African Indigenous Vegetables

Research & Related Activities

At Maseno University

By Mary O. Abukutsa - Onyango (Ph.D)

Maseno UniversityIndigenoVeg Opening meeting–Bamako-17th January 2006

OUTLINE

• Introduction• Objectives• Maseno University (MSU)• Participating Researchers From MSU• TATRO• Research On AIVs At Maseno University • Other Related Activities On AIVs • Conclusions and Recommendations• Acknowledgement

Introduction

• High Poverty Levels – >60% in Rural Communities in Kenya– Malnutrition and Poor Health

• High Household Food and Nutrition Insecurity • Prevalence of HIV and AIDS• Kenya Endowed With Agricultural Biodiversity• African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs)• AIVs Have Several Advantages

Examples of AIVs in Kenya

Vegetableamaranths

Jute mallow

Pumpkin

slenderleaf

Vegetablenightshade

Constraints

• Neglected Threatened By Extinction• Poor Seed Quality• No Technical Packages• Short Shelf Life • Poor Marketing Channels• Potential Of AIVs Not Fully Exploited

OBJECTIVES

• To Give Highlights On Maseno University.

• To Introduce The Participating Researchers From Maseno University and TATRO

• To Highlight Some Researches & Related Activities On AIVs At Maseno University

MASENO UNIVERSITY: THE VARSITY ON THE EQUATOR

MASENO UNIVERSITY

--Inception-2001Student Pop-5,000Academic Staff-261

3Faculties+4Schools

VisionTo be a Leading Institution And

Centre Of Excellence In University Teaching, Outreach,

Research & Development

MASENO UNIVERSITY

--Faculty Of ScienceHouses

Participating Department-Botany and Horticulture

Formerly•Botany and Plant

Sciences(BPS)

Botany and Horticulture

Participating Researchers(1)

• Audience• Chairman• Visual Aids

Mary O.Abukutsa-Onyango (Ph.D)

• Associate Professor Of Agronomy And Horticulture (Olericulture)

• 15 Yrs University Teaching• Leader Of AIVs Working Group• Involved In AIVs Since 1992• Marketing,Agronomy, Seed

Production And Physiology Of AIVs

Participating Researchers(2)John Onyango (Ph.D)

• Professor Of Plant Physiology • Over 20 Yrs University

Teaching• Initiator &Director Maseno

University Botanic Garden• Dean Faculty Of Science• A Member Of AIVs Working

Group• Involved In AIVs Since 1996• Conservation Of Biodiversity

Participating Researchers(3)Gideon Njau Mwai• Tutorial Fellow • Ph.D Student In Plant

Physiology And Biochemistry• Member Of AIVs Working

Group• Bsc And Msc Projects On

Spideplant• PhD Project Vegetable

Nightshades (AVRDC)• Involved In AIVs Since 1997

Participating Researchers(4)Anne Aswani Musotsi

• Left The University In 2005 • Was A Member Of AIVs Working

Group• MSc (Community Nutrition)• Involved In AIVs Since 2002• Recipes and Home Gardening Of AIVs• To Be Replaced By• Darius Andika Otiato

Participating Researchers(5)Darius Andika Otiato (Msc)

• Graduated Msc (Horticulture) 2005

• BSc Project -nightshades• A member of AIVs working

group• Graduate Assistant• Involved in AIVs since 2002• Potential Ph.D Student

TATRO (A CBO)Technology Adoption Through Research Organization

--Inception-1993

AIVs activity-1997Membership-20W, 5MContact-Paul Okong’o

ObjectiveTo Alleviate Poverty

ThroughImproved Farming Methods

TATRO--

Leaf & Seed Production Of 5 AIVs

Collaboration withResearch Institutions

And Universities

5 Of the 6 Priority AIVs At TATRO

cowpeas

African kale SpiderplantCowpeas

African nightshade

Jute mallow

Leaf amaranths

Research On AIVs At Maseno(Inception AIVs Working Group 1996-Promote AIVs)--Improved community landuse

for sustainable production andUtilization of AIVs in the Lake

Victoria Region (SIDA-IUCEA, Ke,Ug &Tz)

Intercropping African kale withOther selected AIVs for Sustainable

Production in the Lake VictoriaRegion, Kenya(IFS-Maseno)

Research On AIVs At Maseno--Germplasm management of

African Leafy vegetables for the nutritional and food security needs of vulnerable groups in

Kenya (IPGRI)

Seed Support Systems• Kisumu 14• Siaya 11• Bondo 03• Vihiga 24• B-Mumias 05• Kisii 11• Nyamira 05• Busia 04• Total 77 • 12% produce own seed

Research On AIVs At Maseno

--Market Survey On African Indigenous Vegetables In

Western Kenya

Effect Of N Rates On Growth, Effect Of N Rates On Growth, Seed Yield And Storage Of Seed Yield And Storage Of

SlenderleafSlenderleaf ((Crotalaria Crotalaria brevidensbrevidens))

Response Of Some African Response Of Some African Traditional Vegetables To Traditional Vegetables To

OrganicOrganicAnd Inorganic FertilizersAnd Inorganic Fertilizers

OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES

BSc. HorticultureProgramme• AIVs topic in • Olericulture1 unit

• Undergraduate final • year research projects

NO OF STUDENTS YEAR

Total Olericulture projects AIV projects

2001 10 50% 20%

2002 29 59% 34%

2003 14 79% 28%

2004 14 79% 71%

2005 25 80% 70%

Other Related

Activities

StudentsProjects

OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES

MSc Horticulture ProgrammeMSc. Unit (subject) on AIVs (Olericulture Option)

MSc Horticulture: Intercropping AIVs (ongoing)MSc Community Development and Nutrition Progamme

MSc Thesis home gardening (completed)MSc Agricultural Biodiversity/Dietary (ongoing)

MSc Geography ProgrammeMSc Traditional African foods role in poverty reduction (complete).

MSc Botany ProgrammeMSc. Thesis on Salinity effects on Spiderplant(complete)MSc Research on A.nightshades with tea on intercropping(completed)

PhD Botany Programme-Project on African Nightshades

University Botanic Garden

Established in 2001Established in 2001Home of 200 plant Home of 200 plant sppspp 10% 10% ALVs ALVs

ExEx--situ situ and and inin--situ situ Conservation of Conservation of ALVsALVsFunded by Federal GovernmentFunded by Federal Government--GermanyGermany

BIOTA PROJECTBIOTA PROJECTResearchResearch--TeachingTeaching--Conservation Conservation --LeisureLeisure

Other Related

Activities

Workshops And

ConferencesOn AIVs

20032003Proceedings AvailableProceedings Available

Other Related Activities

.

Outreach AndPromotion Of AIVsIn Western Kenya

ConclusionsMaseno University Envisages To Be A Centre Of Excellence In Promoting Research And Conservation Of Biodiversity.

Research, Teaching and Outreach Programmes On AIVs Forms Part Of Priority Areas For MasenoUniversity

AIVs Have A Potential In Kenya That Needs To Be Exploited For Food And Nutrition Security

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT• Maseno University• Funding Agencies• Our Collaborators• Farmers in Western Kenya• IndigenoVeg Team • Audience• For Health And Strength Consume

AIVs

THANK YOU

ALL

FOR LISTENING