Tropical Tuber Crops an alternative for Food, Nutrition and Livelihood improvement in Rural India

Archana Mukherjee

ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Regional Centre, Bhubaneswar-751019, Odisha, India *e-mail: archanapsm2@rediffmail.com

CTCRIHQ

CTCRIRC

Environmental challenges- issues

• Rural India is home of 833.10 million settled in 6,40,867 villages

• Population, poverty and pollution are the haunting issues

• India, having more than 6000 km of coastline and many islands, is highly vulnerable to climate change

• Food-insecure vast coastal wet lands in India and other countries are prone to frequent cyclones and floods (IPCC, CoP-8).

• Consequences of climate change affecting the ‘food security chain’.

• Compounding to wide spread poverty, malnutrition & high infant mortality rate

Challenges

Source: http://ghi.ifpri.org

Global Hunger Index (GHI) in India and in its major neighboring countries from 1990 to 2015

Rank Country 1990 1995 2000 2005 2015

55 India 31.2 26.9 25.5 24.2 29

57 Bangladesh 36.6 34.4 24.0 19.8 23.6

5 China 13.6 10.7 8.5 6.8 8.6

58 Pakistan 26.7 23.3 22.1 21.0 33.9

Why TUBER CROPS ?

377 Calories/100 g

386 calories/ 100 g

Climate resilient crops are the demand of the day (The tropical tuber crops can play significant role)

Cassava

Sweet potato

361 calories /100 g

370 calories/100 g

371 calories/100 g

Taro

Elephant Foot Yam

Yams

Tuber crops

Grams per 100 g on dry weight basis

Protein Fat Minerals Fibre Carbohydrates Calories

Potato 7.3 0.4 2.4 1.6 89.0 382

Sweet potato 3.8 0.9 3.1 2.5 88.5 377

Cassava 1.7 4.9 2.5 1.5 84.9 386

Yam 4.7 0.3 5.3 3.3 86.6 370

Taro 11.6 0.4 6.3 3.7 78.5 361

Elephant foot yam

5.6 0.5 3.8 3.8 86.3 371

Rice 7.8 0.8 0.7 0.2 89.9 397

Wheat 13.5 1.7 1.7 1.4 81.2 393

Comparative proximate composition of tuber crops to combat hidden hunger

Concentrations of β-carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin E in sweet potato tubers and other vegetables (Per 100 g fresh. wt.)

Vegetable β-carotene (mg) Vitamin C (mg) Vitamin E (mg)

Sweet potato 1.8-16 23 4.56

Carrots 4-11 6 0.56

Tomatoes 0.64 17 1.22

Tuber crops are hidden treasure and hence needs a proper direction as source for food, nutrition and livelihood.

Parameter Quantity/100g edible portion (fwb)*

Parameter Quantity / 100g edible portion (fwb)*

Energy 360 kJ (86 kcal) Minor nutrients (mg) Major nutrients (g) Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.8

Carbohydrates 20.1 Vitamin B6 0.2 Starch 12.7 Folate (Vit. B9) 0.011 Sugars 4.2 Vitamin C 2.4 Dietary fibre 3.0 Calcium 30.0 Fat 0.1 Iron 0.6 Protein 1.6 Magnesium 25.0 Minor nutrients (mg) Phosphorus 47.0 Beta-carotene (orange fleshed varieties)

8-14 Potassium 337

Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.1 Sodium 55 Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.1 Zinc 0.3 Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.61 - -

Nutritional profile of sweet potato tubers

*Fresh weight basis; Source: USDA Database (2001) • Sweet potato leaves & vine tops are also nutritionally rich • Sweet potato leaves are one of the richest sources of anthocyanin (15 types) • Contain higher level of ‘Lutein’ (0.38-0.58 mg/g fwb ) more than spinach, broccoli, lettuce etc. the major

pigment of human retina

Parameter D. alata D. rotundata D. esculenta Major nutrients (g/100g fwb) Total carbohydrate 22-31 15-23 17-25 Starch 16.7-28 26.8-30.2 25 Free sugars 0.5-1.4 0.3-1 0.6 Crude protein 1.1-3.1 1.1-2.3 1.3-1.9 Crude fat <0.1-0.6 0.05-0.1 0.04-0.3 Crude fibre 1.4-3.8 1.0-1.7 0.2-1.5 Ash 0.7-2.1 0.7-2.6 0.5-1.5 Energy (kcal) 140 142 112 Minerals and vitamins (mg/100g fwb) Phosphorous 28-52 17 35-53 Calcium 28-38 36 12-62 Iron 5.5-11.6 5.2 0.8 Vitamin C - 2.0-8.2 6.0-12.0 Thiamine 0.05-0.10 - 0.1 Riboflavin 0.03-0.04 - 0.01 Niacin 0.5 - 0.8

Nutritional profile of edible yam (Dioscorea spp.) expressed per 100g fresh weight

*Source : Asiedu et al. (1997) ; Bradbury and Holloway (1988); • Rich in antioxidants (phenolics, anthocyanin, flavonoids & vitamins) • Rich in estrogenic compounds • Antihypertensive, bone protective, immune-stimulatory

Parameters Nutrient value USDA (2003) Hedges and Lister (2006) Onwueme (1999)

Energy (kcal) 112 114 - Major nutrients (g) Carbohydrates 26.46 26.80 13-29 Protein 1.50 1.34 1.4-3.0 Total Fat 0.20 0.11 0.16-0.36 Dietary Fibre 4.1 2.50 - Ash - 1.91 0.6-1.3 Vitamins (µg) Folates 22 Niacin 600 780 900 Riboflavin 25 29 40 Thiamin 95 28 180 Vitamin A 12 6 - Vitamin C 4500 14300 700-900 Electrolytes (mg) Sodium 11 4.2 - Potassium 591 489 - Minerals (mg) Calcium 43 20.3 - Iron 0.55 0.44 - Zinc 0.23 2.06 -

Nutrition value of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) schott) tubers (per 100g fwb)

• Good source of Zn, Fe • 100g of taro fresh leaves can supplement 4825 IU or 161% of RDA of Vit. A • 100g tubers provide 11% daily requirement of dietary fibre • Purple and orange flesh provides additional antioxidants

Constituents Elephant foot yam* Tannia** Major nutrients (g) Carbohydrates 70.75 93.62 Protein 11.53 2.83 Fat 3.52 0.93 Crude fibre 14.32 0.88 Ash 6.90 1.74 Minor nutrients (mg) Potassium 3.81 5.25 Zinc 2.31 0.46 Sodium - 66 Iron 34.02 0.42

Nutritional profile of elephant foot yam and tannia tubers (100g fwb)

Source: * Srivastava et al. (2014) ; Basu et al. (2014) ** Akpan and Umoh (2004)

• Natural antioxidants • Rich in Zn (2-2.3mg /100g) against RD intake of 0.15mg (WHO, 2001) • Zn essential for synthesis and catabolism, also for immunity • It also contain omega-3 fatty acid • High in Vit. B6, A, C

• The conservation of biodiversity of tuber crops is most important in the context of food insecurity, climate change and organic farming

• Tubers of all these crops are also rich in calorie, vitamins and minerals a good source of dietary supplement

• Leaves rich in protein, vitamins and minerals are used as fodder

• Under erratic climate (Super cyclone 1999, Tsunami 2004, frequent cyclone &flood) tuber crops played crucial role as life support crop

Tropical tubers : source of food, feed and agro-industries

ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) with its Regional Centre in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) working on improving tuber crops technologies and its dissemination across the country for food & nutritional security

RF : 1750 mm Temp : Min Max 8 30 Soil: Sandy, Clay loam

RF : 1450 mm Temp: Min Max 8 38 Soil :Sandy loam Silty clay, Alluvial RF : 1050 mm

Temp: min max 10 40 Soil : Sandy loam

RF : 947 mm Temp: min max 17 37 Soil : Red loam

RF : 3000 mm Temp: min max 19 34 Soil : Laterite

RF : 3560 mm Temp: min max 12 37 Soil : Laterite

RF :1790 mm Temp: min max 15 38 Soil: Hilly, Red Soil

Potato Belt (Temperate)

Tuber crops grown across the country

Cassava

Sweet potato

Aroids

Yams

Wide adaptive to different agro climatic conditions

Road Map ICAR-CTCRI

Integrated multidisciplinary system research

Production & Value addition to tuber crops

Evaluation for valued traits (Improved varieties, processing etc.)

Linkages with public, private and policy Institutions

Breeding

Production & protection

Extension & Training

Infrastructure and Linkage

Implementation Action mode: participatory/outreach

Knowledge diffusion, motivation, household food-nutrition and

sustainable livelihood

Knowledge diffusion, motivation, household food-nutrition and

sustainable livelihood

Improved tuber crops technologies

Dry matter (%) : 29.7-32.4 Total Starch (%) : 22.9-28.1 Cooking quality : Excellent soft

& mealy Average Yield : 23 t ha-1

ST-10

Dry matter (%) : 27.4-32.5 Total Starch (%) : 20.8-23.9 Cooking quality : Fair Average Yield : 18 t ha-1

Tolerate salt stress (6-8 dsm-1)

ST-14 ST-13

Dry matter (%) : 27-29 Total Starch (%) : 21.4-23.8 Cooking quality : Good &

mealy Average Yield : 19.8 t ha-1

Tolerate salt stress (6-8 dsm-1)

Tolerate mid season drought

Pani Saru - 1 Pani Saru - 2

Muktakeshi

Kalinga

Dry matter (%) : 29.6 Total Starch (%) : 28 Total sugar (%) : 2.5-3.3 Cooking quality : Excellent Average Yield : 17-18 tha-1

Dry matter (%) : 26 Total Starch (%) : 12 Total sugar (%) : 3.3 Cooking quality : Good Average Yield : 15.7 t ha-1

Dry matter (%) : 32 Total Starch (%) : 17 Total sugar (%) : 2.8 Cooking quality : Good Average Yield : 13 t ha-1

Submergence tolerant –Taro & Sweet potato

• Induced flooding and in situ water logged coastal and flood prone areas resulted in identifying two taro genotypes

• Studies in sweet potato resulted in identifying submergence tolerant three genotypes (cv. Kalinga, Pusa safed and Samrat)

Muktakeshi

Yield : 15-20 t/ha Dry matter (%) : 23 Starch (%) : 17.8 Total sugar (%) : 2.0 Cooking quality : Excellent

Yield : 15-20 t/ha Dry matter (%) : 23.5 to 24.6 Starch (%) : 12.3-14.2 Total sugar (%) : 1.3 – 1.7 Cooking quality : Good

Jhankri Sonajuli

Yield : 15 - 20 t/ha Dry matter (%) : 23.0 to 24.8 Starch (%) : 156 - 17.3 Total sugar (%) : 1.2 – 1.5 Cooking quality : Good

Biotic and abiotic stress tolerant taro Developed taro verities (Muktakeshi, Jhankri & Sonajuli) tolerant to both biotic (blight) and abiotic stresses (drought and salinity)

Hybrid yambean 8 x 9, av. yield 35 -45 t/ha, maturity 5 months

hybrid 8 x 9

Early maturing Yambean & Yam

Orissa Elite Da-25 Yield : 20-25 t/ha Dry matter (%) : 28.3 Starch (%) : 20.1 Total sugar (%) : 3.8 Cooking quality : Excellent

Short duration (6-7 months) greater yams

Yield : 20-25 t/ha Dry matter : 32-33% Starch : 20-22.5% Total Sugar : 1-1.5 % Cooking quality : Excellent

Improved cassava & elephant foot yam varieties

Maturity (8-9 months)

Remunerative intercrop

Yield : 35-45 t/ha

Non acrid

Good cooking quality

Sree Jaya Sree Vijaya

• Early maturing variety (6-7 month)

• A rotation crop in low land

• Excellent cooking quality

• Yield 25-28t/ha

Gajendra

Agricultural Biotechnology

• Released 12 sweet potato, 5 cassava, 5 taro varieties brought in vitro culture

• Pollen of 2 exotic taro cryo stored and used to develop taro hybrids

Viability of stored pollen Taro fruit (hybridized with stored pollen)

Germination of taro seeds

Viability of stored pollen

Disease and Pest Management

Dissemination of IPM technology in 200 ha to control sweet potato weevil found effective in Dhenkanal of Odisha. Further plans to disseminate in Nabarangpur and other districts of Odisha.

Management of sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius)

Natural Resource Management 2/3rd of our Campus cropped area is brought under micro irrigation.

1/3rd cropped area has been brought under drip fertigation. Soil health cards provided to 250 farmers of Bhubaneswar block of Khorda district on World Soil Day (5th December 2015). Soil samples from 6220 Gram Panchayats representing 30 district of Odisha are being analysed for soil fertility. Inter crops with maize & yam is found more profitable.

Tuber crops INM strategies are developed.

Fertigation management in elephant foot yam Drip fertigation at 3 days interval with 50 split application of fertilizers realised FUE 61.7 kg/kg and 33.4 kg/kg higher than soil application 300 litres of water is essential to produce 1kg of Elephant foot yam corm.

Quality planting materials produced 2015-2016

Every year this Centre produces to the tune of 32 tones of taro, elephant foot yam and yams 20,000 stem cuttings of cassava, 5 lac cuttings of sweet potato and 300kg yam bean seeds.

Post Harvest Technology

• The antioxidant protecting properties of fermented product confirmed health benefits when consumed and could become a valuable source of antioxidant rich nutraceuticals

• Value added products developed from sweet potato such as composite flour (orange- fleshed sweet potato flour (OFSP): wheat flour; 50: 50)

• Extruded vitamin rich products developed from cassava and sweet potato • Improved food products, Chapati with Ragi, wheatflour, and OFSP

(25:50:25) and Jau with OFSP and Ragi 50:50.

Processing Equipments For Tuber Crops

RASPER

FEED GRANULATOR

CHIPPING MACHINE

MOBILE STARCH EXTRACTION PLANT

LIQUID ADHESIVE PLANT

Starch

Cassava – Starch, sago, chips, wafers, industrial alcohol, silage, fish feed, bio-degradable plastic etc.

Sweet potato – Starch, Industrial alcohol, pro-biotic curd, pickle, wine, jam, jelly, squash etc.

Yams – Starch, chips

Taro – Starch, chips

Arrowroot – Starch, biscuits

Products

Animal feed

Ascent to sustainable livelihood security

Outreach programme

• Local - (KVKs, SAUs, SHGs, NGOs, Line depts.)

• National – (AICRP, DUS, TSP, NEH & Institutional)

• International - (INEA), LANSA

Outreach And Technology Transfer :North Eastern India (Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura)

AVERAGE ABIOTIC

CONDITIONS

RF : 1750 mm Temp : Min Max 8 30 Soil: Sandy, Clay

loam

• Rainy, tropical climate with poor agro-economic conditions • Fringe farming, shifting cultivation with minimal use of technology • Aroids are popular, but not as a cash crop ICAR-CTCRI intervention • Distributed fortifying, high yielding and climate resilient varieties of cassava, EFY, Taro and sweet potato • Pre & post harvest technologies imparted through training • Post harvest tools of cassava slicer, chipping machine, grater are distributed • Around 986 farmer families directly benefitted

SWEET POTATO CASSAVA AROIDS YAMS

Tribal %- 86.5 (NL) + 86.1 (ML) + 35.1 (MN) + 31.8 (TR) Tehsils/ Sub-distt.- 93 (NL) + 39 (ML) + 38 (MN) + 38 (TR)

Imparting training and technology transfer to farmers in North Eastern Hill regions , India

Value addition to cassava and taro for food and feed

Fragile agro-climatic conditions, poor food & nutritional status in tribal districts

ICAR-CTCRI intervention

• Distributed high yielding, tolerant lines of EFY, Taro, yam, cassava and sweet potato.

• Imparted pre-harvest techniques & post-harvest utilizations.

• 655 farmer families benefitted directly over three years

• Horizontal dissemination has further benefitted other neighboring villages

Outreach And Technology Transfer : Odisha, India

AV. ABIOTIC CONDITIONS

RF : 1450 mm

Temp: Min Max 8 38

Soil :Sandy loam Silty clay, Alluvial

Tribal %- 22.8 Tehsils/ Sub-distt.-

277

SWEET POTATO CASSAVA AROIDS YAMS

Training and participatory nutrie farming in Malkangiri, Odisha

Ascent to food and nutrition security

Training and participatory nutrie farming with β-carotene rich ST-14 Sweet potato in Koraput, Odisha

Dry matter (%) : 27-29

Extractable Starch (%) : 18.8-19.7

Total sugar (%) : 2-2.4

β carotene content (mg/100 g) : 11.5-13.5

Cooking quality : Good and mealy

Average Yield : 19.8 tha-1

Breeding method : Open pollination and clonal selection

Specific areas of its adoption : All over Odisha

ST-14 Can tolerate salinity stress (6-8.0 dsm-1)

Suitable for nutritious food processing industries

Interactions on sweet potato variety ST-14, its products, during tuber crops based livelihood improvement training programme

Participatory Breeding Trials at different villages of Odisha

International Network for Edible Aroids (INEA), Taro for adapting climatic and commercial changes

Taro based nutrie farming, Puri, Odisha

K : 2 – 3.2%

Fe : 50- 70 mg/kg

Zn : 80-110 mg/kg

Ca : 2000 – 3800 mg/kg

LANSA, FSN discussion and Interactions with Prof. Swaminathan for ‘malnutrition free India’ with agri tools like β-carotene, anthocyanin rich sweet potato

Nutrition sensitive farming

SWEET POTATO CASSAVA AROIDS YAMS

AV. ABIOTIC CONDITIONS

RF : 1450 mm

Temp: Min Max 8 38

Soil :Sandy loam Silty clay, Alluvial

Outreach And Technology Transfer : Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand, India

• Peninsular region, adverse agro-climatic & socio-economic conditions

• Unstable food & nutritional status in tribal districts

ICAR-CTCRI intervention

• Distributed fortifying, tolerant lines of EFY, Taro, yam, cassava and sweet potato.

• Imparted pre-harvest techniques & post-harvest utilizations.

• Post harvest tools were distributed.

• 585 farmer families benefitted directly and through NGOs

Tribal %- 30.6 (CH) + 22.8 (JH)

Tehsils/ Sub-distt.- 89 (CH) + 210 (JH)

Ascent to livelihood security Tribal dominated districts of Odisha, Chattisgarh & Jharkhand

Ascent to food, nutrition and livelihood security

SWEET POTATO CASSAVA AROIDS YAMS

Outreach And Technology Transfer : Tamil Nadu – Kerela, INDIA

• Excellent agro-climatic & socio-economic conditions, urban areas with technology driven agriculture

ICAR-CTCRI intervention

• Distributed fortifying, tolerant aroids, cassava and sweet potato lines.

• Continuously updating improved technology to farmers

• Post harvest utilizations like sago, cassava wafers, fries, sweet potato delicacies

• Post harvest tools like starch extracter, wafer cutter, rasper, feed granulator distributed.

• 485 farmer families benefitted directly

Strengthening Researcher Farmer Linkages

Livelihood improvement & nutritional security of tribal farmers through tuber crops technologies (TSP) in Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh: 120 tribal farm families were benefited by field demonstrations (0.4 ha model farming system) involving tuber crops, pulses, cereals, vegetables and poultry birds in Koraput and Kandhamal districts of Odisha and Barakigorang village in Ranchi, Jharkhand Training imparted to 600 farmers of Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh Interventions enhanced the gross income from Rs. 70,000 to 90,000/- depending on the components of farming system Farm implements and Machineries distributed to young entrepreneurs of Koraput, Odisha: Three starch extraction units , chipping machines & solar pump were provided.

Farming system involving tuber crop (Institutional & AICRPTC-TSP) 2015-16 in Odisha

ICAR-CTCRI technologies disseminated to 20 districts in Odisha. Farming system involving tuber crops 0.4 ha model was laid out in 30 tribal farmers’ field. Farming system involving tuber crops gave net return of Rs.38,000/0.4 ha., compared to rice alone- 720 kg of rice and net return of Rs. 12500/0.4 ha.

Field visit Gumagada Field visit Kuinpada

Exhibition • 12 Nos. of exhibition participated during 2015-16

Exhibition • 6 Nos. of exhibition participated during March to August 2016

Workshop on “Horticulture for East Coast”, 1st July 2016

Intervention in Nabrangpur (Zero District) in Odisha against malnutrition and food insecurity

Mera Gaon – Mera Gourav

• Ten villages adopted by ICAR-CTCRI, Regional Centre • No. of households covered in Khorda district, Odisha - 1485 • Total area covered in Odisha – 1107 ha

Baseline data collection

Mera Gaon- Mera Gaurav (Odisha)

Field Visit

ICAR- CTCRI, Regional Centre Swachhata Pakwara May 2016

Eminent Persons Visit during 2015-16

Tuber crop based starch factories and food processing units are steadily gaining popularity in urban areas of following states in India.

• Cassava and EFY in Andhra Pradesh

• Yams, Sweet potato in Maharashtra

• Sweet potato, Taro and EFY in UP, WB and Bihar

• Sweet potato, taro and yam in Karnataka

• Sweet potato and yam in Goa

Tuber Crops As Cash Crops Gaining visibility in non-traditional areas

Upcoming Technologies to address National & Int. Issues ICAR- CTCRI RC

Breeding sweet potato for valued traits, 2015- 2018

Targets • Yield- (>17 t/ha), Starch (>18%), • β-carotene (>14mg/100g), • Anthocyanin (>1g/100g) • Reduced crop growth cycle (75-90 days) • Weevil resistance (infestation less than 10%)

Purple flesh sweet potato (A & B)- yield 19-20 t/ha, anthocyanin 0.9g-1.2g/100g, starch18-20.5%,weevil infestation<5%, tolerant to salt stress,90 days maturity

VAP-34 VAP-2

A B

Orange flesh sweet potato (C-E)-yield 20-21 t/ha, β-carotene 14-16mg/100g, starch16-18.5%,weevil infestation <10%,tolerant to salt stress,90 days maturity

C D E

VAO-12 VAO-33 VAO-43

White flesh sweet potato (F&G)-yield 22-23t/ha, high starch 18-20.8%, weevil infestation < 7%, tolerant to salt stress, 90 days maturity

F G

VAW-22 VAW-11

For food, nutrition and processing

ICAR- CTCRI RC- PPV & FRA DUS Project on

Taro & Elephant foot yam April 2012-March 2016

Plant type, leaf, petiole, corm characters of variety- Jhankri

Intermediate eddoe type, leaf green, cup shaped, tip pointed, margin sinuate, sheath medium, clustered corm, dark umber skin, flesh white

Plant type, corm characters of variety - Gajendra

Horizontal plant, large corm, very few corm wrinkles, light brown corm skin, light pink flesh

DUS guidelines

ICAR-CTCRI adding value to tuber crops

• Developing therapeutic & prophylactic applications from tuber crops for wellness

• Inclusion of tuber crops extruded products in mid-day meal scheme

• Development of bio-colorants, animal feed and biofuel

• Commodity chemicals, pigments, enzymes, yeast ,flavours etc. from microbial bio-technology

• Ethanol production from cassava & sweet potato, nano-composites, degradable plastics from tuber starch

• Developing pre and post-harvest mechanization to reduce costing

Mission

Drive against malnutrition through nutrie farm, farming system for nutrition programme is already on wheel

Road map for quest of valued traits of tuber crops is in right direction bridging food and nutrition gap of 1.2 billion

VISION ‘Zero Hunger by 2030’ Thanks