Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
have more commercial importance than the sweet type. The land varieties of sweet
peppers are non-bell types, up to three centimeters in diameter with variable shapes
and immature fruit pigmentation ranging from cream/light yellow to various
shades of green, all of which ripen red. The
Capsicum sinensis
cultivars, which
include
kpakposhito
and
odjengba
, are also very variable in shape and sizes but
are usually not elongated. These are called the fragrant peppers on account of their
sweet aroma. The immature fruit colour in this species varies from cream through
light yellow to various shades of green. The ripe fruit colour is red or yellow. Some
of the most pungent fruit types come from this species. Fruits of this species are
unsuitable for preservation by drying. Over 11 varieties and strains of peppers are
found in the southern zone, comprising both wild and cultivated types.
For home consumption, peppers are normally intercropped on annual food
farms as scattered plantings among other vegetables. However, they are also
grown in solid blocks in pure stands in a multiple cropping system, or as a
monocrop for commercial production. Pepper is an important component of
home gardens where a few plants are maintained for year-round supply of fresh
pods. Very often one or two plants of an elite selection may be kept close to the
kitchen for special protection and easy access.
The garden egg/eggplant complex
The garden egg/eggplant complex comprises eggplant (
Solanum melongena
) -
atropo
, garden egg (
S. gilo
) -
ntrowa
,
S. macrocarpon
-
gboma
,
S. torvum -
abeduro
, and
nsusua
(
S. nigrum
). Among these the most important on the local
market is the garden egg, followed by the eggplant. The fruits of the
Solanum
species are used in the preparation of soups and stews. In the case of the
gboma
(
S. macrocarpon
) the fruits of most varieties are hard and turn corky on maturity.
Therefore the leaf is the most important edible part of this species even though
fruits of some cultivars are also consumed.
The various species show variability in fruit sizes, immature colour, and taste.
The fruits of the eggplant (
S. melongena
) vary in size, shape, and colour. They are
rounded or elongated. Immature fruit colour ranges from white through different
shades of green to purple. The colours are solid or mottled. Mature fruit colour is
usually yellow.
The garden egg (
S. gilo
) fruits on the other hand are mostly white, cream, or
various shades of green when immature, but ripen red. They are eaten predomin-
antly in soups and stews both immature and ripe, but the former is preferred.
S. torvum
Members of
S. torvum
show little variation in fruit size or pigmentation. The
small, pale-green fruits occur in clusters. The fruits retain their pale-green colour
at maturity. The
S. torvum
is mostly self-sown and the fruits are collected from
volunteer plants on the farms, around the homestead, or from the wild.
S. torvum
