Dolichos Lablab-an underutilized crop with future potentials for food and nutrition security: a review

Abstract

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly goal number two in developing countries by 2030 is challenging. The State of Food Security and Nutrition (2019) in the World show prevalence of undernourishment which has practically remained unchanged for the last three years. This calls for sustainable synergies between food and nutrition in addressing the challenge. Exploring the potential of underutilized legumes such as Dolichos Lablab (Lablab purpureus) in improving food and nutrition security is of importance. Lablab is known among nutritious underutilized diversified legumes, which is drought tolerant relative to other legumes. However, it is less popular as human food. This review focuses on providing details on the nutritional potential of underutilized Lablab varieties for food availability, accessibility and satisfactorily utilization for improved livelihood. So far research attention has been focusing on good agronomic performance with less information on their nutritional quality and its contribution to the wellbeing of people. Both wild and cultivated Lablab accessions do differ morphologically and across diverse habitat environments. This may make them less known, untapped and underutilized despite its promising potential as a food resource in developing countries where malnutrition still exists. Efforts are needed to popularize high-quality nutritional accessions, enhancing their consumption and commercialization for feeding the ever-increasing population in the future.

Keywords:

• Dolichos purpureus
• underutilized Lablab
• varieties
• accessions
• nutrients

Acknowledgements

The authors highly appreciate the contribution from Prof. Patrick A. Ndakidemi from the Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management, at Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Mr. Niel Miller, Agriculture and Livelihoods Technical Advisor Eastern Africa and Mr. Wilson Mariki, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Selian in Tanzania for their innovative practices in Lablab crop systems which enriched the review paper. The authors also acknowledge Kirk house Trust, UK for sponsoring Stress Tolerant Orphan Legumes (STOL) project at NM-AIST for collection and maintenance of Dolichos Genebank and providing detailed information as well as seed materials for illustration in this review.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.