Participatory variety selection of three african leafy vegetables in Western Kenya

Abstract

The importance and increasing awareness of African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs) as a rich source of high-quality nutritional food as well as medicinal properties has continued to drivedemand by families and consumers. Local ALV land races are low yielding prompting efforts to breed improved high yielding varieties. To enhance the adoption of new ALV varieties, farmers need to be involved in the process. In this study, improved varieties of African nightshade (Solanum spp.), amaranth (Amaranth spp.) and spider plant (Cleome gynandra) were sourced from WorldVeg in Arusha, Tanzania and planted at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization in Alupe agricultural experiment station in a randomized complete block trial and replicated three times. The objectives were to (1) determine farmer criteria for selecting ALVs, and (2) to evaluate and select farmers preferred improved varieties of African nightshade, amaranth and spider plant for possible release and commercial seed production. Thirty-two farmers, 28 women and 4 men from ALV producing farmer groups in Busia, Kisumu and Nandi Counties participated in ALV variety selection at Alupe ResearchCentre. These farmer groups were contributorsto the implementation of the HORT Innovation project sponsored by USAID. The appointed farmers completed the preference questionnaires as guided by researchers during the in-person field evaluations. The results of the study indicated that seed viability and germination, yield, leaf color, resistance to pest and diseases were the most important criteria concern by the farmers while selecting the varieties of ALVs. The top three varieties selected by the farmers from each of the three vegetables species were African nightshade (BG-29, SS-52, commercial), amaranth (commercial, AC-45, Ex-Zim) and spider plant (UG-15, commercial, UG-23). Three selected varieties from WorldVeg Ex-Zim,Nduruma, SF-29, and AC 38 were given to farmers for community seed production and were also tested for distinctiveness, uniformity and stability by the national seed regulator and released for commercial seed production by the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture in 2018.