Abstract:

Farmers and consumers currently make use of over forty plant species, or different parts
of species that they identify as indigenous vegetables. Indigenous vegetables form a
significant part of the local vegetable diet and are deeply interwoven with local customs
and beliefs. While the precise origin of most indigenous vegetables is unknown, many of
the indigenous vegetables can be found in other parts of Africa suggesting that such
vegetables may be of African origin. The rural population particularly the women have a lot
of indigenous knowledge on the production and utilization of indigenous vegetables yet this
knowledge and its value is not fully recognised by the researchers. The main objective of
this phase was, therefore, to collect indigenous knowledge from farmers regarding
agronomy, water use, integrated pest and disease management, farming systems, seed
technology, crop diversity, in-situ conservation practices, processing, preservation and
utilisation practices of indigenous vegetables and determine how much of it is applied in
the farmers’ daily activities.