Upscaling cultivation of Cleome gynandra in urban and peri-urban areas will provide an additional source of income for farmers and seed companies and a source of health-beneficial compounds for consumers. spider plant for Benin and Kenya markets. There are usually narrow pathways between the beds to facilitate weeding and harvesting. Savala, C.E.N., Omare, M.N. Next add 1/4 litre of dilute coconut milk and boil for 10 minutes. Black Button Spiders can inject strong neurotoxic venom, potentially causing heart palpitations, severe anxiety, chest pains and difficulty breathing. and Woomer, P.L. Chweya J.A. Spider plant is used as a vegetable, and as such adds important nutrients to the diet in rural areas of East and Southern Africa. 2013;60(6). In Kenya, a protocol for a systematic evaluation of Spider plant’s drought tolerance was developed in collaboration with farmers. Testing panels and farmers’ field schools were also conducted to assess the acceptance of the species. The researchers assessed the quantitative variation in carotenoids, tocopherols and chlorophylls in 48 varieties. Spider plant is sensitive to cold and does not grow well when temperatures drop below 15 degC. Usually cooked with other vegetables such as cowpeas, amaranth (Luhya, Pokot, Luo) and spider plant (Pokot). Weeding in and around fields may help to eliminate flea beetle shelters and breeding sites, reducing crop damage. The larvae generally feed on the plant roots, but usually do not cause economic damage. This food is rich in magnesium and iron, as well as nicotinic acid. 2003. Kenya Electricity Hydro-Power Generation to Fall to 45% in 2014; Kenya Ranked Eighth Largest Global Geothermal Producer; State Plans Two More Hydro-Electric Power Dams On Tana River This page was last edited on 12 December 2020, at 18:57 (UTC). There are no records of plant diseases, possibly as a result of natural plant selection (EcoPort: Wilfried Baudoin). The adults vary in colour from shiny black or metallic grey to black with yellow stripes on the wing cases. (EcoPort) Seeds can be extracted when the pods are fully ripe (yellow or black), but before they open naturally. It is therefore essential that seedbeds are kept weed-free at all times, but especially during the first six weeks. The majority of spiders in Kenya don't cause much harm. Here’s how to grow spider plants in your home! This crop grows rapidly and requires weeding only in the open space between the rows. It has been reported that full-grown plants of sunnhemp placed between bags of maize have the effect of keeping away all insects. Despite the numerous nutritive benefits and ethnopharmacological uses of the plant, C. … Through this initiative, the first wide West Africa collection of the species established and Kenyan collection improved. Plants do not have dense foliage, and as such are unable to compete with weeds. Kenya Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge. Quick description Grown for its leaves Very nutritious vegetable Long harvesting period ... Kenya Seed Agent Application Form (809 downloads) Kenya Seed Products Catalogue (3017 downloads) Wageningen UR tested spider plant germplasm for variation in anthocyanin production and nutritional characteristics. Biopesticides are derived from micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc), plants (neem, pyrethrum, etc) and natural enemies of pests (parasitoids, predators and pathogens). Growers harvest the ripe capsules at the end of rainy season, to save seed for the next crop (AVRDC). Spider plant is commonly found throughout East and Southern Africa during the rainy season. Optimum yields could be obtained with an application of 20 to 30 tons of manure per hectare. Spider plant is believed to replenish blood and therefore referred to as a "traditional meat" by some Kenyan communities (Chweya and Mnzava, 1997; Savala et al, 2003). Water obtained after boiling leaves is used to treat diarrhea (Luo) (P Maundu et al., 1999). New knowledge will be generated and disseminated through partnership with farmers’ associations, national agricultural research systems, supermarkets and restaurants. It requires exposure to sunlight and does not do well in the shade. After digging, the soil is harrowed to a fine tilth. Shallow cultivation or hand-pulling of weeds should be practised (Chweya and Mnzava, 1997) Spider plant responds well to well-decomposed manure. This project has been finalized. Dairy cattle production in Kenya is the second largest contributor to the agricultural GDP (Kosgey et al., 2011). – A banana plant takes around 8-12 months to reach maturity, while a fruit takes roughly 90-150 days to be ready for harvesting, the fruit is light green in color and has shiny appearance. Topping and removing inflorescences as soon as they appear are other practices that increase leaf production for harvesting. When raised beds are used, application of organic manure is delayed until the beds have been dug (Chweya and Mnzava,1997). Not a traditional vegetable of the Central Bantu. They are common in western Kenya, Nyanza and major urban markets in the country. But calledmwangani in Swahili, spider plant is highly nutritious and is well adapted to many African ecosystems. Heavy attack on older plants may cause crop loss by decreasing flower and capsule production. Aim: Raising awareness of the nutritional characteristics of the spider plant (Cleome gynandra) and promoting its cultivation and consumption in Benin and Kenya. The leaves are usually cooked when fresh but may also be dried and stored for up to two years although this practice greatly reduces the crop's nutrition value. 270 pp. Leaves are boiled, butter added and eaten along with ugali made from finger millet flour. More people are aware of the nutritional and medicinal qualities of the plant and integrate it into their eating habits. The species is a fast-growing vegetable and medicinal plant, rich in phytonutrients and an important source of income for some rural communities in Southern Benin. Method: Screening of a worldwide collection of spider plant for nutritive value, drought resistance and leaf yield will be conducted and new varieties will be developed using genomics assisted breeding. Spider plant is an erect herbaceous annual herb with hairy, often purple stems and many branches growing to a height of about one metre. Characterization of selected spider plant accessions from Kenya and South Africa was performed in order to individuate those with distinct morphological traits for future improvement programs. In case of monocropping, which is more common, the tops are removed 10 cm from the ground. They are unpleasant to look at and their webs can cause a mess. 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