 g/ 100 g), ash (0.02 g/100 g) and amylose (21.6 g/100 g). The functional properties of starches such as swelling power, solubility, WAC and OAC ranged from 21.6 to 20.09, 3.98 to 2.96,0.02 to 0.01 g/100gm, 1.09 to 0.09 mL/g, 1.69 to 0.90 g/100 g respectively. ASM −3 starch had significantly higher swelling power than NSM −1 and NSM −2. The micrograph of pearl millet starch granules showed size variations from 2 to 10 µm in diameter and shape varied from polygonal to few small spherical to round granule structure. X-ray diffraction patterns showed sharp peaks at 2θ values 15, 17 and 23° and characteristic of A-type pattern. Higher crystalline percentage of starch was found in ASM-3 than NSM-1 and NSM-2. FTIR spectra band revealed no difference in functional groups among starches isolated through NSM-1, NSM-2 and ASM − 3. Transition temperature of starches revealed the high enthalpy of gelatinization ranging from 10.93 to 12.4 J/g. Therefore, acid could be used to isolate starch from pearl millet though it had hard outer layer.

Physiochemical and functional properties of albumin and globulin from amadumbe (Colocasia esculenta) corms

Amadumbe (Colocasia esculenta), commonly known as Taro is an indigenous underutilised crop of Southern Africa. Limited utilisation of amadumbe grown in the region may be attributed to the lack of enough information on its corms and storage proteins. In this study, albumin, and globulin fractions from three landraces were investigated for their physicochemical and functional properties. Crude protein contents of amadumbe flours ranged between 2–4%. Amadumbe flours were rich in lysine (5.3 g/100 g) and leucine (9.1 g/100 g). Three major protein families were identified corresponding to albumin and globulin with approximately 55-60 kDa, 20–22 kDa and 14 kDa, respectively. FTIR revealed a protein secondary structure dominated by β-sheets and β-turns. Intrinsic fluorescence results suggested that all albumin and globulin fractions had well-defined tertiary structures. The protein solubility of albumin and globulin fractions were minimal at pH 5. Hydrophobicity data seemed to correlate with emulsification behaviour of the protein fractions. Amadumbe proteins and its albumin and globulin fractions can be a promising source for food protein applications.

Use of Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs) of Wheat in Disease Resistance Breeding

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the three major cereal crops contributing 20% calories to the world population. The most serious constraints to wheat production are biotic stresses like rusts, blights, powdery mildew, bunts and smuts. Genetic or host plant resistance is the best way to control these diseases than use of chemical pesticides. Continuous search for novel genes is indispensable to counter the dynamic and rapidly evolving pathogen population. In case of some diseases like spot blotch, Karnal Bunt and Fusarium head blight development of resistant cultivars is not an easy task as the resistance to them found in the germplasm is not satisfactory and none of the commercial cultivars showed resistance. Hence, underutilized crop wild relatives prove to be valuable resource in the search for new disease resistance genes to combat wheat diseases.

Enhancing the Productivity and Sustainability of Bambara Groundnut (<i>Vigna subterranea</i> (L.) Verdc.) Production Using Inorganic Phosphorus Fertilizer

Phosphorus (P) is a vital element required for nodulation, stomatal regulation and photosynthesis in legume crops. P-deficiency in tropical soils limits the growth and productivity of Bambara groundnuts. The current study focused on determining the potential suitability of underutilized crops for food security using phosphorus fertilizer as soil amendment practice. A field trial was carried out at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), over two growing seasons to determine the optimum P rate for Bambara production. This trial was laid out in a split plot in a randomized block design with three replications. Bambara genotypes represented the main plots while four P fertilizer rates (0, 30, 45 and 60 kg P2O5 ha-1) were the sub-plots. The appropriate application rate of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 showed excellent performance based on growth and yield analysis, and the results indicate a positive significant interaction between landraces and phosphorus fertilizer rates. The biological suitability of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 increased the number of nodules per plant for Tiga Necuru, Kenya Capstone and Nav Red by 42.8%, 51.3% and 42.1% respectively, over control plots. The same for pod yield is 12%, 28% and 52% significantly higher than when P was applied at 45, 30 and 0 kg P2O5 ha-1 respectively. The results further revealed that on days to flowering and maturity, the plant height, the number of branches and dry matter increased significantly at each level of P fertilizer rate applied. Bambara production at 0 kg P fertilizer rate might not be sufficient to enhance Bambara productivity significantly. The outcome of this study reveals the suitability of phosphorus fertilizer application in enhancing the sustainability of Bambara groundnut productivity and the potential of Bambara in diversifying crop production to ensure food security.

Conservation and Use of Underutilized Crops: Challenges and Way Forward

This paper reinforces the importance of underutilized crops and the need for organized research efforts for their improvement. These include species also classified as underexploited crops, under-developed crops, underused crops, abandoned crops, lost crops, orphan crops, minor crops, traditional crops, forgotten crops, vanishing crops, local crops, indigenous crops, niche crops, life support species, poor people’s crops, subsistence crops, crops for future, nutri-rich crops, and new potential crops, which have great potential to be used in mainsteam agriculture. The domestication of new crops would promote agricultural diversity and could provide a solution to many of the problems associated with intensive agriculture. Being nutritionally very rich, they have proved good potential for food and nutritional security, health and income generation especially for local communities. The use of modern science to improve their productivity, value addition and use by agro-industries are new opportunities that need to be harnessed.

Review on Value Chain Analysis of Kothala Himbutu, <em>Salacia chinensis</em>

Kothala Himbutu has high importance with medicinal value. The goal of this analysis is to get information that wanted to map the value chain, give suggestions, and get associated challenges focused on developing productive and globally competitive industries reliant upon the sustainable management of limited natural resources such as Kothala Himbutu. However, there is a gap in the ethnopharmacological literature in terms of understanding what importance a significant analysis of value chains of the underutilized crop, Kothala Himbutu could have. For this study, a mixed-methods approach focuses on a general review of the literature in a systematic online search with a hand search of bibliographies and discussions with respondents such as Ayurvedic practitioners, medicinal plant cultivators, herbal plant collectors, middlemen, Ayurvedic drug sellers, Ayurvedic drug manufacturers, and herbal raw material suppliers. The overall value chain operates with little vertical integration and almost no horizontal collaboration. Downstream activities depended on market demand while upstream activities were on value addition. Consumer awareness of value-added Kothala Himbutu products was insufficient due to the unavailability in the market. Our paper takes a critical stocktake of Kothala Himbutu value chain in Sri Lanka and focused to identify its role in rural medicine and income security.

The Bioactivity and Phytochemicals of Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urb.: A Multifunctional Underutilized Crop Plant.

Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urb. is an underutilized crop plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. In recent years, the plant received huge attention and was introduced in different countries owing to properties such as a high nutritional content, its nitrogen-fixing abilities, and different biological activities such as its antioxidant, immune modulation, anticancer, anti-diabetes, anti-osteoporosis, antiviral, and antiaging affects, among others. In this review, an attempt has been made to comprehensively compile the biological activities of the plant to provide a panoramic view of the current efforts and further directions, which may lead to the development of pharmacological applications. This information will be helpful in creating interest towards P. erosus and it may be useful in developing the plant for medical applications and/or as a functional food. More than 50 phytochemicals have been reported from the plant, which belong to different chemical classes such as triterpenoids, organic acid, flavonoids, and fatty acids. Numerous biological activities were reported from the plant through in vivo, in vitro, ex vivo, and human studies. However, well-defined clinical studies are still lacking for the establishment of any biological properties that could be further developed. Suggestions for the further development of P. erosus, according to current knowledge about the different biological properties, has also been provided.

Evaluation of hypoglycaemic activity of spine gourd powder (Momordica dioica Roxb.) formulated product (Khakra) in STZ induced diabetic rats

Spine gourd is popular as an emerging underutilized crop due to its various health benefits and medicinal properties. Its powder is used to form a dish called Khakra. Khakra is one of the famous dishes made out of mat bean and wheat flour, a popular dish of western India mainly in Gujarat and Rajasthan, which is used as a snack or during breakfast. During the preparation of Khakra along with whole wheat flour and Bengal gram flour, 50 % of spine gourd powder was used and evaluated for hypoglycaemic activity in STZ induced diabetic wistar rats. The oral administration of Khakra of about 5 to 10 g/rat/day was given for diabetic induced and normal rats for about 21 days and observations were recorded at 0th, 7th, 14th and 21st day for serum glucose (mg/dL), serum cholesterol (mg/dL) and serum haemoglobin (mg/dL). The Group 6 (STZ + Laboratory diet + Spine gourd Khakraat 10g/ kg body weight/day) showed significant decrease (P&lt0.01) in serum glucose, serum cholesterol and significant increase (P&lt0.01) in serum haemoglobin which was found to be dose-dependent. In case of normal rats no significant decrease in serum glucose and serum cholesterol was observed.

Input subsidy effects on crops grown by smallholder farm women: The example of cowpea in Mali

ABSTRACT We examine the effects of fertilizer subsidies in Mali on the non-staple crop cowpea, often described as a women’s legume crop. We utilize a 2017/2018 dataset including both men and women plot managers in 2400 households. We find that women manage cowpea plots, as a primary and a secondary crop, less frequently relative to men. Yet, women also labor on male-managed fields where cowpea is grown as an intercrop. Results from the control function approach indicate that subsidized fertilizer received by the farming household reduces areas, and area shares, planted with cowpea as an intercrop. Subsidized fertilizer received by the household is negatively associated with the women’s cowpea harvests and revenues, with the opposite effect on men’s revenues. Findings raise questions regarding the subsidy program design, and its gender-differentiated effects, on production of underutilized crops with potential agronomic and nutritional benefits, such as cowpea.

Chufa Drink: Potential in Developing a New Plant-Based Fermented Dessert.

Plant-based foods with desirable texture and nutritional value have attracted considerable interest from consumers. In order to meet the growing demand for more sustainable and health-focused products, new sources for plant-based products are needed. In this study, we aimed to develop an innovative plant-based dessert based on the underutilized crop chufa tubers (Cyperus esculentus). The chufa extract was fermented with plant-adapted lactic acid bacteria and formulated with the purpose of imitating the Danish summer dessert “cold butter-milk soup”. The effect of various bacterial fermentations and formulations on steady and oscillatory rheology, stability, dry matter, pH, and sugar profile of the product were studied and compared to a commercial cold buttermilk soup sample. A strain of Leuconostoc mesenteroides was found to create the most similar taste to a commercial sample. By adding lemon juice, sucrose, xanthan gum, and vanilla to the fermented chufa drink, the drink was found to mimic the pH, texture, acid profile, and stability of a commercial dairy-based sample, while containing a lower concentration of carbohydrates.

Review on: uses of cereals in traditional foods of Nepal and their preparation process

The purpose of research was to make people aware about traditional foods of Nepal and use of cereals in traditional foods.
 Nepal, country is home for people of many races, ethnicity and religion. This country is rich in natural beauty and traditional beliefs and practices. In Nepal, the primary occupation of many people is agriculture. Cereals like finger millet, buckwheat etc. are among the underutilized crops in this country. Nepal is rich in traditional and indigenous foods because of the richness in ethnic diversity. During the research we came to know that traditional food is attached to emotional and cultural level for the old generational residents of this country, but this trend seems to be decreasing in today’s generation due to Western culture influence and modernization. During preparation the process followed was still same as followed decades ago. The advancement in food technologies can be followed by the advancement in traditional foods for their own benefits. We should protect and promote our traditional foods, as it is deeply rooted with our cultural aspects; which results in preservation of culture and traditions. This article is about the use of cereals in traditional food of Nepal and their preparation process

Pre-harvest sprouting on high-level seed dormancy of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) landraces

Abstract. Sari M, Ilyas S, Suhartanto MR, Qadir A. 2021. Pre-harvest sprouting on high-level seed dormancy of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) landraces. Biodiversitas 22: 5617-5623. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is an underutilized crop. Therefore, its seed quality is not guaranteed. Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) on bambara groundnut seeds can be found either due to the unpredictable rainfall or the late harvesting and plants are still in the field when rainfall. Conversely, seed dormancy causes a problem for planting. The objective of this research was to identify seed dormancy and PHS of four bambara groundnut landraces and other related seed characters. Four landraces (Madura, Sukabumi, Brown Sumedang and Tasikmalaya) were planted at the end of May 2017. Seeds were harvested at physiological maturity (130 days after planting) during the beginning of the wet season (early October 2017). The result showed that there were variations of PHS among landraces from 1% to 12%, and variations of seed dormancy rates from 62% to 82%. There were differences in seed color, seed size, tannin content, seed hardness, and imbibition rate. However, these characters could not clearly explain the diversities in PHS and seed dormancy. There was a high genetic diversity within Tasikmalaya landrace because this landrace had the highest PHS (12%) and the highest dormancy rate (82%) as well, although both characters are contradictory. This diversity needs further research, mainly to avoid the disadvantages due to PHS.

Analysis of the current situation and future outlooks for pigeon pea (Cajanus Cajan) production in Oyo State, Nigeria: A Markov Chain model approach

Pigeon pea is an underutilized crop in Nigeria and particularly in Oyo State in terms of research, production and utilization despite its economic and nutrition importance. It is therefore important to understand its current production status in Oyo State in order to evaluate the economic potential of pigeon pea production in the study area. This study therefore, profiled the current production systems of pigeon pea, analyzed the current and forecast the future farm size and examined the constraints to pigeon pea production in Oyo State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 150 pigeon pea farmers. A structured questionnaire was used to gather primary data from the respondents. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Markov Chain Analysis (MCA) and Importance Ranking Index. The study found that all the farmers still cultivated local variety with average yield of 604kg/acre, most farmers intercropped with other crops and produced mainly for consumption by households and sale at the local market. Majority (73%) cultivated between 1 and 5 acres of land and on the average, 1.55 and 1.72 acres of land were cultivated in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, respectively. There was significant difference between the land area cultivated to pigeon pea in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 (−1.63, p < 0.05). The results of MCA revealed that there was high probability for the farmers to remain on their farm size initially cultivated. Although, gradual increase in the farm size was observed in the equilibrium year. The persuasive identified constraints included inadequate capital, pricing problem and lack of improved variety. The study concluded that the outlook of pigeon pea production seems promising as revealed by the farm size cultivated at the equilibrium year, but a deliberate effort must be made to promote the production of and research on pigeon pea in the study area, especially in the development of improved varieties. • Knowledge of farm size in two consecutive years predict the future years. • Research on improved varieties of pigeon pea in Nigeria is advocated for. • Pigeon pea will remain underutilised without increased research efforts • Gender role is a key factor in pigeon pea production in Nigeria.

Neglected and underutilized crop species in Kabare and Walungu territories, Eastern D.R. Congo: Identification, uses and socio-economic importance

Neglected and underutilized crop species (NUCS) are valuable sources of food and income for several rural households in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A thorough understanding of their diversity, uses, socio-economic roles, and factors for their neglect would be necessary for guiding promotion efforts. This study was conducted in two steps: (1) interviews with rural households involved in NUCS production and trade, and (2) greenhouse characterization of the two most popular NUCS′ morphotypes, African nightshade and amaranth, from Walungu and Kabare territories, eastern DRC. About 19% of farmers of the entire study area were involved in NUCS production. We identified 22 and 23 NUCS used in Kabare and Walungu territories, respectively. These species belonged to 19 botanical families, among which Solanaceae (∼24% in Walungu and ∼11 in Kabare) and Fabaceae (8% in Walungu and 11% in Kabare) were the most dominant families. They were of different ranges: grasses and herbs (62%), shrubs (20%), thorns (2%), and trees (16%). These species were used whether for nutritional (60%), medicinal (7%), or both nutritional and medicinal values (33%). NUCS' market value was low, and thus, discouraged further investment in their farming. The seed delivery system was informal, dominated by farmer-saved seed, seed from local markets, and farmer seed exchange. Characterization experiment for the most popular leafy NUCS showed differences among collected morphotypes for most traits, with some local genotypes outperforming exogenous commercial varieties. Supply of quality seed, training of farmers on the most appropriate cropping system, processing technologies, increased consumer awareness, linking research to policy, and increasing market opportunities for smallholder farmers are strategies for promoting wide use of these crops in eastern DRC. • NUCS are sources of nutrients, income, therapeutic properties, and possess potential in fighting hidden hunger. • 22 and 23 NUCS belonging to 19 botanical families are used in Kabare and Walungu territories, respectively. • 19% populations in these territories are directly involved in NUCS production or/and trade. • The NUCS market value is low, and thus, discourages further investment in their farming. • NUCS profitability could be increased by breeding and seed delivery of improved varieties.