Course Title:Course Title:Dryland BiodiversityDryland Biodiversity

Topic:

Dryland plant products: The hidden potential

Compiled by: Pauline Gitonga (PhD student)

Dryland Resource Management Doctoral Programme

University of Nairobi, Department of Land Resource and Agricultural Technology

DefinitionDefinitionDryland products also known as non-timber forest

products (NFTP) are plant based biological extracts.Include;Natural gums (gum arabic, myrrh and frankincense) Aloe (Aloe secundiflora)Wild honey HibiscusShea butter Amarula or tamarindBambooEssential oils Spices and condiments (Wren 2010; Lemenih and Kassa 2011)

Gum arabicGum arabicTree gum exudate used as an article of commerce

since ancient times.

Obtained mainly from Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal found widely across Sahelian belt of Africa

Harvesting / Tapping done on trees 5 years and older by collecting oozing exudate or tapping to increase yield.

Color and quality of gum depends on climate (ambient temperatures) and soil conditions of area. (Wekesa et al 2012)

Gum arabic cont.. Gum arabic cont.. Tapping seen as an alternative livelihood

Gum has high demand due to its multipurpose use in vast array of products;

Most gum arabic of commerce comes from Africa with Sudan accounting for 80% of world’s production followed by Chad and Nigeria.

Gum arabic has wide application in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries emulsifying, stabilizing, thickening and suspending properties. food industry uses 60–75% of the world production.

Gum arabic cont..Gum arabic cont..Kenya- 3 Acacia varieties (kerensis, senegal &

leiorhachis : Baringo, Turkana, Kajiado, Samburu, Isiolo,Mwingi & Taita Taveta counties

Average yield is 250 g/tree per season

Individual trees may yield several kilogrammes.

Cultivated trees yield progressively increase until tree is 15 years. highest yields when trees are 7 to 12 years

A. leiorhachis A. senegal A. kerensis

Source: Wekesa et al . 2012

Myrrh Aromatic resin of small, thorny tree species

of genus Commiphora species myrrah

Main source Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Uses; Perfumes, medicines (aromatic wound

dressings) and incense ingredients.

blended with essential oil to make oleoresin and can be ingested in wine.

Source : Wubalem Tadesse (2009)

Frankincense

Main source is Boswellia papyrifera found in Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia

Tapped by slashing bark, (striping) the exuded resin allowed to bleed out and harden. Hardened resins called tears.

Trees start production at 8 to 10 years. Tapping done 2 to 3 times a year.

( Wubalem 2009)

Boswellia papyrifera

Frankincense resin.

Edible used in Asia to aid in digestion.

Source: Wubalem Tadesse (2009)

Traditional harvesting technique New tapping method adapted fromIndia

Source : Wubalem Tadesse (2009)

Challenges Gum/resin production Challenges Gum/resin production Improper tapping due to lack of knowledge

Postharvest handling/cleaning and storage not developed (losses or reduced quality).

Inaccessibility of location

Communal ownership-sustainable harvesting difficult

Cutting down of trees for wood fuel

Illegal boarder trades

Regeneration capacity low in tapped trees e.g. Bosweilla – germination rate at 16% while seeds form untapped trees at 80%.

Pest attacks e.g. longhorn beetle

Land use change woodlands to agriculture

Aloe Not a cactus but from lily family.

360 species of aloe recorded.

Found in hot arid areas globally.

East Africa particularly Kenya has greatest aloe diversity with 57 species compared with Uganda’s 17 varieties.

Aloe species global trade regulated by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

( Wren 2008)

BambooBambooFastest growing plant in arid areas.

Acts as an erosion control agent (net-like root system creates an effective mechanism for watershed protection as it “stiches” soil together along fragile riverbanks and deforested areas.

Best suited in soil damaged by overgrazing and poor agricultural techniques.

Unlike with most trees, proper harvesting does not kill the bamboo plant so topsoil is held in place (Bashir and Zeila 2005)

Source: KEFRI website Bamboo shoots grow to 6” in diameter and up to 100’ tall in 3-6 months, quite an impressive carbon storing mechanismSource: Global access distributors Inc.

REFERENCESREFERENCES Bashir J and Zeila A (2005). Agroforestry in the drylands of Eastern Africa

.World Agroforestry Centre . ICRAF Working Paper no. 1.

Ondonga J.J. (2010). Opportunities for alternative livelihoods in Karamoja. Food and agriculture organisation (FAO).

Wekesa C., Lelon J., Muga M., Luvanda A. and Chikamai B. (2012). Gum arabic production potential of natural Acacia senegal varieties in drylands of Kenya. Kenya Forestry Research Institute.

Wren S (2008). Development of New and/or Scale-up of Existing Aloe-based Business in Laikipia Kenya. Laikipia Wildlife Foundation Report http://www.biotrade.co.ke/pdfs/LWF%20Aloe%20Bio-enterprise%20Development%20copy.pdf

Wubalem Tadesse (2009). Natural gums and resins: Potential dryland non timber forest products of Ethiopia. Naturally African: in support of African natural products development and marketing Sub- Regional Consultative Workshop for Eastern Africa World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) - Nairobi, Kenya 18-20 May 2009