Wild edible plant use in Tshopo District, DR Congo

Poster presented at International Conference Nutrition and Food Production in the Congo Basin. Brussels (Belgium), 30 Sep-01 Oct 201

Value chains of cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) in a centre of diversity and its on-farm implications

This paper uses value chain analysis as a novel method to examine the conservation status of and strategies for cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.), an underutilized, perennial fruit species native to the Andean valleys of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. It was found that value chain features such as market channels, chain governance, quality performance and distribution of added value over chain actors differ significantly between cherimoya fruits that are registered by a collective trademark such as the Cumbe variety and another group of more traditionally produced and commercialized cherimoya fruits. The former is exported from its production area (Lima province in Peru) to neighboring Andean countries, is graded and selected intensively, has a higher quality perception and creates significantly more added value for both producers and traders than the other, locally produced cherimoyas whose value chain is governed less intensively. Previous studies on the genetic diversity of cherimoya in the countries of origin have stressed the necessity of conserving cherimoya germplasm in areas characterized by highly diverse (southern Ecuador and northern Peru) or rare (Bolivia) cherimoya germplasm. Although value chain development is generally considered crucial in on-farm conservation of underutilized species, the example of the Cumbe cherimoya shows that intraspecific diversity can be threatened by commercial success. Farmers who believe that quality is exclusively linked to a certain genotype have purchased Cumbe cherimoya grafts from each other, leading to genetic erosion of the local cherimoya genetic base

African botanical heritage for new crop development

The African continent is rather poor in plant biodiversity when compared to other continents on and around the equator. Nevertheless, lots of useful plant species have been domesticated from Sub-Sahara Africa material. Ethnobotanical research offers the possibility to collect information on use and utility of wild plant species from traditional people often living in or close to a challenging natural environment. This type of information then allows us to find new candidates for domestication and subsequent crop development for income generation and increased food security. The case of Gnetum africanum illustrates the practical implications of developing a lesser-known species, and highlights the institutional problems that go together with niche crop development. The latter are subsequently presented and discussed in extenso, and solutions proposed in a second part of this review text

Why do Euphorbiaceae tick as medicinal plants? : a review of Euphorbiaceae family and its medicinal features

Euphorbiaceae is among the large flowering plant families consisting of a wide variety of vegetative forms some of which are plants of great importance. Its classification and chemistry have of late been subjects of interest possibly because of the wide variety of chemical composition of its members, many of which are poisonous but useful. In this review, we have tried to demonstrate why Euphorbiaceae are important medicinal plants. Two important issues have come up. The worldwide distribution of the family exposes its members, to all sorts of habitats to which they must adapt, therefore inducing a large variety of chemicals (secondary substances) that are employed for survival/defense. Succulence and the CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) pathway that characterize a good number of its members were quoted as some of the adaptations that aid colonization and survival to achieve this induction. We have also found out that medicinal properties of some of its species may be due to stress factors that characterize most habitats of the family. Varying stress factors like temperature, salinity, drought and others were seen to operate in tandem with genetic factors such as gene expression and mutation loads to bring about synthesis of a wide assemblage of secondary substances that may probably be responsible for the family's medicinal nature. It was concluded that the family is a good starting point for the search for plant-based medicines

Euphorbia tirucalli L. (Euphorbiaceae): the miracle tree: current status of available knowledge

Euphorbia tirucalli is one of the most important tree Euphorbias known worldwide for its many uses. Endemic to tropical Africa where it often grows wild, it is usually planted for boundary demarcation but also as a live fence around compounds, shrines and kraals due to its ability to withstand extreme aridity and possession of low herbivore pressure. E. tirucalli has white latex which is vesicant and rubifacient but also known to be a remedy against many ailments. However, most of its medicinal features are reported in folk medicine and there appears to be little medical/laboratory analysis to validate them. In this review, we attempt to explore the current knowledge status about E. tirucalli in relation to its classification, chemical content and functions, and the extent to which modern research has gone to validate them. It was found that although a great deal has been done to analyze its chemical composition (bark, roots and latex), and potential for biodiesel production, little is available on validation of its application for medicinal purposes, yet it continues to be used in traditional and alternative medicine on a daily basis. Empirical research is called for to achieve this

An assessment of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes under saline and waterlogged compacted soil conditions, I: grain yield and yield components

A pot experiment was conducted to study effects of salinity and waterlogging under soil compaction conditions on grain yield and yield components of wheat. Treatments were arranged in a factorial layout assigned to a randomized complete design with three replications. Treatment combinations included: two sets of compaction levels, i.e. non-compacted and compacted soil; four abiotic stresses, i.e. non-saline aerobic (untreated silt loam texture soil having ECe = 3 dS m-1); saline × aerobic (S) (ECe 15 dS m-1); saline × waterlogged (S×W); and waterlogged alone (W) were applied; and two Iranian wheat genotypes i.e. Kouhdasht and Tajan. Compaction was achieved by dropping a 5 kg weight, 20 times from 70 cm height on a wooden block placed on top of soil-filled pots. In non-waterlogged treatments, soil water was maintained at 70% of available water holding capacity (AWHC). Waterlogging was achieved by maintaining water up to 110% of the soil’s AWHC for 25 days during tillering stage. Compaction significantly intensified effect of all other treatments, except waterlogging, on grain yield and yield components of wheat genotypes as compared to control. S×W caused significantly higher reduction in grain yield and yield components for both genotypes than other treatments

An assessment of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes under saline and waterlogged compacted soil conditions, II: leaf ion concentrations

A pot experiment was conducted to study effects of salinity and waterlogging under soil compaction conditions on grain yield and yield components of wheat. Treatments were arranged in a factorial layout assigned to a randomized complete design with three replications. Treatment combinations included: two sets of compaction levels, i.e. non-compacted and compacted soil; four abiotic stresses, i.e. non-saline aerobic (untreated silt loam texture soil having ECe = 3 dS m-1); saline × aerobic (S) (ECe 15 dS m-1); saline × waterlogged (S×W); and waterlogged alone (W) were applied; and two Iranian wheat genotypes i.e. Kouhdasht and Tajan. Compaction was achieved by dropping a 5 kg weight, 20 times from 70 cm height on a wooden block placed on top of soil-filled pots. In non-waterlogged treatments, soil water was maintained at 70% of available water holding capacity (AWHC). Waterlogging was achieved by maintaining water up to 110% of the soil’s AWHC for 25 days during tillering stage. S×W caused significantly higher reduction in K+ concentration for both genotypes than other treatments. S×W also resulted in higher leaf Na+ and Cl- concentrations in comparison to other treatments. Kouhdasht maintained significantly higher K + concentration and K+: Na+ ratio at S and S×W treatments than that Tajan (under both non-compacted and compacted soil conditions)