An integrated study on resource assessment, utilization and domestication of Aloe zebrina Baker has been carried out. Field work (socio-economic survey on utilization,management and propagation; ecology and population status; nutritive composition and genetic analysis) was undertaken in Otjozondjupa, Omusati and Ohangwena regions of Namibia. A. zebrina material was collected from study areas and investigated at the University of Namibia and Bangor University for genetic diversity and nutritive composition. The socio-economic survey involved 157 respondents interviewed individually and 168 respondents participated in focus group discussion. Participants in study area are knowledgeable of A. zebrina species ranging from its existence, status,
importance as food, medicine, animal feed, management, possibility of propagation and domestication. Vast knowledge gathered included processing, production and consumption, taste of flower products, demand, supply and cost; nutritional importance, gender role, land tenure including flower collection locations, marketing and income generation. Indigenous knowledge on domestication, propagation and management of the species was also collected. Moreover, trials made on testing propagation of A. zebrina species from seeds indicated the potential in growing the species using tested low-cost
propagation methods as demonstrated during this study.
The ecology and population status involved collection of climatic data; soil samples and on-site (population status, regeneration and associated plant species) assessment from the study area. Sandy soil was found to be the most preferable soil for growing A. zebrina species and too much silt, clay, N and OM in the soil would affect growth and development of the species. Regeneration was affected by over collection of flowers; which does not give chance to seed production, therefore made the species threatened. Similarities in plants associated to A. zebrina species observed in the study area, indicated the suitability of these species in the area under study. The nutritive composition analysis involved collection of A. zebrina flowers from Otjozondjupa region, which were cooked, sun-dried and analyzed for nutritional composition (protein,
ash, fat and dietary fibre), vitamins (nicotinic, pyridoxine, thiamine and riboflavin) and mineral contents (calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, manganese and zinc) were determined. The genetic analysis of populations involved DNA extractions and generation of amplified fragment length polymorphism markers (AFLPs) for the 84 individual plants belonging to eight study sites surveyed during the field study. Although genetic diversity study based on 359 bands produced from eight combined primer pairs indicated an 86% polymorphism, which suggested high degree of diversity between A. zebrina populations, and the dendrogram constructed showed no significant
grouping of A. zebrina populations neither by study sites nor by study regions; future research based on similar studies should include further optimization of AFLP molecular markers with adequate repeats samples. However, this study represents a new broadness of integration in the investigation of A. zebrina as a resource, its utilization and domestication in Namibia. The socio-economic importance of the species and the utilization of assembled information in the future management of the species are discussed.