Towards Participatory Breeding of Solanum aethiopicum Shum

in Uganda

Kabod P.N., Kasharu, A., Jagwe, J.N., Masanza, M., Rees D., Nampala, P.M., Kizito, E.B.

Presentation outline

• Background to study

• Materials and methods

• Results and discussion

• Conclusion

• Acknowledgement

Background

• Indigenous vegetables have previously not benefited much from research and development initiatives in Africa.

• There are few improved varieties for efficient domestic and industrial exploitation.

• Specifically, leafy vegetables are notable for their nutritive and medicinal properties.

• Therefore producers rely only on farmer-saved seed which tends to be mixtures of various landraces.

Participatory breeding

• Participatory breeding involves studying the performance of varieties on-station and on-farm and obtaining feedback from potential end-users.

• Preferred approach in improving indigenous crops and for selecting new introductions into farmers’ cropping systems.

• Participatory evaluations of vegetable landraces provides an appropriate approach to breeding local vegetables since it involves the farmer in setting breeding objectives right at the start of the program.

• This research focused on Solanum aethiopicum Shum to identify farmers' cues and preferences to serve as criteria for what traits to select for in a farmer-preferred variety.

Solanum aethiopicum Shum• An African indigenous leafy vegetable in

world famous Solanaceae family (tomato, eggplant, potato, peppers, petunia). Genus is Solanum.

• A cultivar group of Solanum aethiopicum (African eggplant, scarlet eggplant, mock tomato)

• Other cultivar groups: Gilo, Kumba and Aculentum

• Is widespread and utilized in east, central and western Africa

• Shum is commonly known as “Nakati” in Uganda

Economic importance of Solanum aethiopicum Shum in Uganda • Tender leaves and stems eaten boiled or steamed or stir fried

• Immature leaves are nutritious in Vitamin A, Iron, Vitamin C, Zinc

• Crop also important in cultural functions

• Short cycle crop, grown all year round by smallholder farmers in urban and peri-urban areas (Ssekabembe, 2007)

• Thus cheap source of micronutrients for resource poor and marginalized sections of the population (reference)

• Growth in demand of S. aethiopicum Shum has led to the need to increase production.

• Currently farmers make a profit of 2000 USD per acre per season (PAEPARD,2017)

Production constraints

• Limited knowledge of agronomic practices

• Lack of improved varieties

• Limited diversification in markets

• Postharvest handling and storage

• Limited to none in terms of value addition

Materials and Methods

• 2015 and 2016 in east and central Uganda, two cropping seasons.

• Three farmer groups in farmers’ fields - purposively sampled

• Participatory variety evaluation and selection approaches

• Unstructured interviews in focus group discussions, key informant interviews and sensory taste panels

• Ten accessions of Solanum aethiopicum Shum were planted in three replicates on-farm and on-station in RCBD

• Data collected fortnightly on farmers' evaluations and selection cues from planting to harvest.

• At harvest maturity, organoleptic tasting using a trained panel was evaluated.

Results and Discussion

• Limitations in the study - gender

imbalance at the beginning of focus

group discussions, group dynamics

and climate changes.

• Fifteen farmers’ selection cues

identified, majority (13 out of 15)

seedling and vegetative traits.

Table 1. Selection criteria and cues by growth stage

Growth stage Selection Criteria Selection Cue

Germination early/easily germinates Emergence Time

faster/slow, prolific Seedling Vigor

Vegetative short /tall plant Plant Height

small/big, narrow/wide leaf Leaf Size

green-not deep/pale leaf Leaf Color

thick/thin stem Stem Girth

green / purple stems Stem Color

early/late branching Branching Time

number of branches Branching Habit

vigorous, fast/slow Growth Rate

response to pests, disease,yield Tolerance Biotic stress

response to drought, soil fertility Tolerance Abiotic stress

appearance- bundle size, leaf and

stem color and size Market Preference

Reproductive delay/early flowering FloweringTime

good/poor, quantity of seeds Seed Production

Results and Discussion: Morphological Characteristics

• At germination, emergence time and seedling vigor

ranked highly.

• Tolerance to abiotic stress, leaf size, plant height and

market preference were highly ranked at vegetative

stage.

Commercial farmers’ characteristics important for

consumers, that implied that market strongly influences

their selection cues.

Results and Discussion Characteristics important for consumers

Results and Discussion: Sensory Taste panels

• Moderately bitter, tender

and sweet odor most

preferred farmers’ cues

for taste traits.

Table 2. Selection criteria and cues by sensory panel characteristics

Sensory Test Panel Selection Criteria Selection Cue

Texture

smooth, tender, soft ,

slipperly /rough, fibrous tender

Odor

sweet, pleasant,

pungent sweet

Taste

bitter (very /moderate)

/sour, flat/sharp moderately bitter

Conclusions

• Defining Ugandan farmers' cues and preferences for S. aethiopicum Shum is a notable outcome from this study.

• Selection cues serve as criteria for what traits to select in a farmer-preferred variety.• These have been incorporated in the respective improvement programs. • Through participatory variety selection, farmer-preferred varieties were identified

for improvement having involved the farmer in the decision-making process (setting breeding objectives). The three most ranked accessions per location have been advanced for improvement.

Acknowledgement

MAKEREREUNIVERSITY

THANK YOU

MWEBALE

NYO

ASANTE

SANA

MERCI