Lost Crops of Africa Volume II: Vegetables (2006) / Chapter Skim
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2 Bambara Bean
2 Bambara Bean
Pages 52-73
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From page 53... ...
contributes substantial nutrition to roughly three-dozen nations encompassing two vast belts, one stretching from Senegal to the Central African Republic and the other from Sudan to South Africa. Indeed, considered in continental perspective, peanut is among the largest African food providers -- probably coming right after maize, cassava, and sorghum.
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From page 54... ...
The question is why does such a valued resource remain largely unknown to agricultural science, food science, humanitarian programs, and economic development policies? Clearly, the neglect is no reflection of the user's views.
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From page 55... ...
Bambara bean is a dependable food producer, tolerating harsh conditions and growing reliably in challenging locales, including some where other species fail. It is also among the easier legumes to grow: burying its fruits in the soil, it keeps them safe from the myriad flying insects that can devastate or destroy cowpea, common bean, soybean, and other legumes that heedlessly wave their tastiest parts in the air.
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From page 56... ...
In the Bida region in central Nigeria, for instance, women make pancakes from the flour and reportedly enjoy a good living selling them. Also in Mali women sell salted bambara nuts, a premium product similar to macadamia nuts and suitable for urban areas and possibly for export as well.
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From page 57... ...
Sahara's southern fringe, and their namesake plant lives up to its etymological heritage. Sustainable Agriculture Bambara bean epitomizes the current ideal of a "sustainable crop." Every plot is a mixture of genetic diversity and no plant is fertilized or sprayed.
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From page 58... ...
From today's perspective, that might seem farfetched, but peanut's stellar performance shows how quickly a newly appreciated resource can ascend.7 Within Africa Due to its relative resistance to diseases and pests, bambara bean has the potential to improve food security in many rural areas as well as become a stable, low-cost and profitable food crop for Africa's small-scale farmers. Given the support of good science, conducive government policy, bold investment by food processors, and dedicated local initiative, it could soon be reducing malnutrition and raising both economic levels and human well being.
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From page 59... ...
In Ghana, a government factory at Nsawam (just north of Accra) canned bambara groundnuts in gravy and for years sold well over 40,000 cans annually.
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From page 60... ...
Among the most adaptable of all crops, it tolerates harsh conditions and yields food in droughty sites where peanuts, maize, or sorghum fail. (Karen Hampson)
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From page 61... ...
Medicinal Use Among beans this one is said to have the highest concentration of soluble fiber, a non-nutrient famously occurring in oatbran and believed to reduce the incidence of heart disease and to help prevent colon cancer.11 In addition, the crop has medicinal uses in many areas in Africa. In Botswana, for example, the black seeded landraces have the reputation of being a treatment for impotence.
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From page 62... ...
In West Java, the one place where farmer practice has been detailed, urea is sometimes sprinkled around the young plants. In southern Thailand, where soil fertility is quite low, any available fertilizer is applied as a side dressing along the rows at rates up to 150-300 kg per hectare.
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From page 63... ...
On the other hand, viral diseases are widespread across many environments, especially where cowpea and other grain legumes are grown.17 Also, even when hidden below ground the seeds are not entirely beyond danger: Rodents, crickets, and (in especially dry weather) termites can be problematic.
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From page 64... ...
1997. Bambara groundnut: Vigna subterranea (L.)
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From page 65... ...
Genetic Resources and Breeding The genetic diversity needed to improve bambara bean is already on hand. Collections have been made across Africa, and the resulting seeds remain securely stored in facilities across Africa.21 Therefore, in the long process of improving this crop, one 21The largest collection is held by IITA in Nigeria while a smaller collection is held at the Crop Research Institute in Ghana, along with several other locations in Africa.
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From page 66... ...
1988. Ecogeographic Differentiation of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea)
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From page 67... ...
Unconfirmed observations indicate that the crop can suppress striga, a parasitic weed particularly prevalent in Africa's sandy soils. In addition, as we've noted, the plant is said to thrive in laterite, the reddish acidic soil that is rich in soluble aluminum and toxic to many crops.
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From page 68... ...
Thouars. Family Leguminosae Subfamily: Papilionoideae Common Names Afrikaans: dopboontjie Arabic: gertere, guerte English: bambaranut, bambara groundnut, Congo goober, earth pea, baffin pea, Njugo bean (South Africa)
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From page 69... ...
Ghana: aboboi, akyii Nigeria: epi roro, guijiya, gujuya, okboli ede Hausa: juijiya Ibo: okpa otuanya Yoruba: epi roui Sudan: ful abungawi Central Africa: njogo bean Kenya: njugu mawe Zambia: juga bean, ntoyo Malawi: nzama, njama Zimbabwe: nlubu, nyimo, jugo bean Madagascar: pistache Malagache, voanjobory Ndebele: indlubu, ditloo Shona: nyimo Swahili: njugu, njugu mawe Tsonga: kochane, nyume, ndlowu Venda: nduhu, nwa, tzidzimba Xhosa: jugo Zulu: indlubu siSwati (Swaziland) : tindlubu Indonesia: kachang Bogor, Thailand: thua rang Malaysia: kachang Manila (Manila bean)
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From page 70... ...
Although produced only on a micro scale, this African legume serves Indonesian and Thai consumers as a soup vegetable, a snack, and a dessert ingredient. How and when it reached Southeast Asia has so far not been explained.
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From page 71... ...
It is also cultivated in West Java and southern Thailand. Although produced only on a small scale, this African legume serves Indonesian and Thai consumers mainly as a soup vegetable, a snack, and a dessert ingredient.
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From page 72... ...
Their protein occurs in good quantity (19-20 percent) and is rich in the essential amino acids lysine (6.2 percent)
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From page 73... ...
(Werner Schenkel)
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