Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5.6. Potato with a sprouted eye.
each of which will sprout (Fig. 5.6) to produce a new potato plant. Tubers are the
primary crop and food staple in many countries, such as those in South America and
northern Europe. Tubers are high in carbohydrates, thus providing energy in the diet,
but
are
generally
low
in
protein,
fat,
fiber;
however,
some
may
contribute
significantly to the vitamin and mineral content of the diet.
5.5.1 Climatic Adaptation
Tubers are grown on all continents and in all climates, although the potato and sweet
potato are more universally grown than boniato. The only restriction is that the soil
must be warm and moist enough for the plant to grow and the growing season long
enough for tubers to form.
5.5.2 Importance to Human Nutrition
Tubers are eaten in all parts of the world and are the main carbohydrate source in many
countries. In cases where they are not the main carbohydrate source, they are commonly
eaten and contribute to the carbohydrate nutrition of the particular peoples. In addition
to carbohydrate tubers can add significant amounts of both vitamins and minerals to the
diet. A more detailed discussion of tuber contribution to nutrition is given below.
5.5.3 Cultivation
Soil is worked by plowing or other cultivation methods to loosen it before planting. All
three tuber crops can be grown from the tuber either whole or from pieces, “seeds”
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