Chapters authored
Organic Tuber Production is Promising — Implications of a Decade of Research in India
Alternative soil management practices like organic farming assume significance in the context of climate change for safe food production. Yams (white yam, greater yam and lesser yam) and edible aroids (elephant foot yam (EFY), taro and tannia) are tuberous vegetables with good taste and nutritive value. Six field experiments were conducted at the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, India, over a decade (2004–2015) to compare the varietal response, yield, quality and soil properties under organic vs conventional system and develop a learning system. The elite and local varieties of EFY and taro and the three species of yams, including trailing and dwarf genotypes, responded equally well to both the systems. Organic management enhanced the yield by 10–20% and the net profit by 20–40% over chemical farming. The tuber quality was improved with higher dry matter, starch, crude protein, K, Ca and Mg contents. The anti-nutritional factor in EFY, oxalate content, was lowered by 21%. Physico-chemical and biological properties of soil were favoured and the organic system scored a significantly higher soil quality index. The cost-effective technologies were field validated. A learning system developed using artificial neural networks predicted the performance of EFY organic production system.
Part of the book: Organic Farming
Computer Simulation of Cassava Growth
To achieve higher productivity in a shorter time, growth simulation models are used in countries like Thailand to provide agro advisory to cassava farmers. Crop model helps to study the response of the crop to any environmental change. Computation of yield potential is important to adopt proper management practices to maximize the yield. Many simulation models of cassava have been developed in different parts of the world. Most of the deficiencies in earlier models were well taken care of in the cassava simulation model GUMCAS [40]. Latest process model, SIMulation of CASsava (SIMCAS), describes cassava growth and yield with good accuracy. This model emphasizes working out the sink capacity and source potential of the plant because the balance between them is a critical requirement for determining the final economic yield of the plant SIMCAS was developed with the aim of applying it for agro advisory purposes. The location- and variety-specific potential tuber yield under given weather conditions are calculated by the model. The most suitable planting time to achieve maximum yield from cassava in a particular locality can also be found out from this model.
Part of the book: Cassava