The promotion and consumption of indigenous vegetables could help mitigate food insecurity and alleviate malnutrition in developing countries. In this respect, 17 accessions (candidate breeding lines that have not yet officially been released) of five African indigenous vegetables: amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus), nightshade (Solanum scabrum), African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum), jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius) and okra (Abelmoschus callei), previously selected for their superior agronomic and horticultural traits, were evaluated in Cameroon for minerals (Ca, Mg, K, P, Zn and Fe), proteins, and carotenoids content. Nutrient content differed significantly (P<0.001) between cultivars. Amaranth (especially line AM-NKgn) had the highest Ca, Mg, and Zn content in comparison to other genotypes studied. Nightshade had the highest K and Fe content. The highest K and Fe levels were found in nightshades BG24 and SS52, respectively. Nightshade had the highest level of protein, especially line BFS1. The highest amount of carotenoids was identified in the eggplant variety Oforiwa. The study revealed that these vegetables are important sources of some vital nutrients. Increased production and consumption of these nutrient-rich vegetables will help reduce the nutrition-related disorders in Africa.

The study assessed changes in nutritional content of some commonly consumed traditional vegetables subjected to postharvest processes. Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.), black nightshade (Solanum scabrum Mill.) and jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.) leaves used as vegetables were subjected to blanching, boiling and drying. The proximate composition and β‐carotene content of fresh and processed leaves were determined. Amaranth, black nightshade and jute mallow leaves had 25.21%, 39.74% and 29.18% of protein, respectively. The β‐carotene levels were 16.40, 25.25 and 27.74 mg/100 g for black nightshade amaranth and jute mallow leaves, respectively. The ash content was 10.57% for black nightshade, 12.40% for jute mallow and 16.33% for amaranth. Processing methods caused decreases of β‐carotene and crude lipid content. Boiling for 30 min or more resulted in large loss of β‐carotene. Drying under shade resulted in less loss of β‐carotene than drying in cabinet at 50 and 60°C.

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Since 2000, the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) has been promoting vegetable grafting technologies to manage soil-borne diseases (e.g., bacterial wilt) and abiotic stresses (e.g., waterlogging) in

Korotimi traore 1,2 , charles parkouda 2 , aimée w.d.b. Guissou 1 , regine kamga 3 and aly savadogo 1 .

Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is one of the major pests of okra. Damage severity and high levels of infestation have led to widespread use of chemical insecticides. Okra is ranked fourth in Cameroon among vegetable crops on which chemical insecticides are applied. The objectives of this study were to evaluate resistant okra accessions identified in previous studies, to identify their categories of resistance, and to assess their effects on the non-preference, development, and reproduction of A. gossypii. Results showed that VI041210 was resistant to aphid infestation during the first season, and VI057245 and Gombo caféier were resistant during the second season. Kirikou and VI060794 had the highest yields during the first season, although Kirikou was moderately susceptible to aphid infestation. VI041210 was susceptible to aphid infestation during the second season but produced the highest yield. These results indicate that tolerance occurred in some of the accessions. Aphids did not discriminate between resistant and susceptible accessions, indicating that antixenosis (non-preference) was not a category of resistance found in these accessions. VI041210, VI057245, and Gombo caféier were the most resistant due to lower infestation levels, probably due to their antibiotic properties. Considering constitutive resistance, aphid development was poor, with the longest molting and generation time (T o = 15.9) on VI057245 at the vegetative plant growth stage, leading to poor reproduction (lowest intrinsic and finite rates of natural increases: 0.25 and 1.3 aphids, respectively). Considering induced resistance, observed only in VI041210, nymphal development time was longest (14.2 d) leading to one of the lowest net reproductive rates at the vegetative and reproductive plant growth stages, 27.1 and 27.8, respectively. Thus, tolerance and antibiosis were categories of resistance found in these accessions, but antixenosis was not documented.

Lack of dietary diversity is a key causal factor of malnutrition in Burkina Faso because the population consumes mostly cereals crops. Nutrient-dense traditional African vegetables provide an excellent means to complement cereal staples for better nutrition, in particular for women and children, as well as for income generation. This study characterized the production of traditional African vegetables in Burkina Faso based on a questionnaire administered to 250 respondents. Results indicate the majority (75%) of the producers had no formal education and generally practiced gardening in lowland areas near water damsandstreams. Tomato was cultivated by 35% of the respondents, followed by okra (32%) and African eggplant (20%). Overall, more land was used for traditional African vegetables compared to exotic species, but individual global vegetables occupied more space than traditional vegetables; tomato was produced on 467 m 2 and okra on 315 m 2 . About 98% of the producers practiced manual irrigation with watering cans, compared to only 1% for drip irrigation. Soil and water conservation options such as mulching and zaï were practiced by 76 and 21%, respectively. The producers were quite familiar with and had access to improved seeds (73.2%), chemical fertilizers (72.4%) and nursery techniques (69.6%), but were less knowledgeable about postharvest handling, integrated pest management and biological control. There is ample scope for improving vegetable production practices through capacity building coupled with sensitization for increased consumption of traditional African vegetables.

The experiment was carried out to assess the suitability of different mulch materials in enhancing the growth and fruit yield of okro. Ten okro genotypes were evaluated in a split plot design with 3 replications. Three treatments of mulch (black plastic, grass, and no mulch) represented the main plots with the genotypes as the subplots. The result indicated significant ( < 0.05) genotypic variability among the genotypes for all parameters except plant girth. However, genotype and mulch interaction was not significant. The genotype Sasilon had the tallest plants (82.6 cm) and the highest fruit yield under all mulch conditions while Koni had the widest fruits (34.1 mm) with TZ SMN 10-3 having the longest fruits (16.11 cm). Number of fruits per plant ranged from 30 to 11 with an average of 21. Mulching significantly ( < 0.05) influenced all parameters except fruit width and mean fruit weight. Plastic mulched plots had the greatest heights while no mulching had the least. The highest average yield was obtained under plastic mulch (3.49 t/ha) which was 4.2% higher than grass (3.34 t/ha) and 11% higher than no mulch (3.11 t/ha). The study has shown that mulching with black plastic or grass ensures vigorous growth and improves the fruit yield of okro.