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Genetic enhancement of indigenous vegetables in Kenya
James A. Chweya
University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction

Indigenous vegetables form a substantial proportion of the diets of most low- and middle-class Kenyans. For rural Kenyans, the vegetables are inexpensive, easily accessible and excellent sources of micronutrients. Sale of the vegetables in rural and urban areas is a source of income for the producers, who are mainly women. Some of the vegetables are partially domesticated, but most are weeds and/or wild. The more important species have been described (Chweya 1985; Juma 1989; Mwajuma et al. 1991; Opole et al. 1991).

There is a general feeling by Kenyans that the use of indigenous vegetables is declining. The attributed reasons for this include the inability of these species to compete with exotic types and their reputation as low-status food items, especially in urban areas and by the youth. The yield potential of the indigenous vegetables is considerable but has not yet been exploited. Efforts to make the vegetables competitive with exotic ones are therefore required, as essential components of a strategy of conservation through utilization.

There is, therefore, a need to improve yields and nutritive value of the vegetables by genetic enhancement through selection and/or breeding and to develop efficient agromanagement systems with minimum but appropriate input application. To achieve this, both genetic stocks and biological/botanical, ethnobotanical and agronomic information are necessary.

Unfortunately, no comprehensive, systematic germplasm collections of indigenous vegetables have been made and very little research on agronomic problems has been carried out. However, since 1985 a programme has been underway at Kabete Field Station, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nairobi, on some of the more important Kenyan species: Gynandropsis gynandra, Solanum nigrum, Cucurbita spp. and Crotalaria brevidens. This paper reports on some of the findings so far.

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