Quantitative study on the trade and ecological aspect of spice plants in the markets of District Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: This survey is the first extensive and large-scale spice plant assessment in four different spices marketplaces of district Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study offers the first significant catalog of spice prices, the chain of collection, production, trade pattern and consumption. Methods: Consultation, personal observations, and group discussions with 90 informants (10% women and 90% male) using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted.Results: A total of 45 spice taxa belonging to 21 families were documented. The data were examined using various ethnoecological indices such as UV (Use Value), RFC (Relative Frequency of Citation), UR (Use Report), and CIV (Cultural Importance Value). Amongst all the taxa, the plant having the highest Use Value were Coriandrum sativum (0.783), used as Anti-cholesterol and carminative, Ocimum basilicum (0.742) for kidney problems, insomnia, and snake bites, and Piper nigrum (0.732) for cough. The UV ranged from 0.07 (Mangifera indica) to 0.78 (Coriandrum sativum). The most used spices plant parts were fruits (35.56%), trailed by seeds (28.89%), leaves (11.11%), bulb, bark, and rhizome (4.44%). RFC ranged from 0.16 (Mangifera indica) to (Coriandrum sativum) 0.82. The maximum RFC value was documented for Coriandrum sativum (0.822), trailed by Papaver somniferum (0.788), Cuminum cyminum, Ocimum basilicum, and Piper nigrum (0.777) each. Curcuma longa (0.65) had the maximum mCI (mean Cultural Importance) while the Mangifera indica (0.04) had the lowest. The majority off spice plants parts traded was imported (41 species, 91.11%) from India, China, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iran, Brazil, and Nepal. Most of them were transported from Pakistan from different cities and provinces in Pakistan like Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Peshawar, Quetta, and Multan into district Bannu. The minimum number of spice plants (8 species, 17.77%) were collected or cultivated locally. The spices plant having the highest trade price per kg (PKR 525000, US$ 3365) was Crocus sativus which is imported from Gilgit-Baltistan and China, while the lowest trade price was documented for Allium sativum (PKR 75, US$ 0.4) which is imported and also grown locally.Conclusions: The current study suggests that more detailed research would be highly interesting, as the district is well known for spices and medicinal plants.

„Ad aspera ad astra – 40 Jahre (Ethno-)Botanik“: Ein Interview mit Rainer W. Bussmann, ERA Co-Editor in Chief

“…Die produktivste Zusammenarbeit in Ethnobotanik habe ich jedoch sicherlich in Pakistan, das in weniger als einem Jahrzehnt zu einem der am besten erforschten Länder der Welt in Bezug auf ethnobotanische Studien geworden ist, was das große Engagement pakistanischer Kollegen zeigt (Abbas et al 2019, Abbasi & Bussmann 2021,b, Ali et al 2019, Ali Shah et al 2021, Amjad et 2021, Asmat et al 2021, Bibi et al 2021, Dutta et al 2021, Haq et al 2020, Harun et al 2022, Husain et al 2022, Jan et al 2019,b,c, Majeed et al 2020, Malik et al 2018, Muhammad et al 2019, Sher et al 2015, Singh et al 2019a,b, Umair et al 2019, Ur-Rahman et al 2018a,b,c, 2020,b,c, 2022, Wali et al 2019a. Und natürlich habe ich mich auch in China an ethnobotanischen Forschung beteiligt (Liu et al 2016, Ma et al 2019a.…”

"Ad aspera ad astra - 40 years of (Ethno)botany": an interview with Rainer W. Bussmann, Co-Editor in Chief of ERA

“…However, the most prolific cooperation in our science I have certainly seen in Pakistan, which in less than a decade has become one of the most researched country on the planet with regard to ethnobotanical studies, which shows the great dedication of Pakistani colleagues to make a real impact in our field of research (Abbas et al 2019, Abbasi & Bussmann 2021,b, Ali et al 2019, Ali Shah et al 2021, Amjad et al 2021, Asmat et al 2021, Bibi et al 2021, Dutta et al 2021, Haq et al 2020, Harun et al 2022, Husain et al 2022, Jan et al 2019,b,c, Majeed et al 2020, Malik et al 2018, Muhammad et al 2019, Sher et al 2015, Singh et al 2019a,b, Umair et al 2019, Ur-Rahman et al 2018a,b,c, 2020,b,c, 2022, Wali et al 2019a, and of course China, where I have also made some contributions to ethnobotanical research (Liu et al 2016, Ma et al 2019a.…”

Green Heritage Of Assam: A Comprehensive Metaanalysis Of Traditional Medicinal Practices

“…This diversity reflects not only Assam's rich biodiversity, but also a deep understanding and cultural integration of these practices among tribes (Doley, 2014). The variation in plant use among tribes, particularly the prevalence of plants from the Fabaceae and Lamiaceae families, highlights the ecological and cultural contexts that shape these practices (Khan et al, 2023).…”