No abstract

Agricultural biodiversity encompasses the variety and variability of plants and animals that are necessary for food production and accessibility. Loss of agricultural biodiversity is taking place at a very high rate in Kenya. Many indigenous species that are not only nutritious, but also adapted to harsh conditions are now associated with poverty or backwardness. This profound change has great effect on preschool children in Kenya. Their diets are predominantly based on starchy staples, little or no animal products and few fruits and vegetables thus inadequate in quality and quantity resulting to malnutrition. The main objective of this cross-sectional survey was to determine the influence of agricultural biodiversity on dietary diversity of preschool children in Matungu division, western Kenya. A sample of 144 households with preschool children was drawn from Matungu division using multistage, proportional and systematic random sampling techniques. Structured questionnaires and observation checklists were used for data collection. Agricultural biodiversity was measured by variety of food crops grown, types of animals domesticated for food and food items obtained from natural sources. Dietary diversity was measured by the number of food items across eight food groups with a reference period of 7 days. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Frequencies, means and percentages were used to organize, describe and summarize data whereas Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was used to test for statistical associations between agricultural biodiversity and dietary diversity. Research findings showed that households grew an average of three types of food crops kept two varieties of animals for food and got two food items from natural sources. Preschool children had consumed on average 13 varieties of foods in the one-week preceding the study. The findings also revealed a positive and strong relationship between agricultural biodiversity and dietary diversity (r= 0.704) indicating that 50% of the changes in dietary intake could be attributed to changes in agricultural biodiversity. Therefore, increased agricultural biodiversity enhances dietary diversity of preschool children leading to improvement in their nutrition and health status. It was therefore recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture and related organizations reinforce extension services (training/education on agricultural biodiversity and sustainable utilization of neglected indigenous food sources) to rural populations especially women.

Cleome gynandra (L.) Briq. is an African leafy vegetable with a potential to improve food security and micronutrient deficiencies. Cytological traits, breeding biology and genetic diversity of 30 selected entries of C. gynandra from six African countries were investigated. The entries consisted of advanced lines, gene bank accessions and farmers’ cultivars. Our study revealed chromosome numbers of 2n = 34 in root tip metaphase cells from one entry. The 30 entries were found to be diploid with genome sizes ranging from 2.31 to 2.45 pg/2C. Hand pollination experiments were carried out to assess self‐incompatibility within the entries and revealed that they are self‐ and cross‐compatible. For genetic diversity studies within and among the entries, the pooled data of 499 polymorphic bands from 11 amplified fragment length polymorphism primer combinations and nine simple sequence repeat markers were used. The genetic distance among the entries ranged from 0.13 to 0.77. In a principal coordinate analysis, the farmers’ cultivars formed a cluster separate from the advanced lines and the gene bank entries, and the latter were not well resolved.

High poverty levels in western Kenya that are manifested in malnutrition and poor health prevail yet the region is endowed with high agricultural biodiversity like African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs). The vegetables have high micronutrient content, medicinal properties, several agronomic advantages and economic value yet their potential in alleviating poverty and ensuring household food and nutrition security in the rural areas has not been exploited. Despite all the above advantages, these vegetables have been neglected and face several constraints hampering optimal production such that if the situation is left unchecked it may result in loss of this biodiversity. It is because of this that a study was conducted with the objectives of documenting the diversity of African Leafy Vegetables and to collect indigenous knowledge on production, agronomic and cultural practices in three communities of Western Kenya. A survey was conducted between January 2002 and March, 2003, in six districts in Western and Nyanza provinces representing the Luhya, Luo and Kisii communities. A structured questionnaire was administered to eighty purposively sampled respondents distributed in the ratio of 30:20:30 for Luhya, Luo and Kisii communities respectively. One focus group discussions per community was held and two key informants per community were interviewed. Over 90% of the respondents indicated that there was an increase in the cultivation of African Leafy Vegetables. Ten African Leafy Vegetables were found in the three communities representing eight botanic families. All the communities cultivated the ALVs at a subsistence level in home gardens, with organic sources of manure and under an intercrop system. Broadcasting was practiced by 20%, 40% and 60% of the respondents from the Luhya, Luo and Kisii communities respectively. Harvesting was done by first uprooting at thinning then ratooning. The major constraints facing production of African Leafy Vegetables included lack of quality seed, pests and diseases, drought, poor marketing strategies and lack of technical packages. In conclusion, the study showed that all the three communities studied had a high diversity of cultivated African Leafy Vegetables covering eight botanic families; respondents in all the communities cultivate African leafy vegetable in a subsistence, home gardening, intercrop system where the use of chemical fertilizers and chemicals was minimal and the major constraints of production of African Leafy Vegetables included, poor quality seed, drought and poor marketing systems and infrastructure. The identified species should be promoted and improved as commercial crops.

Unacceptably high rates of micronutrient deficiencies persist mostly among resourcepoor communities who rely on subsistence farming. In these communities, consumption of vegetables and fruits is the most sustainable way of reducing micronutrient deficiencies. Apart from enhancing dietary diversity, indigenous vegetables and fruits are often easier to grow, resistant to pests, acceptable to local tests, rich and cheap sources of micronutrients. Despite this, they are mostly associated with poverty. This paper gives results on accessibility to and consumption of indigenous vegetables and fruits by rural households obtained from a crosssectional surveys carried out in Matungu division, western Kenya. Accessibility was measured by; availability at local markets, own production and obtaining from natural habitats while consumption was measured using a food frequency questionnaire. Two local markets were purposively selected and 120 households drawn from the population. Data was collected using market surveys and questionnaires and summarized using tables and charts. Of the 372 market stalls only 23.5% and 13.8% of them had indigenous vegetables (9 varieties) and fruits (4 varieties) respectively. Indigenous vegetables were only cultivated by 11.8% of the households; these included only six varieties and cowpea leaves (Vigna unguilata) were the most popular. Five indigenous fruit varieties were being gathered, and guavas were the most popular. Consumption of up to 9 varieties of indigenous vegetables was observed, with cow peas, jute mallow and amaranths reporting more than 50% consumption. Six varieties of indigenous fruits had been consumed. The low accessibility to and consumption of indigenous vegetables and fruits observed posses a major nutrition problem likely to lead to poor dietary diversity and micronutrient deficiencies. Caregivers, mothers and smallholder farmers should be educated on the role of indigenous vegetables and fruits in food security, nutrition and health. They should also be encouraged and supported to sustainably grow and utilize these fruits and vegetables.