Minor tubers are receiving a big push from the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) here as part of a bid to expand the Indian food basket and guarantee livelihood security.
The CTCRI initiative to propagate the cultivation of and research on minor tubers such as Queensland arrowroot and Mexican turnip assumes significance given the growing nutritional needs of far-flung communities and concerns over the likely impact of climate change on farming.
Largely neglected in the ‘mainstream’ food basket in recent times, these crops are grown in different parts of India, but deserve better attention in the emerging scenario, according to the CTCRI.
