This pattern has tended to continue even after independence, and mankind is
only recently discovering the enormous possibilities of manipulating the ability of
plants to adapt and succeed in different environments.
The ability of these under exploited crops to help to feed people in many of the
marginal parts of the world deserves wider recognition from people involved in food
production for survival. The current deficit in food, particularly protein, which exists
in many of the poorer countries of the world will inevitably continue. One of the
positive ways to assist farmers to produce more food is to introduce, test and then
distribute the successful (if any) varieties of adapted crops of some of these less
well-known species.
The best plant introductions are those that have at least one attribute, such as
high protein or calorific content, which is in short supply in that area. Naturally
these “new” plants also have to be acceptable to, and grown by, a proportion of
“leader farmers” in the area before they become adopted to any significant extent.
Many farmers are reluctant to experiment with new crops, or techniques; one way to
help break down this reluctance is to arrange for demonstration areas to be planted
in the areas involved. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a demonstration
area should be worth a million.
One problem, often the most serious one, concerns the preparation and cooking
of any new and strange, or forgotten, crop. Very often the older women in the
community will remember how to cook these almost forgotten food crops and they
may be able to provide advice or give “in the home” demonstrations on the
preparation and cooking of the “new” food.
Seven of these under exploited crops are described in the following section:
Amaranth, Bambara Groundnut, Buffalo Gourd, Leucaena, Lupin, Tepary
Bean and Winged Bean (Four-angled Bean).
There are dozens of other plant species, many adapted to specific and often hostile
growing conditions such as drought or high temperatures, including:
Adzuki BeanPhaseolus angularis
African Yam BeanSphenostylis stenocarpa
(American) Wild RiceZizania aquatica
Australian (Moreton Bay) ChestnutCastanospermum australe
Chinese Water Chestnut (Matai)Eleocharis dulcis
Kersting’s (Hausa) Groundnut Kerstingiella geocarpa
LotusNelumbo nucifera
Mat (Moth) BeanPhaseolus aconitifolius
PillepesaraPhaseolus trilobus
QuinoaChenopodium quinoa
Rice BeanVigna umbellata
Water ChestnutTrapa spp.