Articles
Selection of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) collections based on seed minerals and total phenolic content
Article number
1282_65
Pages
433 – 440
Language
English
Abstract
Okra is one of the traditional and underutilized fruit vegetable crops grown in South Africa by small-scale farmers.
It can play a significant role in food, nutrition and health security and alleviate malnutrition at household level in South Africa, particularly in rural communities.
This crop is mostly cultivated for household consumption, income generation and nutritional and health supplement.
Very little attention has been given to this crop by breeders in South Africa despite its food security implications among the rural poor.
It is important to nutritionally characterize available imported okra genotypes in order to select superior candidate okra parental lines for the improvement of this crop.
This will ultimately contribute and benefit not only the small-scale farmers but also the rural and urban communities consuming the crop.
To this end, the mineral element composition of 46 okra genotypes, which were imported from the World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC) and planted in the field in a randomized complete block design, with three replications, was evaluated.
The simple analysis of variance showed highly significant (p≤0.01) differences among the tested okra genotypes for all mineral elements (Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P and Zn) as well as total phenolic concentrations, indicating the existence of wide genetic variability among the genotypes.
This information would assist breeders in the selection of suitable candidate parental lines for use in okra breeding and improvement program in South Africa toward population development, selection and release.
It can play a significant role in food, nutrition and health security and alleviate malnutrition at household level in South Africa, particularly in rural communities.
This crop is mostly cultivated for household consumption, income generation and nutritional and health supplement.
Very little attention has been given to this crop by breeders in South Africa despite its food security implications among the rural poor.
It is important to nutritionally characterize available imported okra genotypes in order to select superior candidate okra parental lines for the improvement of this crop.
This will ultimately contribute and benefit not only the small-scale farmers but also the rural and urban communities consuming the crop.
To this end, the mineral element composition of 46 okra genotypes, which were imported from the World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC) and planted in the field in a randomized complete block design, with three replications, was evaluated.
The simple analysis of variance showed highly significant (p≤0.01) differences among the tested okra genotypes for all mineral elements (Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P and Zn) as well as total phenolic concentrations, indicating the existence of wide genetic variability among the genotypes.
This information would assist breeders in the selection of suitable candidate parental lines for use in okra breeding and improvement program in South Africa toward population development, selection and release.
Authors
A.S. Gerrano, W.J. Van Rensburg, M. Bairu, S. Amoo, S. Venter
Keywords
mineral element, phenolic, okra, variability
Groups involved
- Division Plant Genetic Resources, Breeding and Biotechnology
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Temperate Tree Fruits
- Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Ornamental Plants
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Commission Banana
- Working Group Biotechnology of Horticultural Species
- Division Temperate Tree Nuts
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