Tuberous nasturtiums
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Tuberous nasturtiums ( Tropaeolum tuberosum ) |
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Tuberous nasturtiums , also Mashua , Añu , Ysaño , Cubio ( Tropaeolum tuberosum ) is a useful plant from the nasturtium family (Tropaeolaceae).
botany
Tropaeolum tuberosum is a twining climber and usually forms reddish, almost bare stems , it reaches heights of growth of about 2 meters. The plant climbs by means of Blattstiel- or stem tendrils .
The plant forms shield-shaped, simple and long-stemmed leaves. These are rounded and rounded, usually five-fold lobed, with hand-shaped veins . They are about 5–10 centimeters tall and the reddish leaf stalks are up to 20 centimeters long. The flowers appear solitary and axillary. The long-stemmed and five-fold, spurred , funnel-shaped flowers with a double flower envelope are orange-red-yellow in color. There are enclosed 8 stamens and a top permanent, three-chambered ovary with a stylus with trilobal scar present.
Small split fruits are formed, usually with three nuts each.
The waxy, conical tubers arise from short stolons , are up to 8-18 cm long and are yellowish to purple or purple. They have created small buds (so-called "eyes") in notches.
distribution
The plant has its origin in the central Andes . It was already widely used as a crop in pre-Columbian times and is now grown in an area that includes parts of Bolivia , Colombia , northern Argentina and Chile . The main growing areas are at an altitude between 3000 and 4000 m above sea level, with a focus between 3500 and 3800 m above sea level.
use
Tuberous nasturtiums are grown together with olluco , tuberous wood sorrel , called oca, and the native potato varieties. It is estimated that the Peruvian production area is around 6,000 hectares. Approx. 4 to 12 tons per hectare should be harvested there. Under optimal conditions, yields of up to 70 t per ha should be achieved.
From an agricultural point of view, Mashua is an interesting food crop because it can be grown on poor soils and neither pesticides nor special fertilizers are required.
The Incas attributed anti-aphrodisiac properties to the plant and gave their soldiers regular rations. Research has shown that eating Mashua reduced testosterone levels in male rats to below 50% of normal.
In areas where the potato can no longer be grown for climatic reasons, the tubers of this plant provide the staple food. The tubers have an unpleasant odor and a pungent taste when raw, but both of these disappear when the tubers are exposed to frost.
Mashua is especially important in the rural areas of the high Andes for feeding the poor people there. The tuber is consumed as a porridge or in roasted form. A dry product called “ taicha ” is also made from the tubers and lasts for years.
Despite its widespread use as a food crop for humans, the future use of the species, unlike Oca or Ulluco, is seen primarily as fodder because of its peculiar, unpleasant smell and taste.
ingredients
86% water, 0.1% fat, 11% carbohydrates , 1.6% protein , 67 mg vitamin C . The physiological calorific value of fresh goods is approx. 193 kJ / 100 g (= 46 kcal / 100 g).
Plant diseases and pests
Because of its ingredients, the plant is extremely resistant to both plant diseases and damage caused by insects. In addition, very effective nematicides were found in the plant.
literature
- Wolfgang Franke : Crop science, usable plants of the temperate latitudes, subtropics and tropics. 3rd edition, Thieme, Stuttgart / New York 1985, ISBN 3-13-530403-5 .
Web links
- Tropaeolum tuberosum at Useful Tropical Plants.
- Southern Illinois University: Mashua (PDF) (English)
- Andean tubers at Purdue (English).
- Mashua (PDF), IPGRI, 2003, ISBN 92-9043-581-X .