Factors Determining the Use and Cultivation of "Moringa oleifera" Lam. in the Republic of Benin

Despite its nutritious leaves and considerable economic importance, the agroforestry species Moringa oleifera Lam. is still considered a neglected and underutilized species. To contribute to the development of an effective valorization strategy for M. oleifera, this study identified factors driving...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic botany 2018-09, Vol.72 (3), p.332-345
Main Authors: Gandji, Kisito, Salako, Valère K., Fandohan, A. Belarmain, Assogbadjo, Achille E., Kakaï, Romain L. Glèlè
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agroforestry
Biology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Cultivation
Economic importance
Life Sciences
Minority & ethnic groups
Moringa oleifera
Plant Anatomy/Development
Plant biology
Plant Ecology
Plant Physiology
Plant Sciences
Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
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Summary:Despite its nutritious leaves and considerable economic importance, the agroforestry species Moringa oleifera Lam. is still considered a neglected and underutilized species. To contribute to the development of an effective valorization strategy for M. oleifera, this study identified factors driving its use and cultivation in Benin. To this end, an ethnobotanical survey through individual interviews (n = 801) was performed in 46 localities across biogeographical zones in Benin. Conditional inference tree-based classification models allowed us to identify factors that mostly influence the use, cultivation, and cultivation system of M. oleifera. Awareness, knowledge of the plant biology, gender, cultivation system, and age are factors influencing the use of M. oleifera. Cultivation systems are driven by ethnicity, knowledge of the plant's biology, and the main socioprofessional activity. Effective valorization of M. oleifera requires awareness rising on its usefulness while providing knowledge on the plant biology.
ISSN:0013-0001
1874-9364
DOI:10.1007/s12231-018-9424-4