 | Better Farming Series 16 - Roots and Tubers (FAO - INADES, 1977, 58 p.) |
 |  | (introduction...) |
| | Preface |
| | Roots and tubers |
|  | Cassava |
| | Description of the plant |
| | Different kinds of cassava |
| | Where is cassava grown? |
| | How to grow cassava |
| | The place of cassava in a crop rotation |
| | Preparing the soil for cassava |
| | How to propagate cassava |
| | How to plant cassava |
| | Looking after the plantation |
| | How to harvest and store cassava |
| | The use of cassava in food |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Fresh cassava and cassava paste |
| | Dried casava and cassava flour |
| | Cooked cassava flours |
| | Starch and tapioca |
| | Cassava leaves |
| | Yams |
| | Description of the plant |
| | There are many varieties of yam |
| | Where are yams grown? |
| | How to grow yams |
| | The place of yams in a crop rotation |
| | How to prepare the soil for yams |
| | How to propagate yams |
| | How to plant yams |
| | Looking after the plantation |
| | Harvesting and storing yams |
| | The use of yams in food |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Fresh and mashed yams |
| | Dried yams and yam flour |
| | Sweet potatoes |
| | Description of the plant |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Varieties of sweet potato |
| | Where are sweet potatoes grown? |
| | How to grow sweet potatoes |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Propagation of sweet potatoes |
| | Looking after the plantation |
| | Yields of sweet potatoes and storing |
| | Sweet potatoes in human food |
| | Tania and taro |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Description of the plant |
| | Tania or Xanthosoma |
| | Taro or cocoyam (Colocasia) |
| | Where are tania and taro grown? |
| | How to grow tania and taro |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Propagating |
| | Planting |
| | Looking after the plantation |
| | Harvesting |
| | Storing the tubers |
| | Tania and taro in human food |
| | Suggested question paper |
(introduction...)
The sweet potato is a climbing herbaceous plant. It may live for several years, but often it is harvested after 3 months, without waiting for it to flower.
The stems may grow to 2 or 3 metres in length; they are thin and climbing or creeping. They have nodes at varying distances apart. It is thought that the varieties with short inter- nodes yield more heavily than those with long inter- nodes.
The leaves vary greatly in size and shape. Depending on the variety, they may be entire, heart- shaped or deeply divided with three, five or seven lobes. The leaf veins and the leaf- stalks are green or red.
The flowers, usually violet, sometimes white, are clustered in the leaf axils. Many varieties of sweet potato in cultivation do not have time to produce flowers and fruits before the harvest.
The most important part of the plant is the roots, because they can develop into tubers.
The tubers are parts of the creeping roots that have built up food reserves.
These tubers are produced at points where the roots cease to spread out near the surface and turn downward into the soil. By making mounds that are not too wide, the formation of tubers is helped.
Leaves and tubers of sweet
potato
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