Vegetables: Traditional ways of managing their diversity for food security in southern Ghana - Managing Agrodiversity the Traditional Way - page 108

Table 10.1 Major fruiting vegetable cultivars grown in the demonstration sites

Kind Varieties

Garden egg Round type, odwan shua , white round, nsorowia , twataye ,

unknown* (5)

Eggplant White round, violet type, white long, yellow, unknown* (1)

Tomato Navrongo , lorry tyre, fa adze begye/kentenma , rasta , loriano ,

tamale , processing type, kumasi , denuba , daka-daka , asere ,
power, local/unknown* (4 ) , Akorle , Towenya , Dakam

Pepper Curled finger type, tootoo , kpakposhito , ogyenma , sokwe ,

dalewa (red, yellow, and white types), kwadaa yowhi (bird
pepper - several strains), and toku kwadaa

Okra paa kweku , labadi dwarf , otrom koli , afugbe koli ,

3-month variety, kpulvor , mpempem sono , asontem ,
tall type, etc.

Sword bean White, pink, mottled, all in two size classes - small and large

Lima bean Four-month variety, onanomobo , large pink, akotomo white , akotomo

mottled, long duration types (1-3 years)

Cowpea Light brown, black eyed, brown mottled

Pigeon pea Light brown seeded type, white type

Onion/shallot Shallot (unknown)*

Cucurbits
Agushie Unknown*

Snake gourd Unknown*

Pumpkin Unknown*

* Variety name unknown.

Fruiting vegetables

The major indigenous fruiting vegetables grown in the southern Ghana PLEC
demonstration sites are members of the Solanaceae , Malvaceae , and

Cucurbitaceae families.

Solanaceae

Pepper ( Capsicum spp.)
Pepper is one of the most important vegetables in southern Ghana. The pods are
ground fresh and prepared into a sauce that is served with a main meal, or used
as a spice or condiment in the preparation of stews and soups. Three major
species occur locally, namely Capsicum frutescens , Capsicum anuum , and
Capsicum sinensis , with over 11 major land varieties.
The Capsicum frutescens are hot peppers with mostly elongated, slender fruits
that ripen red. These are important commercially and are sold both fresh and dried.
A wide variation occurs in fruit sizes and immature colours. Capsicum annum, how-
ever, is represented by both hot and sweet cultivars. The hot or pungent varieties