Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Managing Risks and Uncertainties in Agriculture: The Role of Plant Genetic Resources of Neglected and

Underutilized Crop Species in Africa

Dr. Daniel NyadanuCo-authorsDr. Lawrence Misa Aboagye (PGRRI, CSIR, Ghana)Dr. Ahamadou Bocar (IPR/IFRA, Mali)

ANAFE International Symposium under the theme “Agribusiness Development and Managing Risk and Uncertainty in African Agriculture and Natural Resources Management: The Role of Tertiary Agricultural Education”, Yaounde, Cameroon, August 25-29, 2014

Outline of presentation•Introduction

•Link between NUS and Nutrition, food security and resilience of livelihoods•Role of NUS in developing improved varieties•Role of NUS in mitigating climate change•Role of NUS in enriching poor soils•Urgent research needs on NUS•Conclusions and Recommendations•Acknowledgements

Introduction•Agriculture provides the main source of livelihood for the poor in Africa•Employment (70% labour force)

In recent decades, agriculture production in Africa is faced with several risks and uncertainties

Precipitation has become irregular and unpredictableClimate change making some regions or countries

drier or flood prone

Drought conditions

Flood conditions

Upsurge of pests and diseases

Agricultural soils are depleted in nutrients and cannot support maximum crop growth

Human population continue to increase, however arable land is under increasing demand for rapid urban

development. As a result more food will have to be produced on less land. Farmers in Africa still

growing landraces

How will Africa feed its teeming population in the face of

challenges of climate change, pests and diseases, poor soil and conversion of arable lands for

other uses?

A sustainable management and use of wide food resources can be a strategy to overcome food

insecurity especially in Africa

•Agro-biodiversity is critical to human survival but are significantly undervalued and under-utilized

•90 % of the calories in the human diet come from 15 crops and 60 % from 3 crops (wheat, rice and maize)

•It is known that a wide food crop base is crucial for supporting local economies, traditions and cultures and above all, for being able to provide farmers with options for dealing with whatever agricultural problems they may encounter in the future (Giulia, 2014).

•Indigenous farmers in Africa grow and consume a lot of crops which are neglected by researchers and policy makers

•They are referred to as neglected and underutilized species ( NUS) or Orphan crops

Major Constraints of NUS Production

• Neglect and Stigmatization: weeds, poor man’s, orphan

• Inadequate awareness of NUS value and potential

• Inadequate research and capacity building

• Lack of Quality Seed and technical packages

• Poor keeping quality, bitter and tedious to process

• Poor Marketing Strategies• Poor policy framework• Leading to low yields, production and consumption

• Lack of conservation of genetic resources

Tedious Processing procedure

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Many NUS crops are rich in minerals and micronutrients (Dansi et al., 2012; Nyadanu and Lowor, 2014; Padulosi et al., 2013)NUS complement major staples in diets and are a fall-back option if staple crops are finished.

NUS are highly adapted to marginal, complex and difficult environments such as those of drought, flood and cold (Bhuwon et al., 2010).

S. torvum growing in a gutter

To promote their conservation and consumption, this paper reviews the role of NUS in mitigating risks and uncertainties in agriculture

Link between NUS and Nutrition, Food Security and Resilience of livelihoods

• Nutrition: NUS has competitive advantage

Exotic leafy vegetables Indigenous leafy vegetable

Lettuce Cauliflower

Cabbage C. olitorius Amaranthus cluentus

Cocoyam S. macrocarpon

Baobab leaf

Proximate analysis

Energy 15 Kcal 25Kcal 25Kcal 56.78Kcal

49.89 Kcal 38.48 Kcal

58.44 Kcal

28.59 Kcal

Carbohydrates

2.79 g 4.97g 5.8g 19.56 g 12.13 g 15.63 g 15.21 Kcal

13.63 g

Protein 1.36 g 1.92g 1.3g 5.42 g 9.41 g 11.61 g 8.71 g 7.86 g Total fat

0.15 g 0.28g 0.1g 0.43 g 0.35 g 0.71 g 0.23 g 0.53 g

Dietary fiber

1.3 g 2.0g 2.5g 1.61 g 1.78 g 3.34 g 2.81 g 4.33 g

MineralsCalcium 36 mg 22 mg 40mg 276.4mg 252.1 mg 196 mg 252.29 mg 281mgCopper 0.029mg 0.039mg - 2.52 mg 3.47 mg 1.45 mg 1.84 mg 0.89 mgIron 0.86 mg 0.42mg 0.47 mg 19.53 mg 45.41 mg 15.92

mg22. 34 mg 20.11 mg

Magnesium

13 mg 15mg 12 mg 476.69 mg

343.14 mg 226.13 mg

355.62 mg 287.73 mg

Manganese

0.250 mg 0.155mg 0.160 mg 5.95 mg 6.24 mg 4.31 mg 5.68 mg 4.66 mg

Phosphorus

29 mg - 26 mg 66.68 mg 81.55 mg 79.22 mg

62.79 mg 74.91 mg

Zinc 0.18 mg 0.27mg 0.18 mg 4.71 mg 5.22 mg 7.63 mg 3.21 mg 4.33 mgPotassium

194 mg 299mg 170 mg 481.15 mg

348.18 mg 285.66 mg

326.54 mg 272.35 mg

VitaminsVitamin A

7405 IU 0 IU 98 IU 3214 IU 2149 IU 3116IU 2911 IU

2341 IU

Vitamin C

9.2 mg 48.2 mg 36.6mg 14.56 mg 3.86 mg 2.58 mg 9.85 mg 5.32 mg

Vatamin E

0.29 mg 0.08 mg - 4.56 mg 3.86 mg 2.58 mg 3.47 mg 2.71 mg

Source: Nyadanu and Lowor, 2014

Table 1. Proximate and nutrient composition of exotic and indigenous leafy vegetables

Health benefitsNUS contain phyto-chemicals that are anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, reduces blood pressure, cures fever and anaemia

etc.

Moringa Wild lettuce

Local herbs (abemuduro)

Solanum torvum

Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus)

Role of NUS in mitigating climate change

Sources of useful genes

Lycopersicon pimpinilifolium L., Source of drought resistance genes, pests and disease resistance genets (Heather et al., 2012

Oryza nivara – wild rice = provide strong resistance to grassy stunt virus and six other rice diseases ( Brar and Kush, 1997)Solanum torvum L. : source of resistance gene to Verticillium wilt of garden egg (Bletsos et al., 2001) S. torvum is also being crossed with Solanum melongena to incorporate its rich nutritional content.

Farmers in northern Ghana combine millet, sorghum and fonio with other crops to insure against uncertain weather conditioons.

CharacteristicsDrought resistantAbility to withstand high temperaturesShort life cycle (minor millets)- comparative advantage where water is scarce and rainfall is lowefficient root systemSuitable for local food production(Kudadjie et al., 2004; Jatoe et al., 2005)

Millet Sorghum Fonio

Bambara groundnut = Known for its drought tolerance ( Andika et al., 2008) and found growing in harsh climatic and marginal soils ( Padulosi, 2002). Rich in protein (24%) with high levels of essential amino acid methionine (Heller et al., 1997)

Pigeon pea = Drought tolerant and nutritiousPerennial and bears throughout the year

Pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan L)

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.)

Several indigenous fruit trees are recognized for their drought tolerance and ability to do well in poor soils and marginal lands

Baobab ( Adansonia digitata L . : Nutritious and drought tolerant. ( Assogbadjo et al., 2006)

Shea butter ( ). Nutritious and drought resistantBush mango (Irvingia gabonensis) Nutritous, drought tolerant

African locust bean ( Parkia biglobosa) : nutritious and drought tolerant

Taro (Colocasia esculentum) : Water loving and flood tolerant

A rice farm destroyed by flood being planted with taro in Ghana.

Taro recovering after flood

Frafra/Hausa potato = stress tolerant and nutritiousIntercropped with major crops to insure against uncertain climatic conditions

D. Rotundata locally reffered to as Asorbayire= farmers grow it due to its stress tolerance

African leafy vegetables: Early maturing, resistant to heat, drought and diseases and pests and high nutritional value. (Grubben and Denton, 2004; Wu et al ., 2000; Achigan-Dako et al., 2014; Nyadanu and Lowor, 2014)

Jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.): early maturing .Harvested and sold while waiting for major crops by farmer’s wife (insert)

Cocoyam intercropped with Cassava and maize; Help spread risks)

Role of NUS in enriching poor soilsMany NUS of the family fabaceae are used to restore

soil fertility

Mucuna pruriens

Stover yield (t/ha) Grain yield (t/ha)Pre- crop Ferric luvisol Haplic luvisol Ferric Luvisol Haplic luvisol

Mucuna 10. 05

1.18 3.83 1.11

Devil-bean

9.56 1.35 4.04 1.2

Cowpea 8 0.79 3.61 0.68Maize 4.89 0.59 2.43 0.72Sorghum

3.37 0.7 1.56 0.72

Weedy fallow

6.56 0.91 2.95 0.72

Lsd (5%)

2.94 0.54 1.3 nsSource : Ahiabor et al., 2007

Table 2. Influence of pre-crop type on stover and grain yields of maize grown on two soils in the Guinea Savanna zone of Ghana

Urgent Research Needs on NUS

• Ethnobotanical and ecogeographical survey for documenting the indigenous knowledge and mapping of the geographical distribution•Diversity analysis (Varietal diversity, morphological characterization, cytogenetic study and molecular analysis•Agronomic evaluation ( yield, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, adaptation to climate change)•Germplasm collection for ex situ conservation•Selection of sites for in situ conservation•Study of reproductive biology•Analysis of biochemical composition, nutritional value and the post-harvest conservationn strategies•Assessment of seed quality and system•Socio-economic analysis ( mapping of the commercialisation network, contribution to household income generation and to reduction of poverty, gender role, social factors, value chain upgradement)•Crop protection (knowledge of pests and diseases and identification of adequate methods of protection)

Conclusions and Recommendations

Harnessing genetic resources of NUS in Africa have the potential to mitigate risks and uncertainties in Agriculture and help improve nutrition and food security on the content.

Government and policy makers should promote NUS and channel resources on NUS research

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