Department of Agronomy, Inst. for Agric. Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

An Overview Of Our Solution

The African bush tea–ABT; a shrub found in many agroecologies of Nigeria, is burnt by natives to repel mosquitoes in rooms or compounds. Aqueous solution of the plant contains alkaloids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids and saponins; that can be used for the control of pathogens as well as the manufacture of insecticides; has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties; and controls both gram+ and gram- bacteria, while the oil is reported to possess more potent antifungal than antibacterial activity. We have produced crops like cotton, cowpea, roselle, sesame, rice and sorghum successfully without chemical protection using only ABT. Ground dried leaves has delayed weed emergence in cowpea. There are also indications that it might be able to control striga; my trial on suicidal germination of striga seeds was inconclusive as mean to observe germination was unavailable.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Government

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Grasslands

Population impacted

No records yet

Size of agricultural area

5.0 hectares

Production quantity

Popcorn about 2tons, sesame 1.9tons, cowpea over 1.0ton, sorghum 2.0 tons, rice (SRI) about 5.0 tons roselle about 0.6 ton (calyx)

People employed

Researchers and technicians and the students; about 20 people have been involved

Describe your solution

Aqueous solution made from about 800g of fresh leaves of ABT squeezed in water and allowed to stay overnight, making up to 15 liters; crops are sprayed from early in their growth stages with the solution to forestall attacks by pests as well as a prophylactic. The process continues until crops are matured to protect both the vegetative & the reproductive growth stages. For weed control, the leaves are air-dried & ground to powder & portions are weighed out, mixed with sand & put in pots & soaked for 3 days after which cowpea seeds are sown. High doses delayed seed germination slightly, but delayed weed emergence for 4 weeks. For striga control, different portions of the ground leaves were mixed with striga seeds are placed on filter papers in a petri-dish and covered up; the dish was watered with distilled water for three weeks to see if it would stimulate germination. It was also evaluated with other plant extracts to evaluate antiviral properties; while dried leaves have also been evaluated for storage potential. There are indications that farmers use the plant locally for storage of their crops.

Describe your implementation

The procedure is demonstrated to the students before they start the trials so that each is acquainted with it, but each is allowed to choose what to do about making the solution. Since the leaves are available in most areas, each sources his/her own material. For the rust disease, on identification the student commenced spraying; the only difference observed was that he pounded the material for the trial close to abode instead of just squeezing it, while another varied spraying regimes. On account of this I intend to purchase a blender for blending the material, as pounded material was reported to be more efficient, when funding is available so that a proper mix is possible. The variation in time is because student had two experimental sites in different agroecologies and weekly visits to was too expensive to undertake. Students found it cheaper to use compared to chemicals and one who was allergic to chemicals was happy for the alternative. Some insects were observed on crops after the spray indicating that it could promote biodiversity as beneficial insects for pollination were not distracted while feeder were distracted by changing the smell of the crop.

External connections

When I reported the work for the African Organic Conference in Lusaka, it was selected for oral presentation and I was to be sponsored for the conference by the FAO as the work was also selected for publication. However due to problems with obtaining a visa, I could not attend the conference. When the work was written up for publication, the editor Prof. Auerbach, referred to it as a pioneering one. In December I gave a seminar on improving productivity among small farmers: the organic agriculture alternative, one of the attendees have linked me with a textile company interested in organic cotton and we are working on modalities to produce seeds, teach farmers and link the Institute with companies for partnership in organic cotton production; other crops could be included as time goes on. I intend to present my work on organic rice in our next cropping scheme meeting, am sure it will further stimulate interest among attendees. The Vice Chancellor was interested to know if the Institute could mount training in organic agriculture for youths and farmers, on the strength of the work I have done, I am heading the committee tasked with drawing up modules for such training programme.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

Crop production in the tropics has challenges from pests, diseases & high weed infestation. Chemicals are frequently used or recommended for the control/eradication of these destructive agents. If these destructive agents are to be controlled in organic farming, bio-agents are required. This has necessitated the search for solutions to combat them. Plant products are relatively bio-efficacious, economical & environmentally safe & can be ideal for use as agrochemicals. The African bush tea (ABT), used locally to repel mosquitoes was considered a suitable plant to combat destructive agents in organic trials. The plant is abundant in most ecologies & can be easily accessed by farmers. From our early trial it was observed to ‘revive’ cowpea & cotton crops that had failed to grow properly during the season due to pests and diseases incidences as no chemicals were applied. The following season, spraying with ABT commenced early in the season and good crops of cowpea & cotton were obtained.

Describe the context in which you are operating

I am a farming systems research agronomist with the Department of Agronomy. My interest has always been on how to improve productivity at the small scale farmers’ level. Since their soils are usually degraded, my interest started with search for alternative ways to improve yields: the clipping/thinning management of leguminous companion crops as green manures for a main cereal crop was used to improve the soil’s fertility. Weeds, pests and diseases were other constraints that affected productivity, thus the use of ABT was considered. After successes in two years of producing with ABT, students were involved to spread the research further and their results have been reported in dissertations and theses as well as published in journal and conference publications. An undergraduate work on the weed control considered the allelopathy of the plant; recently a colleague has started work on the plant for weed control as well as its effect on seed germination. We also will hopefully work on its effect on striga/other parasitic weeds infestation.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

The procedure has improved productivity in trials conducted particularly with sesame, cotton and cowpea and popcorn mixture; a reflection of improved biodiversity. Yield potentials of crops have been achieved in these trials thus ruling out detrimental effects of ABT application. There is a lot of interest in the plant due difficulties in obtaining genuine chemicals from the market and as people have seen that both cotton and cowpea, that require chemical intervention from growth to storage can be produced using only ABT. Also colleagues are now confident of organic agriculture and are now asking their students to carryout work on organic agriculture trials. People in the Crop Protection department have also taken more interest in the plant and have done trials on its antiviral property and perhaps others will follow. The weed scientists have also rekindled interest in its weeds control potentials. The plant has been observed not to affect pollinators of cotton and cowpea as shown in picture of insects in cotton flower.

Language(s)

English, Hausa

Water

n/a

Food Security/Nutrition

It has improved productivity in trials; since it is available for use by locals, it therefore means organic production can be improved among these farmers for food security/nutrition

Economic/Sustainable Development

It is found in most places therefore it can easily be sourced and if possible the plant can be improved upon to meet the desires of organic agriculture farmers for sustainability in organic production worldwide.

Climate

The plant is found both in the tropics and subtropics; but its uses could be globalised if products from the plant are useful for pests and diseases in other climatic regions. It is yet to be tested on animals, particularly on FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE, but it will be interesting to try.

Sustainability

I have not received any grant for the trials so far, this is why I have concentrated on students trying the procedure out on their studies, knowing they are more likely to spread the results. Some have started using it in their works and the results are promising.

Return on investment

Students have reported high returns on investment in the trials conducted. These were organic agriculture trials and so the return was due to a combination of factors- like green manure and poultry manure. All students paid for in the application of ABT, was the cost of spraying the ABT, which depended on the size of the trial.

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

The procedure is described above, variation can arise from either pounding or blending the soaked leaves instead of squeezing with hand; the pounding was more effective so the replication could not be less effective. The trials are preliminary and the training will be on properly filtering the solution so that the nozzle used is not blocked

Overview