Common Name:

General Information

Solanum tarderemotum is an unarmed, annual or short-lived perennial plant, usually widely spreading with erect or prostrate branches. It can grow up to 150cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. Sometimes sold as a food in local markets, demand for the crop has increased in the early 21st century and the plant is now cultivated within its native range, mainly in kitchen gardens but also to a limited extent on a commercial basis[].

Known Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most species in this genus also contain toxic alkaloids. Whilst these alkaloids can make the plant useful in treaing a range of medical conditions, they can also cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, salivation, drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weakness and respiratory depression[].
Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, east DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers organic-rich soils that are high in nitrogen and phosphorus[].
It is reported to grow wild in disturbed areas or as a weed on agricultural land, probably often as escapes from cultivation[].
Initial seedling growth is rapid. Flowering starts when plants are about 6 weeks old, but harvesting of leaves can continue thereafter[].
Young shoots 10 - 15cm long are picked, starting 3 - 4 weeks after transplanting or 5 - 6 weeks after sowing. The preferred harvest method is ratoon cropping where the apical shoot is picked at the first harvest, allowing side shoots to grow. Subsequent harvests are at intervals of 1 - 2 weeks for the following 8 - 12 weeks[].
The harvest period for a rainy season crop without additional fertilizing is 4 - 6 weeks, but a well-managed crop may be harvested for up to 4 months[].
Regular harvesting of young shoots causes a prolonged vegetative period, whereas undisturbed plants may flower 8 weeks after seedling emergence[].
Average yields of 12 - 20 tonnes per hectare can be achieved, but these can be increased to 80 tonnes if the crop is fed and irrigated[].
When, after several months of harvesting, the crop comes to its end, the farmers collect the fruits that have dropped on the ground for extraction of seeds for the next season[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and young tender shoots - cooked[]. A somewhat bitter flavour, appreciated by older people[]. The leaves are used as spinach or fried directly without boiling, mainly as accompaniment to the local staple food[]. Fruits can be removed, milk can be added to the cooked leaves which can then be left overnight to reduce the bitterness. The leaves may be mixed with other leafy vegetables (e.g. amaranth) to enhance their palatability[]. The purple-fruited types are usually more bitter than green-fruited ones[].

Fruit - raw. Children often eat ripe fruits of the green-fruited types raw[]. The pale green to purplish fruit is a globose berry 4 - 6 mm in diameter containing many small seeds[].

Medicinal

Infusions of the leaves, roots and young fruits are used medicinally to treat duodenal ulcers, stomach upsets, boils, swollen glands and teething problems[]. The cooked plant is recommended in the treatment of patients with malaria[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A crop rotation with crops such as maize or amaranth is recommended in order to control nematodes[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - germination normally takes place in 5 - 7 days[]. It is common practice to sow seeds in a nursery and transplant the seedlings when they are 10 - 15cm tall and have at least 5 true leaves. Many growers mix the tiny seeds with fine soil, ash or dried manure before sowing. Nursery beds are mulched and irrigated daily. Well-fermented farmyard manure is incorporated into the plant beds whenever available because this gives better results than fertilizers only[].
The seeds can remain viable for several years when kept dry and cool[]. Germination can sometimes be problematic because of low vigour caused by improper seed extraction and therefore inadequate removal of sugars and germination inhibitors present in the fruit. Other reasons for problematic germination are that seeds are not dried and stored properly, or that the seed is dormant[].

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