Tropical Tuber Crops: Nutrition and Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Abstract

Tropical root and tuber crops are considered as the third important crops after cereals and grain legumes and have important role in food security, nutrition and climate change adaptation. Tuber crops have the highest biological efficiency of all the crops and produce the most dry matter per day per unit area. The high photosynthetic ability of the tuber crops coupled with the tolerance to pests, diseases and drought and adaptability to various agro-ecological zones as well as marginal soils make them ideal crops in developing and less developed nations. The main nutritional value of roots and tubers is attributed to their high energy content, which is approximately one-third of an equivalent weight of grain, such as rice or wheat. Besides being an underground food or energy storehouse, most of the root and tuber crops are also rich in vitamins and minerals. Nutritional disorders resulting from the deficiency of vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium can be easily alleviated by consumption of tuber crops like cassava, sweet potato, yams and aroids. The orange- and yellow-fleshed sweet potato roots and green leaves are good sources of vitamin A, which can prevent night blindness and malnutrition. Sweet potato is also rich in antioxidants such as β-carotene, ascorbic acid and tocopherol (vitamin E), which can prevent coronary disorders and many lifestyle diseases. There is a great variation in the nutritional quality of roots and tubers depending on the variety, location, soil type, agricultural practices, etc.