Minor tubers are receiving a big push from the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) here as part of a bid to expand the Indian food basket and guarantee livelihood security.
The CTCRI initiative to propagate the cultivation of and research on minor tubers such as Queensland arrowroot and Mexican turnip assumes significance given the growing nutritional needs of far-flung communities and concerns over the likely impact of climate change on farming.
Largely neglected in the ‘mainstream’ food basket in recent times, these crops are grown in different parts of India, but deserve better attention in the emerging scenario, according to the CTCRI.
Acknowledging the growing importance of the West Indian arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea), research on an improved variety by CTCRI scientists is in now the final stages, CTCRI director G. Byju told The Hindu. West Indian arrowroot is cultivated in States including Kerala.
Tribes in Odisha
Another example is the Queensland arrowroot (Canna edulis), grown as an ornamental plant. For tribal communities in Koraput district of Odisha, where about 200 acres are under cultivation for its starch, it is a source of livelihood security, Dr. Byju said. Similar is the case of the East Indian arrowroot (Curcuma angustifolia), which is a livelihood source for communities in States such as Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
The CTCRI list also contains the Mexican turnip or yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus), a leguminous tuber crop rich in dietary fibre (5-6%), vitamin-C, iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese. The CTCRI, which has a centre in Bhubaneswar, recently introduced yam bean in Gajapati district, Odisha.
Tech improves yield
The CTCRI currently has outreach programmes designed to help groups cultivating minor tubers. “The introduction of scientific agro-techniques have improved the yield of minor tuber crops to the tune of 15-25%,” M. Nedunchezhiyan, Principal Scientist in charge of the tribal sub-plan (TSP) of CTCRI, said in a concept note on the initiative.
CTCRI scientists had also developed and commercialised a starch extraction machine for arrowroot since post-harvest starch extraction is a laborious and time-consuming process. In 2023, the institute had trained more than 3,000 farmers in subjects related to cultivation and processing.
