Andean root and tuber crops: Underground rainbows

By H. Flores, T. S. Walker, R. Guimarães, H. Bais, Jorge M. Vivanco. 2003

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The Andean region is recognized today as one of the most important centers of crop origin and diversity in the world (National Research Council, 1989). Many of our most important food crops worldwide, most notably potatoes, were domesticated in this system (National Research Council, 1989). A unique feature of the Andean agricultural system is a taxonomically diverse group of Andean root and tuber crops (ARTC), coupled to the commonly found complement of grains and legumes, such as maize (Zea mays L.), chenopodium, beans, and lupines. The ARTC played a vital role in allowing sustained intensive cultivation and nourishment of a population that reached 10–12 million people at the height of the Incan Empire (1450–1535 A.D.) (King, 1987). About 17 species of root and tuber crops were domesticated in the Andes, making this the largest known geographical concentration of underground crops (Hernandez-Bermejo and Leon, 1992; Tapia, 1993). The ARTC evolved in extremely inhospitable areas for agriculture, and Pre-Columbian people made extremely effi cient use of what by todayʼs agricultural standards would be considered marginal land (King, 1987). The steep slopes of the Andes are prone to constant erosion, extreme fl uctuations in rainfall and temperature, and contain relatively poor soils. Crops grown in this environment were selected for their ability to cope with long periods of drought, freezing temperatures, and high UV irradiation. The Andean farmers took advantage of natural plant adaptations to extreme environments to domesticate a unique cohort of crops, and combined their cultivation with the use of complex irrigation canals, crop rotaand natural pesticides. The great adaptability of the ARTC favors their potential cultivation outside their area of origin. For example, oca is currently grown in Australia and New Zealand (National Research Council, 1989), while other species have recently been introduced to Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia.

Subfields: Plant Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/b012ef25f5b43f0f4cad81f25c1c54361e76e7a5

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