Tropical Tuber Crops
Prev Page |What is the potential value of the results in increasing the production, productivity, profitability and substantiality of agricultural enterprises in the relevant field ?
The tropical tuber crops have served as subsidiary and subsistence food for millions all over the humid tropics. However, these crops have lost their glory due to a number of factors like preference for cash crops, changing food habits, ready availability of cereals and lower profit from the crops. This has led to decline in interest in the crop and in order to regain the past status it is imperative that people are provided with good culinary varieties and steady market for the produce. The study on cooking quality has revealed the major conditions necessary for the best quality. With rapid strides being made in Biotechnology and Computer modeling, the breeder can develop suitable varieties with desired quality based on the results in the present study. It is possible to modify starch properties, and other biochemical influencing the starch characteristics and arrive at the correct combination.
Concerted efforts are on way to popularize the tuber crops in tribal areas and the people can be made aware of the food and industrial applications of these crops so that they get acceptance as cultivated crop.
Starch from Colocasia esculenta has wide potential as baby food due to small granular size and easy digestability. In this context, the methodology for extraction of starch from minor tuber crops can open up a new vista for these crops. Commercial cultivation will become a reality giving a boost to their cultivation.
The wide variability available in the tuber starches can be exploited for specific applications and they can replace some of the chemically modified starches. This is all the more relevant since there is growing resistance to use of chemically modified products. Some of the special properties like small granule size of colocasia and D. esculenta tubers make them suitable for use as filler in biodegradable plastics and in aerosols and toilet formulations. The high viscosity of Canna and yam starches can be exploited for food and industrial applications. The gel strength of Canna starch makes it particularly suitable for food applications as food thickener. The bland taste, white colour, clarity and sol stability of cassava renders this starch highly valued in various food products like puddings, gravies, pie fillings etc. With widespread awareness and applications of these characteristics, there will be high demand for these starches and thereby for the crops.
Since now the basic information on all the properties and applications of tuber starches have been deciphered, it can serve as first step towards the concept of a Starch Data Bank for ready reference and stock of different starches with diverse properties for possible mutual exchange among scientists and industrialists interested in starch and starch products.
The modification of starch by physical methods like steam-pressure treatment and blending is environment friendly methods and will receive lot of attention in the future. The tuber crop farmers can exploit this simple and low cost technology to process the tubers at their own farm and value add the produce leading to better market prospects.
The complexation of starch with lipids and surfactants can be exploited to produce the so-called Resistant starch which have come into prominence recently due to their lower calorific value and hence suitability a s food for the diabetics and the obese. It has been proved that there is no inhibition for the tuber starches to complex with these compounds.
The development of starch derivatives is a prime area because there is a lot of demand for specialty starches for specific applications. Here we can tap the export market also since the modified starches are in high demand in many western countries and Japan. Advances in Biotechnology can also lead to production of starch derivatives by use of enzymes or microorganisms.
Products like ecofriendly detergents and surfactants made by derivatising starch with long chain fatty acids have much potential.
Value addition is the watchword of the present day and production of various value added products is therefore all the more relevant. Products like fructose syrup, pregelatised starch are examples of high level of value addition benefiting both the cultivator and the industrialist. This is all the more relevant in the WTO regime.
That has been the actual impact of these findings on production, productivity, and sustainability of agricultural enterprises in the relevant field ?
The demand for starch is expected to grow sharply in the near future. Survey conducted by our Institute has revealed that m tonnes of cassava starch will be required by 2020 compared the present consumption of m tonnes. The textile industry will be needing m tonnes from the present m tonnes, while the paper and cone industries are expected to need an additional quantity of m tonnes by 2020. Similarly adhesive industry will also require much larger amounts in the future. Other industries producing pharmaceuticals, detergents, explosives, drilling muds etc. will also steadily demand higher starch quantities. Therefore the present results are very important in the industrial scenario of the country especially of the states, which grow these crops.
There is ample scope for export of starch and starch derivatives. The experience of Thailand is worth emulating. It has earned the pride of place as the highest exporter of starch and derivatives. India can also compete in this field by producing quality and speciality starches for export market.
Any other impact of the results obtained ?
The results have been well accepted by the scientific community all over the world and is receiving recognition for being the only centre exclusively devoted to studies on tropical root and tuber starches. Many entrepreneurs and industrialists are constantly visiting the Institute to gather information of about starch and starch-based products. It is expected that there will be spurt in the interaction in the coming years and CTCRI can aspire to become a centre of excellence in this field.
The technology for cold water miscible starch has been transferred to M/s Vensa Biotek, Andhra Pradesh. More companies are coming up for taking the technology for modified starches.
The beneficial effects of modified starches from major tuber crops like cassava and sweet potato and some of the native starches like taro and canna starches have prompted us to take collaborative studies on the pharmaceutical applications of tuber starches for tablet making, suspension making etc, which is coming up.
Development of eco-friendly detergents from tuber starches is another comprehensive program visualized.
