Research Article
Health science
A Critical Appraisal of Amaranths and Chenopodium Weeds for Their Harmful and Beneficial Aspects in Context to Food Security in Pastoral Area
Amaranths and Chenopodium species are among the worst weeds in the
world. They are annuals competing with many economic crops including
cereals and vegetables in different parts of the world including Ethiopia and
cause great yield losses. Lack of knowledge about these pseudo-cereal weeds
has created an atmosphere of uncertainty among the farmers particularly in
pastoral area like Afar. On the other hand, food insecurity is a reality for
hundreds of millions of people around the world. As a consequence of
globalization and industrialization of agriculture, global food security has
become increasingly dependent on only a handful of fertilization and high
energy demanding plant species. These two crops, rich in high quality protein
content with various essential vitamins and minerals may be an ideal
alternative. In Ethiopia, food insecurity is highly prevalent in moisture deficit
highland and in the lowland pastoral areas. Even in years of adequate rainfall
and good harvest, the people, particularly in lowland agro-pastoral areas,
remain food insecure and in need of food assistance. The mentioned facts
stimulate the retrieving of alternative crops into the production. Thus, the
present paper is a more comprehensive appraisal of these weeds that attempts
to provide information on eco-physiology and economic significance of
Amaranths and Chenopdium into a new perspective with a special focus on
beneficial and harmful impacts on livestock and human.
