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Roots
&tubers
Indigenous root and
tubers are of future importance!
Source: Maundu, P., T.
Johns, et al. (2005). Traditional root
and tuber food plants of Sub Sahara Africa:
Diversity and potential for improving
health, nutrition and livelihood. Cape
to Cairo Safari Conference, Potchefstroom,
South Africa, North West University.
Today, African root and tuber species
are one of the most underutilized foods
in Sub Sahara Africa (SSA). Most of the
research and development work have given
priority on introduced food crops but
very little on indigenous varieties. The
main focus in Sub Sahara Africa was laid
on cereals and oil crops but roots and
tubers which can be important energy and
water sources for pastoral and hunter-gatherer
communities have been under less attention.
In SSA 0.5% of the indigenous flora
comprises of edible root and tubers which
belong mainly to the families:
- Asclepiadaceae
- Convolvulaceae
- Fabaceae
- Liliaceae
- Cyperaceae
- Dioscoreaceae
Most of thees species from the families
mentioned above are used in form of snacks
and obtained from the wild. Through the
demolition of habitats, root and tuber
consumption as well as the knowledge about
their use is threatening to diappear.
Recent introduced crops:
- Carrot (highly commercialized)
Introduced
crops
- Cassava
- Sweet potatoes
- Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
- Tannia (Xanthosoma
sagittifolium)
Note: Sweet potato,
Irish potato, Malanga (cocoyam) and cassava
originated from South America
Indigenous species
Note: There
is only one species hat has received most
attention and ranks among the most studied.
In Kenya, four species are cultivated
but around sixteen could be grown.
Green leafy vegetables obtained from
root and tubers
The leaves of introduced roots and tubers,
as cassava, sweet potatoes, taro and tannia
are a main source of minerals and vitamins
for a lot of communities and the crops
itself contribute as major source of energy.
For the improvement in nutrition, livelihood
and health it is important to promote
the use of wild root and tuber species,
especially those used as green leafy vegetables
and their domestication, habitat protection
and species improvement. Furthermore,
their documentation is of great importance
considering that a lot of communities
consume root and tubers raw and sometimes
without knowing about their poisonous
properties.
FUTURE:
The diversity of root and tubers
has to be promoted and kept because:
Loss of farmers varieties:
- Narrow range of products
- Lack of local knowledge and cultivation
of "wild" species
- Loosing habitats
SWEET POTATO
The sweet potato was mostly preferred
to cassava from the nutritious point of
view because of its 40% higher protein
content, high amount of vitamin B-2 complex
and its high quantities in vitamin C.
The varieties which were grown in East
Africa before the 1940s did not contain
valuable amounts of carotene and the varieties
with appreciable amounts were examined
by the Tanganyika Agriculture Department
at that period of time.
Reference: Culwick, A.
T. and G. M. Culwick (1941). "Nutrition
and native agriculture in East Africa."
East African Medical Journal 6: 146-153.
CASSAVA
The cassava root could be grown mostly
everywhere, was a very high yielder and
also available during the dry season which
made it to an important famine reserve
crop for East Africa.. Cassava played
an important role in nutrition. First
as a tuber and second it was used as a
staple food although the protein and mineral
content of the root was low and it contained
only negligible amounts of digestible
fat. In its fresh state the cassava plant
was a good source of vitamin C, comparable
to the sweet potato.
References: Culwick, A.
T. and G. M. Culwick (1941). "Nutrition
and native agriculture in East Africa."
East African Medical Journal 6: 146-153.
Raymond, W. D., W. Jojo, et al. (1941).
"The nutritive value of some Tanganyika
foods." The East African Agricultural
Journal 6: 154.
Created
by Verena Raschke 2005
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