Showing papers in "Economic Botany in 1983"

Crop mimicry in weeds

Abstract: The selective forces imposed by agricultural practices have resulted in the evolution of agricultural races of weeds or agroecotypes. Some agroecotypes are intimately associated with a specific crop. Such associations can involve a system of mimicry, whereby the weed resembles the crop at specific stages during its life history and, as a result of mistaken identity, evades eradication. Mimetic forms of weeds are most likely to be selected by handweeding of seedlings or by harvesting and seed cleaning procedures. A striking example of morphological and phenological resemblance is found in the cultivated rice mimic,Echinochloa crus-galli var.oryzicola, a native of Asian rice fields but now widely distributed in rice-growing areas of the world. Comparative studies of the growth, devel-opment and patterns of phenotypic variation of cultivated rice,E. crus-galli var.oryzicola andE. crus-galli var.crus-galli demonstrate that the crop mimic is more similar to rice in many attributes than it is to its close relative. It is proposed that intense handweeding practices in Asia constitute the main selective force favoring the evolution of rice mimicry inE. crus-galli var.oryzicola.

Potential sweetening agents of plant origin. II. field search for sweet-tasting Stevia species

Abstract: Field work in Paraguay, Peru, Colombia and Mexico, including field organoleptic tests and interviews, was carried out in search of sweet-tasting Stevia species. Results of such tests performed on at least 31 species, as well as ethnobotanical data on 9 species, are presented. The data obtained showed that leaves of no other Stevia species studied possessed a potent sweet taste comparable to that of S. rebaudiana leaves. Since only 15% of the approximately 200 known species in this genus were investigated in this study, it is quite possible that further research may reveal additional sweet-tasting Stevia species.

Uses of saffron

Abstract: The uses of saffron through the ages are discussed. Originally prized both as a medicament and as a dyestuff, these applications have declined in modern times; it has also been used as a perfume. The primary market now is as a food spice—by far the world’s most expensive.

Introduction of soybean to North America by Samuel Bowen in 1765

Abstract: This paper documents the history of the introduction of the soybean (Glycine max), a domesticate of China, to North America. Henry Yonge, the Surveyor-General of Georgia, planted soybeans on his farm at the request of Samuel Bowen in 1765. Mr. Bowen, a former seaman employed by the East India Company, brought soybeans to Savannah, Georgia, from China via London. From 1766, Mr. Bowen planted soybeans on his plantation “Greenwich” located at Thunderbolt, Georgia. The soybeans were used to manufacture soy sauce and vermicelli (soybean noodles). In addition, he manufactured a sago powder substitute made from sweet potatoes. The 3 products were then exported to England. Samuel Bowen received a patent for his manufacturing inventions for producing these products. Another early introduction of soybeans to North America was by Benjamin Franklin. In 1770 he sent seeds from London to John Bartram in Philadelphia.

Rooibos tea,aspalathus linearis, a caffeineless, low-tannin beverage

Abstract: Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis , formerlyA. Contaminatus ), is a leguminous shrub with needlelike leaves native to mountain slopes of western Cape Province, South Africa. Its beverage use by the Hottentots was first reported by the botanist Carl Thunberg in 1772. About 1900, it began to be marketed and then domesticated on a small scale. Seed selection and improved cultivation and processing started in the 1920s. Important advances were made in 1930. Demand for the product jumped during World War II because of the shortage of Oriental tea, then declined. The industry was stabilized in 1954 and continued to expand, with exports to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada and, to a very limited extent, the United States. A fungus disease, then drought, followed by floods temporarily reduced the supply in 1980. The tea is gaining recognition for its freedom from caffeine, low tannin and high ascorbic acid content.It contains the antispasmodic principle, quercetin, and is said to have enoughfluoride to inhibit caries. Consumer tests indicate that rooibos tea may be an acceptable alternative to tea, coffee, cocoa and high-caffeine soft drinks.

Cassava leaves as human food

Abstract: The use of cassava leaves as human food is reviewed and their value as a source of protein and vitamins for supplementing predominantly starchy diets reemphasized. The problem of the toxicity of the leaves is considered, and the effects on both nutritive value and toxicity of the traditional methods of preparing the leaves, such as drying, pounding, and long periods of boiling, are described and discussed. Loss of nutrients, particularly vitamins, occurs during processing but remaining levels can still make an important contribution to the diet. HCN levels are reduced considerably by the processing methods, although the toxic effects of residual levels need further investigation.

Pearl millet: Kenneth O. Rachie and J. V. Majmudar. 307 pp. illus. The Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, 1980.

Abstract: Tupynamba, M. L. V. C., and E. C. Vieira. 1979. Isolation of cassava leaf protein and determination of its nutritive value. Nutr. Rep. Intl. 19: 249-259. Ugochukwu, E. N., and I. U. W. Osisiogu. 1977. Hydrogen sulphide from leaves of Manihot utilissima. PI. Med. 32: 105-109. Van Veen, A.G. 1938. Over cassave-bladeren, een hoogwaardige bladgroente. Geneesk. Tijdschr. Ned.-Indie 78: 2548-2552. Velcich, G. 1963. Bantu know secrets of cassava. Bantu 10: 492-497. Vitti, P., I. B. Figueiredo, and E. Angelucci. 1971-1972. Folhas de mandioca desidratadas para fins de alimentacao humana. Colet. Inst. Tecnol. Aliment. (Brazil) 4:117-125. Watson, J. D. 1976. Ascorbic acid content of plant foods in Ghana and the effects of cooking and storage on vitamin content. Ecol. Food Nutr. 4: 207-213. Whitby, P. 1972. Cassava. In Zambia Foods and Cooking, p. 25-54. Natl. Food Nutr. Prog., undertaken by U.N. Developm. Prog. and Gov. Zambia. Williams, H. J. 1979. Estimation of hydrogen cyanide released from cassava by organic solvents. Exp. Agric. 15: 393-400. Wood, T. 1965. The cyanogenic glucoside content of cassava and cassava products. J. Sci. Food Agric. 16: 300-305. Wyllie, D., and P. A. Huxley. 1976. Cassava research at the Faculty of Agriculture Forestry and Veterinary Science, Morogoro, Tanzania. Univ. Dares Salaam, Tanzania. Yeoh, H. H., and M. Y. Chew. 1976. Protein content and amino acid composition of cassava leaf. Phytochemistry 15: 1597-1599. , and H. Y. Oh. 1979. Cyanide content of cassava. Malayan Agric. J. 52: 24-28.

Traditional and modern plant use among the Alyawara of central Australia

Abstract: This is a descriptive summary of information on traditional and modern uses of native plants by Alyawara-speaking Australian Aborigines. It includes data on 157 species, 92 of which are used for food, 28 for medicines and narcotics, and 10 in the manufacture of tools, weapons and other gear. Descriptions of food plants cover form and distribution, collecting and processing techniques, caloric yields, and dietary importance. The paper concludes with some comments on traditional plant cultivation practices.

Fluted pumpkin, Telfairia occidentalis : West African vegetable crop

Abstract: Fluted pumpkin, Telfairia occidentalis, is native to West Africa but occurs mostly in its cultivated form in various parts of southern Nigeria.It is widely cultivated for its palatable and nutritious leaves which are used mainly as vegetable. The seeds are also nutritious and rich in an oil which may be used for cooking and soap manufacture. Its taxonomy, morphology and potential uses are discussed in relation to its economic importance as a tropical crop.

Use of plants in control of agricultural and domestic pests

Abstract: In previous papers (63, 65-70), the authors have shown that the art or science of pest control is not new. Agriculturalists have from earliest recorded times resorted to the use of prayer, magic spells, cultivation techniques, mechanical practices, and the application of a host of organic and inorganic substances to protect their crops from the depredations of weeds, disease, and insect pests. Plants have been, and still are, used by many different societies throughout the world to kill or repel pests. In this paper, the authors list plant species which have been reported to have been used in different parts of the world for pest control, regardless of their actual efficacy. Thus, this paper differs from others (28, 37, 45, 46) that lists plants of known toxicity against various organisms, such as fish or bacteria, which are being investigated for large-scale use, usually as insecticides. In this paper, the term "pest" is taken to include household insects, external human parasites, external and irritating arthropods of domestic animals, wound flies and maggots, insects and vertebrates which attack field crops and orchards, and, destroyers of stored foods and other materials. The term also includes other forms, such as wolves, scorpions, snakes and crocodilians, that threaten shepherds and fishermen. Scabies and mange, although caused by parasitic arthropods, have not been included since any recorded use of plants seems to have been to alleviate the symptoms rather than to kill or repel the mites. Some of the plants listed, such as Derris, Tephrosia, Chrysanthemum, and Nicotiana, contain effective insecticidal compounds (rotenones, pyrethrum, nicotine) which form the base for an important part of the modern pesticide industry. The research literature on these plants is extensive and has not been included here, except when it mentions uses of plants where they originally grew. The list of plants used by various societies for pest control is given in the Appendix and indicates the plant species (arranged by family), the continent where the plant was used, any information known about the part of the plant used and the method of use, the pest against which the plant was employed, any possible toxic compounds which have been isolated from the plants, and, the number of the reference in which the plant was noted as used against pests. In some cases, the descriptions were vague and merely indicate that the "plant" was used as an "insecticide." In a number of cases an extract of the plant is known to affect insects but the effective compound has not been identified; this is indicated as "toxic principles." The generic names of the plants are as in Willis (85); the family names and the order in which the flowering plant families is given are taken from Hutchinson (35).

Documenting and evaluating herbal remedies

Abstract: Ethnobotanists are frequently involved in the initial documentation of plant remedies used in traditional and popular domestic medicine. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of herbal medicine as actually practiced requires the recording of the variables that can influence the therapeutic outcome. For pharmacological and toxicological testing, the factors controlling the final amount of active compound(s) taken by the patient are especially critical. Since most ethnobotanical studies omit such information, a framework for reporting the major factors is given. Topics discussed, including problems of the literature and suggested formats, are: 1) the plant: common name, scientific name, infraspecific variation, the voucher specimen; 2) preparation of the medicine: plant part, collection, storage, preparation; 3) therapy: general and adjunct, disorder treated, kind of practitioner, dosage regimen, route of administration, response to therapy, status of use; 4) the patient.

Genetic Diversity and Genetic Vulnerability-An 'Appraisal

Abstract: 1. Plant germplasm is among the most essential of the world’s natural resources. Its conservation merits far greater attention than it is now receiving. 2. Total genetic diversity does not provide insurance against genetic vulnerability. To be of use to the breeder, sources of genetic diversity must include useful alleles not present in elite populations that carry resistance to pests and other stresses that adversely affect productivity and quality. 3. Breeding programs of the most important crops include only a small percentage of the total germplasm available within each crop. The major reason for this limited use of the stores of germplasm found in gene banks is the lack of evaluation data on such material. Until a gene bank’s accessions are evaluated and documented they will continue to be of limited value to the breeder. 4. The results of a recent survey indicate that the genetic base of several important crops has increased during the past decade. 5. Several criticisms of the Green Revolution (used in the broadest sense) are considered. Introductions of new, improved cultivars do tend to replace indigenous varieties containing potentially useful germplasm. Expanded efforts are needed to rescue such varieties before extinction. Research does not support the contention that modern, genetically-uniform cultivars are necessarily less stable and less dependable than genetically-variable cultivars. 6. With respect to the impacts of a changing seed industry on genetic diversity, it is suggested that these changes will not result in a concentration of fewer varieties used worldwide. The movement of pharmaceutical and chemical companies into the seed industry has occurred too recently to permit an evaluation of the effects of such moves. It will likely result in greater competition which, in turn, will stimulate more breeding and the introduction of a greater number of varieties than have been available in the past. Plant variety protection legislation in the United States has also served to stimulate additional breeding in self-fertilized species and has resulted in an increase in the amount of genetic diversity available to the farmer.

Productivity and nutrient uptake of water hyacinth,Eichhornia crassipes I. Effect of nitrogen source

Abstract: Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, growth and nutrient uptake rates, as influenced by different N sources and N transformations, were measured using microcosm aquaculture systems. Net productivity was highest in the system receiving equal amounts of NH4+ and NO3- (at 10 mg N 1-1 each) and decreased in the order of NO3-, NH4+, urea (added at 20 mg N 1-1 each), and methane digestor effluent (at 6 mg N 1-1). During the first 7-wk study (average ambient air temperature was 26-28?C), biomass yields were in the range of 19-53 g dry wt m-2 day-', while between the 8th and 12th wk (average ambient air temperature was 16-22?C), biomass yields were in the range of 10-33 g dry wt m-2 day-1. In the systems with either NH4+ or NO3-, or both added in equal proportions, about 14-20% of the total yield was contributed by roots, whereas in the system with urea and digestor effluent, roots contributed about 23 and 44% of the total yield, respectively. Nitrogen and P uptake per unit area followed trends similar to biomass yields. Nitrogen uptake rates were in the range of 533-2,161 mg N m-2 day-1 for the systems receiving NH4+, NO3-, and urea, while uptake rates were in the range of 124-602 mg N m -2 day -1for the system receiving methane digestor effluent. Phosphorus uptake rates were found to be in the range of 59542 mg P m2 day-'. Under the most favorable conditions, maximum recorded biomass yield was 53 g dry wt m-2 day-1, with N and P removal rate of 2,161 mg N m-2 day-1 and 542 mg P m-2 day-1, indicating the potential of water hyacinth to produce large amounts of biomass which can be potentially used as afeedstock to produce methane.

Ethnobotanical studies of the tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. I. Onge

Abstract: This paper deals with the ethnobotany of the Onge tribe. Brief accounts of the geography of the island, ethnology, and history of ethnobotanical studies in addition to the methodology of the present work are given. Plants used in everyday life, such as for bows and arrows, dugouts and canoes, fibers, food, medicines, and shelter, are described and discussed. The 40 species dealt with in the paper have 52 uses. The present study indicates that the Onge tribe shows certain similarities with other southeastern Asian Negrito races.

Rattan: Ecological balance in a borneo rainforest swidden

Abstract: Various agricultural strategies have been tried in swidden areas of tropical rainforest. Some have focused on food production, others on cash crops. Certain strategies have disrupted the ecological balance of the rainforest, while others developed with ecological stability in mind, but rarely have food production and cash cropping been coterminous and maintained ecological stability. Rattan in tropical rainforest swidden of southeastern Borneo is an indigenous system of producing both food and a cash crop without ecological disruption.

Diversity in Kodo millet,Paspalum scrobiculatum

Abstract: Paspalum scrobiculatum is widely distributed in damp habitats across the Old World tropics. It is harvested as a wild cereal in west Africa and in India.The species was domesticated in India some 3,000 yr ago. It is grown in India from Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the south, to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in the north. Kodo millet is variable but lacks racial differentiation. The species was apparently domesticated across its range of present-day cultivation. HybridizationwithwildP. scrobiculatum , which commonly invades fields of kodo millet, obscures racial differentiation. Weedy kodo is harvested with the crop, making it difficult to distinguish wild and cultivated complexes ofP. scrobiculatum. Wild, weed and cultivated kinds merge in all characters studied.

New oilseed crops on the horizon

Abstract: Fats and oils for food uses are now plentiful on a worldwide basis. Tallow, lard and fish oils, as well as vegetable oils, such as those derived from soybean, sunflower, palm, rapeseed, peanut and cottonseed, are often overproduced. Although many of these products are also used for industrial chemicals, they often are not of the most favorable composition for nonfood applications. A search for new oil-seed crops with more advantageous oil composition has led to the development of excellent candidates that are now close to commercial acceptance. Among them areCrambe, Limnanthes, Vernonia, Sapium andSimmondsia. Other crops are at a much lower stage of development but also have excellent potential. They includeCuphea, Foeniculum, Stokesia, Lesquerella andLunaria. In this age of searching for renewable resources to replace petrochemicals and imported strategic materials, a well-organized research and development program on new oilseed crops could soon result in American self-sufficiency for industrial oils and fatty acids. Fats and oils for food uses are now plentiful on a worldwide basis. Tallow, lard and fish oils, as well as vegetable oils, such as those derived from soybean, sunflower, palm, rapeseed, peanut and cottonseed, are often overproduced. Although many of these products are also used for industrial chemicals, they often are not of the most favorable composition for nonfood applications. A search for new oilseed crops with more advantageous oil composition has led to the development of excellent candidates that are now close to commercial acceptance. Among them areCrambe, Limnanthes, Vernonia, Sapium andSimmondsia. Other crops are at a much lower stage of development but also have excellent potential. They includeCuphea, Foeniculum, Stokesia, Lesquerella andLunaria. In this age of searching for renewable resources to replace petrochemicals and imported strategic materials, a well-organized research and development program on new oilseed crops could soon result in American self-sufficiency for industrial oils and fatty acids.

Chinese chestnut production in the United States: Practice, problems, and possible solutions

Abstract: There are fewer than 162 ha of commercial Chinese chestnut orchards in the United States, with approximately half of these in the Southeast. Large numbers of Chinese chestnut seedlings are planted annually in the United States for home and game food production; however, knowledge about chestnut propagation, fertilization, pests, harvest, storage and marketing is not adequate. There is little commercial marketing of U.S.-grown Chinese chestnuts through roadside markets and local farmers’ markets as the supply is low and unpredictable. However, we yearly import 4.5 mill kg of European chestnuts to satisfy the U.S. market. Successful chestnut orchards will require vegetatively propagated selections, intensive management, mechanical harvesting, and control of insect and disease pests.

Folk medicines of kurukshetra district (Haryana), India

Abstract: Information on 69 species and 66 prescriptions for therapeutic doses are given and medicinal applications of each species are presented. Popular names, empirical properties and manner of using prescriptions are described. The putative plant remedies are not evaluated nor are any chemical principles identified.

Domestication of Sawa Millet (Echinochloa colona)

Abstract: Two species of Echinochloa are grown as cereals. Echinochloa crusgalli is native to temperate Eurasia and was domesticated in Japan some 4,000 yr ago. Echinochloa colona is widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World. It was domesticated in India. Echinochloa colona is morphologically allied to E. crusgalli, but hybrids between them are sterile. Echinochloa colona differs consistently from E. crusgalli in having smaller spikelets with membran-aceous rather than chartaceous glumes. Hybrids between wild and cultivated taxa of E. colona and between those of E. crusgalli are fertile. Cultivated E. colona is variable. It is grown as a cereal across India, Kashmir and Sikkim. Four morphological races are recognized, although these do not have geographical, ecological or ethnological unity. Race laxa is confined to Sikkim where races robusta, intermedia and stolonifera are also grown. In India, races robusta, intermedia and stolonifera are often grown as mixtures, and Echinochloa is sometimes grown as a mixture with other cereals, particularly Setaria italica (foxtail millet) or Eleusine coracana (finger millet). The species is planted on poor soil, and some cultivars mature in less than 2 mo. They hold considerable promise as cereals for the semiarid tropics.

Medicinal plants in Central Chile

Abstract: A list of 131 species with medicinal uses in the province of Talca, VII Maule Region in Central Chile, is given Sixty-six of these are native and the rest introduced

Possible role of ultraviolet radiation in evolution ofCannabis chemotypes

Abstract: The damaging effects of UV-B radiation have apparently affected the amounts of ultraviolet-absorbing secondary compounds in some plants. A similar role for Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol may explain the high levels of this compound inCannabis from areas of intense ambient UV-B. Further research is needed to determine whether UV-B radiation serves only as a selection pressure or if UV-B-induced stress may also directly stimulate production.

Biocrude production in arid lands

Abstract: Recent research in the development of bioenergy crops for arid and semiarid regions has stressed the objective of increasing biomass productivity in order to improve energetic and economic returns. However, an examination of the constraints on arid-adapted plant species indicates that a preferable approach to biocrude feedstock development is one that emphasizes quality, rather than quantity, of biomass. This conclusion is illustrated by economic and energetic comparisons of 4 potential biocrude feedstocks. The species with the greatest economic potential are those with high biocrude contents and moderate or low annual yields.

Nuba agriculture and ethnobotany, with particular reference to sesame and sorghum

Abstract: There is a remarkably high level of variation within cultivated sesame and sorghum in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan although the region is relatively small. The Nuba people are geographically isolated and culturally diverse in religion, language, material inventory, agricultural practices and in their rituals involving crop plants, and this contributes to the diversity in their cultivars. Nuba crop husbandry is sophisticated and high levels of genetic diversity are maintained by deliberate selection of crop varieties that are well adapted to each of the microenvironments of the region and best suited for different economic uses.

Phytochemicals for liquid fuels and petrochemical substitutions: Extraction procedures and screening results

Abstract: Various solvents were examined for their effectiveness in the extraction of nonpolar and polar compounds from plant materials for obtaining botanochemicals. Cyclohexane extraction followed by methanol gave consistently higher yields than other solvents in current use. Soxhlet extraction was found to give higher yields than shaking /decanting. Yields of nonpolar and polar extractions are reported for 80 species from the southeastern United States and southern Great Plains.

Date palm, potential source for refined sugar

Abstract: The total sugars in the mesocarp of the date palm fruit is between 70 and 80%. Approximately 60% of the dry weight of the mesocarp at the Khalal and early Rutab stages of fruit development is sucrose. High-yielding varieties of date palm have fruit yield potentials of 12.0 tons/ha, equivalent to an estimated production of 7.2 tons/ha of sucrose if the fruit is harvested at the stage of maximum sucrose accumulation. The estimated sucrose production from the date palm compares very favourably with the world average of 6.6 tons/ha for canesugar and the beet sugar average of 5.6 tons/ha for Europe. The relatively high sugar content of the fruit suggests that the date palm may have an important agro-industrial future as a potential source for refined sugar.

Ethnobotany of pre-altiplanic community in the Andes of northern Chile

Abstract: The perception of the surrounding environment and use of the flora by the inhabitants of Toconce, a Pre-Altiplanic community in the Andes of northern Chile, were investigated. Six ecological units, which are given the local names of Pampa, Tolar, Medano, Pajonal, Hoyada, and Paniso, are recognized by the people of Toconce on the basis of their different dominant plants, geomorphology and microclimate. These units are in turn integrated into 3 units of landscape utilization: Cerro, Campo and Chacra. The latter is an artificial unit, corresponding to the man-made terraces located on the steep slopes of the Andean canyons. The Campo is a pastoral area, mainly for llamas. The Cerro, situated at higher elevation, has ritual as well as economic importance. This altitudinal sector is the place for the gathering of llareta, the most valuable vegetal fuel in Toconce. Seven categories of plant use are defined: forage, medicinal, food, fuel, crafts, ritual and construction. The inhabitants of Toconce have maximized the use of the plant resources in each altitudinal level. This long-lasting cultural pattern is being gradually modified due to the influence of industrial development and growth of the neighboring urban centers.