Underutilised Oyster Nut (Telfairia pedata): Farmers’ Knowledge, Practices and Utilisation in Northern Tanzania

Abstract

Oyster nut [Telfairia pedata (Smiths ex Sim)] Hook is a regularly 
cultivated crop in East African countries such as Tanzania (including 
Zanzibar Island), Uganda, Angola, Mozambique, and along Kenya’s 
coast, which is regarded to be underutilised. Despite its relevance to 
small-scale farmers in terms of conservation, income creation and food 
security, little is known about the farmer’s knowledge, practices and 
utilisation in Northern Tanzania. Therefore, this study aimed at 
investigating aspects of its production, including farmers’ practices, 
utilisation and preferences. Data collection was carried out through 
semi-structured questionnaires in the regions of Arusha, Kilimanjaro 
and Tanga. Descriptive analysis was done whereby frequencies, means 
and percentages were calculated using SPSS from the farmers’ 
responses. The results on oyster nut preferences, knowledge, 
cultivation and utilisation were presented in the form of tables and 
graphs. The findings revealed that 87% of respondents who were 
knowledgeable about oyster nuts were female, 89% of interviewed 
farmers grew the nuts on inherited family lands, 24% of respondents 
stored oyster nuts in perforated plastic bags, and 90% of the farmers 
used recycled seeds as their primary method of propagation without 
the use of any agricultural inputs. Conclusively, the study gives 
significant baseline data for future research on oyster nuts and 
development projects in Tanzania to enhance its conservation and 
sustainable usage while ensuring nutritional security for the majority 
of resource-poor people.