Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T04:28:10.788Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Uses and management of black plum (Vitexdoniana Sweet) in Southern Benin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Colombe Dadjo ,
Achille Ephrem Assogbadjo ,
Belarmain Fandohan ,
Romain Glèlè Kakaï ,
Sebastian Chakeredza ,
Thierry Dèhouégnon Houehanou ,
Patrick Van Damme  and
Brice Sinsin
Colombe Dadjo
Affiliation:
Lab. Appl. Ecol., Fac. Agron. Sci., Univ. Abomey-Calavi, 01 PO Box 526, Cotonou, Rep. Benin
Achille Ephrem Assogbadjo
Affiliation:
Lab. Appl. Ecol., Fac. Agron. Sci., Univ. Abomey-Calavi, 01 PO Box 526, Cotonou, Rep. Benin
Belarmain Fandohan*
Affiliation:
Lab. Appl. Ecol., Fac. Agron. Sci., Univ. Abomey-Calavi, 01 PO Box 526, Cotonou, Rep. Benin
Romain Glèlè Kakaï
Affiliation:
Lab. Appl. Ecol., Fac. Agron. Sci., Univ. Abomey-Calavi, 01 PO Box 526, Cotonou, Rep. Benin
Sebastian Chakeredza
Affiliation:
ANAFE, PO Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Thierry Dèhouégnon Houehanou
Affiliation:
Lab. Appl. Ecol., Fac. Agron. Sci., Univ. Abomey-Calavi, 01 PO Box 526, Cotonou, Rep. Benin
Patrick Van Damme
Affiliation:
Lab. Trop. Sub-Trop. Agric. Ethnobot., Fac. Biosci. Eng., Univ. Ghent, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
Brice Sinsin
Affiliation:
Lab. Appl. Ecol., Fac. Agron. Sci., Univ. Abomey-Calavi, 01 PO Box 526, Cotonou, Rep. Benin
*
* Correspondence and reprints
Get access

Abstract

Introduction. Black plum (Vitexdoniana) is an indigenous fruit tree species importantfor the livelihoods of rural populations. Currently, there is renewednational and international interest in black plum, and it has emergedas a priority species for domestication in Africa. The present workaddressed farmers’ indigenous knowledge of the use and managementof the species among different socio-cultural groups in Benin, takinginto account gender differences. The specific objective of thiswork was to study the knowledge, uses, local gathering practices andmanagement systems of V. doniana that are partof the traditions of the communities in Southern Benin. Materialsand methods. A total of 150 participants randomly selected fromthree socio-cultural groups provided survey responses. Information collectedmainly referred to the motivation of respondents to conserve blackplum trees on their land, the local uses and the management practicesto improve the regeneration and production of the black plum. Resultsand discussion. The study showed that knowledge of black plumis well distributed in the community. However, people have differentinterests in using black plum and there is variable knowledge ofuse and management practices. The food and medicinal categorieswere the most important uses. There were no significant differencesin knowledge of the management and utility of black plum betweenmen and women, or across socio-cultural groups. Conclusion. Givenits value to the communities in southern Benin, black plum should beprioritized for domestication.

Keywords

BeninVitex donianaindigenous knowledgedomesticationtraditional usesethnobotanyBéninVitex donianaconnaissance indigènedomesticationutilisation traditionnelleéthnobotaniqueBenínVitex donianaconocimiento indígenadomesticaciónusos tradicionalesetnobotánica
Type
Original article
Information
Fruits , Volume 67 , Issue 4 , July 2012 , pp. 239 - 248
Copyright
© 2012 Cirad/EDP Sciences

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Leakey, R.R.B., Win landuse strategies for Africa. 1: Building on experience with agroforests in Asia and Latin America, Int. For. Rev. 3 (2001) 1–10.Google Scholar
Leakey, R.R.B., Win landuse strategies for Africa. 2: Capturing economic and environmental benefits with multistrata agroforests, Int. For. Rev. 3 (2001) 11–18.Google Scholar
Leakey, R.R.B., Schreckenberg, K., Tchoundjeu, Z., The potential relevance in Latin America of the West African experience with participatory domestication of indigenous fruits, Int. For. Rev. 5 (2003) 338–347.Google Scholar
Martin G.J., Ethnobotany, A methods manual. People and plants conservation ser., Chapman and Hall, London, U.K., 1995.
Anon., Vers une approche régionale des ressources génétiques forestières en Afrique sub-saharienne. Recensement général de la population et de l’habitat sahélien, Actes du premier atelier régional de formation sur la conservation et l’utilisation durable des ressources génétiques forestières en Afrique de l’ouest, Afrique forestière (CIRAD / GILLSS /CORAF / CTA / DESC / FAO / UNEP / UNSO), IPGRI, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 1999.
Shackleton, S.E., Shackleton, C.M., Netshiluvhi, T.R., Geach, B.S., Balance, A., Fairbanks, D.H.K., Use patterns and value of savannah resources in three rural villages in South Africa, Econ. Bot. 56 (2002) 130–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campos, M.T., Ehringhaus, C., Plant virtues are in the eyes of the beholders: a comparison of known palm uses among indigenous and folk communities of southwestern Amazonia, Econ. Bot. 57 (2003) 324–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Albuquerque U.P. Lucena R.F.P, Selecãoe escolha dos informants, in: Albuquerque U.P., Lucena R.F.P. (Eds.), Métodos e Técnicas na Pesquisa Etnobotãnica, Recife Ed. Livro Rápido, NUPEEA, 2004, pp. 19–37.
Tomich, T.P., Van Noordwijk, M., Vosti, S., Witcover, J., Agricultural development with rainforest conservation: methods for seeking best bet alternatives to slash-and-burn, with applications to Brazil and Indonesia, J. Agric. Econ. 19 (1998) 159–174. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanchez, P.A., Leakey, R.R.B., Land use transformation in Africa: Three determinants for balancing food security with natural resource utilization, Eur. J. Agron. 7 (1997) 15–23. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anon., Programme de ressources génétiques forestières en Afrique au sud du Sahara: Réseau "Espéces Ligneuses Alimentaires", Eyog Matig O., Gandé Gaoué O. G., Dossou B. (Eds.), Compte rendu de la première réunion du réseau tenue 11–13 déc. 2000, CNSF Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Bioversity Int., Montpellier, France, 2002.
Arbonnier M., Arbres arbustes et lianes des zones sèches d’Afrique de l’Ouest, CIRAD-MNHN, Montpellier, France, 2002.
Louppe D., Oteng-Amoako A.A., Brink M., Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale, Prota 7 (1) : bois d’œuvre, CTA Wagening., Neth., 2008.
Orwa C., Mutua A., Kindt R., Jamnadass R., Anthony S., Agroforestree database: a tree reference and selection guide version 4.0, World Agrofor. Cent., Kenya, 2009.
De Souza S., Flore du Bénin. Noms des plantes médicinales dans les langues nationales béninoises, Univ. Ntl. Bénin, Cotonou, Bénin, 1988.
Dagnelie P., Statistiques théoriques et appliquées, de Boeck et Larcier, Bruxelles, Belg., 1998.
Monteiro, J.M., Albuquerque, U.P., Lins Neto, E.M.F., Araújo, E.L., Amorim, E.L.C., Use patterns and knowledge of medicinal species among two rural communities in Brazil’s semi–arid northeastern region, J. Ethnopharmacol. 105 (2006) 173–186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Assogbadjo, A.E., Glèlè Kakaï, R., Chadaré, F.J., Thomson, L., Kyndt, T., Sinsin, B., Van Damme, P., Folk classification, perception and preferences of baobab products in West Africa: Consequences for species conservation and improvement, Econ. Bot. 62 (1) (2008) 74–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byg, A., Baslev, H., Diversity and use of palms in Zahamena, Eastern Madagascar, Biodivers. Conserv. 10 (2001) 951–970.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Santos, L.L., Ramos, M.A., Silva, S.I., Sales, M.F., Albuquerque, U.P., Caatinga ethnobotany: Anthropogenic landscape modification and useful species in Brazil’s semi–arid northeast, Econ. Bot. 63 (4) (2009) 363–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LinsNeto, E.M.F., Peroni, N., de Albuquerque, P.U., Traditional knowledge and management of umbu (Spondias tuberosa, Anacardiaceae): An endemic species from the semi–arid region of northeastern Brazil, Econ. Bot. 64 (1) (2010) 11–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okigbo, N.R., Fermentation of black plum (Vitex doniana Sweet) juice for production of wine, Fruits 58 (6) (2003) 363–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Etkin N.L., The cull of the wild, in: Etkin N.L. (Eds.), Eating on the wild side, Univ. Arizona Press, Tucson, Ariz., U.S.A., 1994.
Etkin, N.L., Medicinal cuisines: Diet and ethnopharmacology, Int. J. Pharmacol. 34 (1996) 313–326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leakey, R.R.B., Atangana, A.R., Kengni, E., Waruhiu, A.N., Usoro Tchoundjeu, C.Z., Anegbeh, P.O., Domestication of Dacryodes edulis in West and Central Africa: characterization of genetic variation, For. Trees Livelihoods 12 (2002) 57–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clement, C.R., 1492 and the loss of Amazonian crop genetic resources. I. The relation between domestication and human population decline, Econ. Bot. 53 (1999) 188–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boffa J.M., Agroforestry parklands in sub-Saharian Africa, FAO Conserv. Guide 34, Rome, Italy, 1999.
Ekue, M.R.M., Gailing, O., Finkeldey, R., Eyog-Matig, O., Indigenous knowledge, traditional management and genetic diversity of the endogenous agroforestry species ackee (Blighia sapida) in Benin, Acta Hortic. 806 (2009) 655–661.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lira, R., Casas, A., Rosas-López, R., Paredes-Flores, M., Pérez-Negrón, E., RangelL-Landa, S., Solís, L., Torres, I., Dávila, P., Traditional knowledge and useful plant richness in the Tehuacán–Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico, Econ. Bot. 63 (2009) 271–287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar