Norbert Steinmüller, Kai Sonder, Jürgen Kroschel:
Fodder Tree Research with Moringa stenopetala -- a Daily Leafy Vegetable of Konso People, Ethiopia

NORBERT STEINMÜLLER¹, KAI SONDER¹, JÜRGEN KROSCHEL^2
1International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Ethiopia
²University of Hohenheim, Institute of Plant Production and Agroecology in the Tropics and Subtropics, Germany

Moringa stenopetala is native to southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya and eastern Somalia. It is the second most important domesticated Moringa species after M. oleifera. In the Konso area of southern Ethiopia, where stone terraces are a famous `UNESCO World Heritage Site', Moringa leaves are eaten almost every day like spinach together with cereal balls. Moringa leaves are outstanding with respect to high contents of essential amino acids, Vitamin A and C. Moringa stenopetala is a fast growing tree on sites that are not severely acidic, not waterlogged and below 2000 m altitude. Due to its water storage capacity in the bottle shaped stem, M. stenopetala is adapted to semi-arid areas of 500 mm annual rainfall.

The objectives of a 3-yr collaborative field research program of the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO) in Ethiopia are (i) to generate a germplasm pool for subsequent genetic improvement programmes by a collection mission in southern Ethiopia; (ii) to assess the natural variability in agronomic yield and quality characteristics and pest resistance of 36 local M. stenopetala provenances in comparison to three local collections and three introductions of M. oleifera; (iii) to examine the potential of tree fodder production systems as a biophysically and economically viable soil conservation practice for smallholder rural farmers; (iv) to quantify the yield potential and labour costs of leaf meal production from fodder trees in erosion control systems.

The methodology comprises a germplasm collection, multi-site germplasm screening and erosion control experiments with tree-grass contour hedgerows as well as palatability studies with humans and ruminants comparing farmer-selected with unselected provenances. Results are expected in 2003 to 2004.

Keywords: Erosion control, fodder trees, germplasm collection, Moringa stenopetala

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Contact Address: Norbert Steinmüller, International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 17319, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, e-mail: n.steinmuellercgiar.org