Conserve and Screen Premium Value Indigenous Plant Biodiversity and Products on Smallholder Farming Systems of Lake Victoria Basin in East Africa

Indigenous plants (IPs) particularly African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) have been neglected in East Africa despite their food and nutritional value. This project was therefore initiated to promote cultivation and conservation of AIVs. The specific project objectives were to: 1) enhance smallholders’ farmers’ capacity in Jinja (Uganda) and Vihiga (Kenya) toward a premium-value driven (PVD) conservation and utilisation of indigenous vegetables relative to selected exotic vegetables; and (2) assess the extent to which a PVD production unit (referred to as a Premium Influenced Land Use unit or ‘PILAU’ structure) can entrench a cultivation niche of indigenous vegetables. A survey was undertaken to assess the on-farm smallholder producers’ perception of the innovation in relation to the market potential and/or value of the specially produced vegetables, and their indigenous knowledge. In Jinja, farmers selected two exotic vegetables Coriandrum sativum, and Spinacia oleracea L., and three indigenous species- Cleome gyandra, (saga, eiyobyo/ejobyo), Amaranthus dubius (dodo) and Solanum scarbrum (black night shade). In Vihiga, Solanum melongenum (egg plant) and Capsicum annuum (sweet pepper) were the exotic inclusions while Cleome gyandra, (saga/ejjobyo), Solanum scarbrum (black night shade) and Amaranthuscaryophyllales (livogoi/grain amaranth) were the indigenous species. The need for both gender participation and involvement in construction, maintenance and management of the PILAUs was noted. Findings of the ongoing two graduate students research are presented separately. Generally the following are the lessons learnt: (1) Farmers identified positions for the placement of PILAU gardens in non-test crops competing for space; and (2) The fixed PILAU gardens appeared to prompt a re-use interest in planning a next crop as a way of increasing a cropping intensity (CI).