In the Indian context.

Roots and tubers are considered as the most important food crops after cereals and contribute significantly to sustainable development, income generation and food security especially in the tropical regions. The perishable nature of roots and tubers demands appropriate storage conditions at different stages starting from farmers to its final consumers. Because of their highly perishable nature, search for efficient and better methods of preservation/processing have been continuing alongside the developments in different arena. This book covers the processing and technological aspects of root and tuber foods, detailing the production and processing of roots and tubers such as taro, cassava, sweet potato, yam and elephant foot yam. Featuring chapters on anatomy, taxonomy and physiology, molecular and biochemical characterization, GAP, GMP, HACCP, Storage techniques, as well as the latest technological interventions in Taro, Cassava, Sweet potato, yam and Elephant foot Yam.

Roots and tubers are considered as the most important food crops after cereals and contribute significantly to sustainable development, income generation and food security especially in the tropical regions. The perishable nature of roots and tubers demands appropriate storage conditions at different stages starting from farmers to its final consumers. Because of their highly perishable nature, search for efficient and better methods of preservation/processing have been continuing alongside the developments in different arena. This book covers the processing and technological aspects of root and tuber foods, detailing the production and processing of roots and tubers such as taro, cassava, sweet potato, yam and elephant foot yam. Featuring chapters on anatomy, taxonomy and physiology, molecular and biochemical characterization, GAP, GMP, HACCP, Storage techniques, as well as the latest technological interventions in Taro, Cassava, Sweet potato, yam and Elephant foot Yam.

Tuber and root crops are the third important group of food crops after cereals and pulses, feeding about one fifth of the world population. With the burgeoning population coupled with limited land, water and other resources, the future beckons tuber and root crops in fulfilling the country's food requirements. These crops have higher biological efficiency and greater adoption with profound production potential per unit area per unit time. Tuber and root crops are well known from time immemorial as nature's energy bank and famine savior. This book is conceived to have an updated version on the tuber and root crops especially in the Indian context, including information on the history, biodiversity, geographical distribution, botany, neutraceutical and pharmaceutical values, new varieties, production technologies, IPM strategies, starches, post harvest technologies and value added products, bio-processing, biotechnology, ITK and future thrusts. Various aspects of cassava, sweet potato, elephant foot yam, taro, yams, coleus, yam bean and arrow root are elucidated in 17 s and appendices. This book will be of immense use to the policy makers, scientists, post graduate and under graduate students and officials concerned with tuber and root crops research, development and extension.

As international agricultural research centers places greater emphasis on poverty reduction, a debate is underway whether higher priority should be given to research to “add value” to agricultural commodities through post-harvest innovations at the expense of the traditional emphasis given to agricultural production. In particular, post-harvest research is seen as a way of creating new markets for commodities that may be in surplus or are facing declining demand. In this paper we review the evidence on the economic benefits from past public investments in post-harvest research to increase value of two major food crops – potato and sweetpotato. For the review we draw upon the experiences of two research institutions: first for the United States public research system during the early 20th Century and then for the International Potato Center (CIP) since its post-harvest research program began in 1975. Most of the evidence from both the U.S. and CIP’s experiences strongly suggests that public sector investment in generating value-enhancing technologies for potato and sweetpotato has been characterized by a low rate of return. New product development is a particularly risky endeavor. Implications for investment by international agricultural research centers in value-enhancing agricultural research are discussed.