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multi-use leaf crops (fwd)




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Lawrence F. London, Jr. - london@sunSITE.unc.edu 
http://sunSITE.unc.edu/london/Information_By_Topic.html
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 14 Aug 95 21:56:22 EDT
From: therese . M. Hildebrand <76473.64@compuserve.com>
To: sanmessage <sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu>
Subject: multi-use leaf crops

Hello,

I work with trying to help people, especially in the tropics, improve their
health by making better use of leaf crops in their diets.  An area that I need
some help researching is the  partial harvest of leaves from multi-purpose
crops.  For  example,  winter wheat being grazed until snowfall then recovering
in the spring to produce a seed crop.  I am having a very hard time finding
information about this agricultural technique, which seems to have a lot of
potential for increasing total nutrient production for peasant farmers and
gardeners.  These folks often suffer from malnutrition and often have to produce
food for their families on very small parcels of land. This seems like a
technique that doesn't require any capital investment to increase food
production,  just some practical information.  

Edible wild greens and garden and field weeds can contribute significantly to
the food supply when combined with improved leaf drying techniques.  I feel that
the use of partial leaf  harvests  from cultivated crops would greatly
strengthen this strategy. But it is quite difficult finding information about
it. 

I would very much appreciate any help in the search for information along these
lines (including anything on the grazing of winter wheat).  So far I've seen one
article on partial leaf harvest of Cassava in Zaire, which I can no longer
locate, and the following mention of partial leaf harvest of cowpeas:
	"According to Oomen and Grubben, some African farmers believe that a
moderate harvest of cowpea leaves and stem tips (about 2T/ha) at flowering
increases seed yield, while removing over 4 t/ha reduces seed yield. "  I  did
some encouraging rough studies with okra and sweet potatoes but without strict
enough control or enough replications  to rely on. 

Among the crops grown commercially that have edible leaves as a potential
secondary value are: 
Abelmoschus esculentus			Okra	
Allium cepa				Onion		
Allium sativum				Garlic	
Amaranthus cruentus			Mexican grain amaranth
Artocarpus heterophyllus			Jackfruit			
Benincasa hispida				Wax gourd 			
Beta vulgaris					Sugar beet
Boermeria nivea				Ramie
Capsicum annuum				Sweet pepper

Capsicum frutescens				Hot Pepper

Carica papaya				Papaya
Chenopodium quinoa			Quinoa
Clitoria ternatea				Butterfly pea

Colocasia esculenta				Celery Stem Taro
Cucurbita maxima				squash gourd

Cucurbita pepo				summer squash			
Cyamopsis tetragolonobus  			Guar, or Cluster bean
Hordeum vulgare				Barley

Ipomoea batatas				Sweet potatoes

Lablab purpureus				Hyacinth bean, lab lab
Phaseous vulgaris				Common Bean
Pisum sativa 					Garden Peas
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus		Winged bean	
Raphanus sativus				Radish	
Sechium edule				Chayote			
Sesamum indicum				Sesame

Spondias purpurea				Spanish Plum, Jocote
Tamarindus indica				Tamarind

Telfairia occidentalis				Fluted Pumpkin			
Trigonella foenum-graecum			Fenugreek

Triticum x aestivum 				Wheat
Vigna radiata					Mung bean
Vigna umbellata				Rice bean 
Vigna unguiculata				Cowpea
Vitis vinifera					Grape


Thanks for any information or leads on where to find it.  Peace and Light,
David Kennedy