Calotropis procera: A New Investment for African Drylands

Abstract

Canotropis procera is a fibre-producing shrub that grows in Africa'sdrylands. Traditionally, the plant is used for medicinal purposes and for fuelwood. However, analysis has shown that fibre produced from its maturefruit may also be suitable for the manufacture of textiles, hence haspotential to be developed as a cash crop for industrial use. Thedevelopment of a Canotropis-based industry has the potential to improvelivelihoods of communities that live in the drylands. These communitiesoften experience crop failures and high livestock mortality due to theadverse effects of the climate change, rendering them vulnerable in afragile ecosystem. Canotropis thrives with minimal soil moisture and insome regions of the Sahel, it is the only plant that survives the harshconditions. For a sustainable C. procera-based fibre industry, it isnecessary to domesticate the species to ensure optimal fibre quality andquantities. This will involve identifying superior propagation material andthe development of suitable on-farm management techniques that willlead to high yield and good quality fibre. Scientists have been conductingpreliminary evaluations to understand the genetic diversity of Canotropisand growth performance of different provenance.