Science-based Science-based Improvements of Improvements of Rural/subsistence Rural/subsistence Agriculture Agriculture Forum Proceedings Commitee on Science for Poverty Alleviation

Plant species richness and diversity is extremely high in Africa. TheLeguminosae are a dominant family with diverse biological traits that makethem candidate species for improving livelihoods in rural households. Bybeing able to fi x N2with symbiotic members of the Rhizobiaceae, legumesand their associated bacteria can serve as biofertilizers for increased cropyields, enhanced food security and improved quality of life. The commercialproduction of Rooibos tea from a nodulated legume called Aspalathus linearissubsp. linearis currently contributes R350 million to the South Africaneconomy. Similarly, the production and sale of the Cyclopia tea legume alsocontributes signifi cantly to the national economy. Increased research oncowpea and Bambara groundnut has also raised yields of the two legumes andthus increased household incomes. Taken together, the increased productionof legumes and their commercial products has the potential to increase theincome of households, and thus alleviate poverty in rural communities. Theadded value of biofertilization from the host plant, the microsymbiont, andtheir interaction ensures sustainable production, while promoting yields ofcereals and other crops. Funding research on indigenous food crops species(especially legumes), medicinal plants as well as species with newly discoveredvalue should promote their commercialization by agri-enterpreneurs andreduce poverty in rural households. EXPLORING INDIGENOUS PLANT SPECIES FORPOVERTY ALLEVIATION IN RURAL SOUTH AFRICASouth Africa is very rich in plant species diversity and endemicity. With theever-increasing urban development and human settlement, populations oflegumes and non-legumes now exist mainly in the rural, semi-rural and periSCIENCE-BASED IMPROVEMENTS OF RURAL/SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE 42urban environments, thus creating an opportunity for exploitation as sourceof economic development for those communities. In South Africa, many plantspecies are currently tapped for economic growth, while others have the potentialto be developed as commercial crops. Aspalathus linearis subsp. linearis (Rooibos tea)Although seedlings of A. linearis subsp. linearis are sensitive to frost and snow,the mature plants are adapted to both cold winters and hot summers (Morton1983). Their distribution confi ned to the Cedarberg mountains. The use ofwild A. linearis plants as tea by the Khoi San was reported in 1772. The planthas since been domesticated and is presently cultivated as a commercial cropfor export and local consumption (Morton 1983). Compared with orientaltea, Rooibos tea is caffeine-free and has signifi cant medicinal value. It is oftenprescribed to alleviate nervous tension, allergies and various stomach andindigestion problems (Petereit et al. 1991). The tea is low in tannins and hasbeen suggested to have anti-ageing effects due to its high concentration of anti-oxidants (Yoshikawa et al. 1990). Rooibos tea also contains various fl avonoidmolecules, including quercitrin and luteolin, which have antispasmodicproperties (Snykers and Salemi 1974), aspalatin (a dihydroxycha1cone), andthe fl avones orientin and iso-orientin, which together account for its fl avor andantioxidant effects (Robak and Gryglawski 1988). Rooibos tea is therefore anatural medicinal beverage that is rich in nutriceuticals, with great potentialfor establishing regional business incubators, and in so doing, creating wealthand jobs, and alleviating poverty. Cyclopia species (Honeybush tea)The Honeybush tea (Cyclopia spp.) plant is another nodulating legume that isendemic to the Western Cape and is used for making tea. The genus Cyclopia consists of 14 species that grow in a variety of environments with differing soilecologies throughout the Western Cape. The soils are characteristically sandy,nutrient-poor and highly acidic (pH 2-5), with total N often lower than 0.01%.As with A. linearis, the leaves and twigs of Cyclopia spp. have historically beenused as a source of herbal tea by the local Khoi San people. Honeybush teais also very rich in fl avonoid compounds and is therefore used as a healthsupplement. Additionally, like Rooibos, and Honeybush tea is used in variousculinary preparations and in the manufacture of baby foods. Consequently, thelocal and export markets of Honeybush tea have increased dramatically, andthis has necessitated a move from the harvesting of wild Cyclopia for tea to itscultivation as a commercial crop. Emerging Black farmers on the East coastof the Western Cape have started to produce and sell Honeybush tea as anincome earner.