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