Tuber Crops Cultivation: Know information related to tuber crop cultivation and earn profit

Tuber Crops Cultivation: Many types of tuber crops are eaten with great fervor in India. Along with food, they also become a major source of income for farmers. They have a special place in the country’s agriculture. Tuber crops are a treasure of nutrition along with taste. After grains and pulses, tuber crops come third. Their biggest feature is that they give more yield in less space and less time. According to agricultural scientists, these crops are unique in themselves because they provide more food in a small space.

In this blog we will learn about tuber crop cultivation. This information will not only be beneficial for farmers, but will also be interesting for every person who is interested in Indian agriculture and food.

What are Tuber Crops?

Tuber crops are special plants whose edible part develops inside the ground. They are rich in carbohydrates, which provide essential energy to our body. Tuber crops include crops like potato, cassava, sweet potato, jimikand, kachalu, tannia, yams, yam bean, arbi and arrowroot. The specialty of these plants is that their edible part is actually a root or stem, in which starch is stored. The roots of tuber crops are often deep and sometimes thick. They are dug out from the ground. These crops can be grown in different types of soil and climatic conditions. They give good yield even in difficult situations.

Tuber Crops and their Characteristics

In tuber crop cultivation, tubers are the part of the plant that remains inside the ground. They store the food of the plant. Some plants make new plants without seeds with their help. They help in keeping the plant alive in winter or drought. When the weather is good, the food stored in them helps the new plant to grow.

How many types of tuber crops are there?

Stem tubers: Like potatoes. They have buds and leaves on the top, and roots below.

Root tubers: Like sweet potatoes. They have special roots that store food.

What is in a tuber?

Tubers mostly contain starch and water. They have less nitrogen and fat. They are rich in minerals like potassium, manganese and copper. They help in keeping our body healthy.

Benefits of eating tubers:

They contain essential vitamins.

They contain fiber which is beneficial for the stomach.

They contain antioxidants like vitamin C and beta-carotene. They protect our body from diseases and help in digestion. In this way, tuber crops are very beneficial for our food and health.

Tuber Crops and Their Importance

In India, the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) carries out research and development activities on tropical tuber crops.

Tuber crops are very important for small farmers and tribal communities. They are a major source of their food and income.

These crops produce more food in less space than other crops.

Farmers can earn good money by selling tuber crops and products made from them.

They are rich in antioxidants, fibre, minerals and vitamins B, E and C.

Orange and purple tubers are rich in beneficial elements like β-carotene and anthocyanins.

Cassava tuber crop is considered to be a secure food crop of the future as it can withstand climatic changes easily.

Tuber crops can grow in different types of soil and climate with minimal care.

Cassava, also known as tapioca, is a staple food for millions of people and is also used for animal feed and industrial products.

Sweet potato is a crop with many qualities. It is rich in nutrients and can withstand climatic changes.

Yam crop is a staple food in different regions and also has medicinal properties.

Thus, cultivation of tuber crops is not only important from nutritional and economic point of view but is also very important for food security in the future.

Tuber crops are more profitable than cereals

Fruit, vegetable and tuber crop cultivation is more profitable for farmers than crops. To increase the income of farmers, it is important to grow crops which fetch good price in the market.

List: Comparison of cost of cultivation and net income of major cereal and potato crops 

Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India (2013-14)

Research was conducted on rice, wheat and potato cultivation in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar. It showed that West Bengal has the highest expenditure on potato cultivation, about Rs 1,08,860 per hectare. But despite this expenditure, the profit is also high. In Uttar Pradesh, the income from potato is more than double that of rice and wheat. In West Bengal, the income from potato is Rs 36,519 per hectare, which is three times more than rice and wheat.

Potato is also more profitable in Bihar. There, wheat earns Rs 26,835 per hectare, while potato earns Rs 32,787. Farmers in Bihar get very little profit from paddy cultivation, only Rs 6,277 per hectare. This study clearly shows that farmers get more profit from cultivating tuber crops like potato than from old crops like rice and wheat. Therefore, farmers should make changes in their farming and cultivate tuber crops so that they can earn more income.

Frequently asked questions on Tuber Crop Cultivation

Question 1: What is meant by tuber crops?

Answer: In hot countries, tuber crops are cultivated the most after grains. These include things like cassava, sweet potato, yam. Tubers are used for eating and new plants can also be grown from them. In many countries, tuber crops are a major source of income and nutrition for people.

Question 2: What is the difference between root and tuber crops?

Answer: In root crops, only the roots store the food inside them. New plants cannot grow from them. In tuber crops, both the stem and the root store the food and new plants can also be grown from them. Tuber crops can grow on their own, but root crops cannot.

Question 3: How do tubers grow?

Answer: Tubers grow underground. They are actually a part of the plant’s stem, which is round and swollen. Tubers store nutrients inside them to survive the winter and grow in the next season. They are attached to the main stem, and these joints are called ‘stolons’.

Question 4: Which vegetables are grown in tuber crop cultivation?

Answer: Vegetables grown underground in tuber crop cultivation include potatoes, carrots, beetroot, turnips, sweet potatoes and arbi.

Question 5: What are the benefits of vegetables grown from tuber crop cultivation?

Answer: Vegetables grown from tuber crop cultivation are not only useful for eating, they also help in the treatment of some diseases. They contain mostly carbohydrates, which provide energy to the body. They do not contain cholesterol and have very little fat. They help cleanse the body and also have anti-inflammatory properties.