Abstract
This is a review paper of promotion of Mucuna Pruriens beans in western Kenya (Bungoma, Kakamega and Siaya counties). Mucuna is a leguminous plant grown in tropical woodlands. It is an emerging multiple use legume with the potential to restore soil structure, used as animal feed, as well as food/nutrition security in households. Due to its many uses, it was promoted for adoption by farmers in western Kenya. Families in western part of Kenya were food insecure in terms of protein insufficiency, crop productivity was low due to infertile soils and had low incomes within households. The adoption of Mucuna growing would solve the mentioned problems. Farmers were mobilized to grow the beans, process for food and for sell to earn income. The maize yield intercropped with Mucuna doubled in subsequent years. Various recipes were developed, tasted and adopted. The raw beans and processed products earned household’s income which improved livelihoods. The Mucuna beans production was therefore recommended for soil rehabilitation, income generation and for food and nutrition security within households.
Keywords: Mucuna beans; Soil rehabilitation; Incomes; Food and nutrition security
Abbreviations: GIZ: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH; CA: Conservation Agriculture; GOPA: Gesellschaft für Organization, Planung and Ausbildung; WHH: Welt Hunge Hilife; KALRO: Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization
Introduction
Mucuna prurien beans is a genus of around 100 accepted species of climbing lianas (vines) and shrubs of the family Fabaceae and typically found in tropical woodlands. The plant has a potential for multiple uses. According to Food and Agriculture Organization [1], Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens) has potential to restore soil as well as provide food. It is an emerging multiple-use leguminous crop [2] with high potential to enhance soil health and biodiversity. Mucuna bean (Mucuna pruriens) has been grown in Kenya for purposes of rehabilitating deteriorated soils, animal feeds as well as human food. Farmers in Western Kenya (Bungoma, Kakamega and Siaya counties) have grown Mucuna beans as a Conservation Agriculture (CA) crop. This crop when grown, it prevents soil deterioration and rehabilitate the affected areas, meaning it has the potential to restore soil structure [1]. Western Kenya counties in partnership with GIZ promoted the growing of Mucuna crop as a cover crop. A total of 325 (7500 individual farmers) farmer groups are actively involved in Mucuna production. On average 18,967 hectares of land were rehabilited by growing Mucuna beans crop today (Table 1). This explains why the beans have been promoted widely in these counties.
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