Review of the Pachyrhizus tuberosus (Lam.) Spreng. cultivar groups in Peru
2007
Ore Balbin, I. | Sorensen, M. | Kvist, L.P. | Delgado Vasquez, O.
Pachyrhizus tuberosus is an ancient traditional crop from humid tropical South America, and cultivated from sea level to 1900 m elevation. It is cultivated for its edible tuberous roots, which are high in protein content. The crop has excellent nitrogen fixation properties, is easily multiplied from seeds, has few agronomic requirements, and may in addition serve as fodder and ground cover. Unfortunately, its present distribution and abundance is much reduced, and various landraces are in imminent danger of extinction, reflecting a general lack of commercial as well as scientific-agronomic interest. The current status of P. tuberosus in Peru is based on field studies from 1993 to 2003. The main characters of the nine recognized landraces, representing three of the four known cultivar groups referred to as Ashipa, Yushpe and Chuin, are described, as are the traditional cultivation sites and methods and uses: 1. Ashipa cultivars are distributed widely in South America; the roots are normally eaten crude, and the growing season is about 12 months; 2. the exclusively Peruvian Yushpe occurs along the Ucayali River only, where it is cultivated by Shipibo Amerindians. It is eaten uncooked like the Ashipa, and produces tubers in about 7 months; and 3. like the Yushpe, the Chuin is endemic to Peru, found only along the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers; it is cultivated in annually flooded areas by Shipibo and Cocama communities. The growth period is the shortest, ca 5 months, enabling cultivation between flooding. Some Chuin cultivars have more than double the carbohydrate content of Ashipa and are therefore eaten cooked, but Chuin varieties also exist that are eaten uncooked.
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