Species diversity of local root and tuber crops in agricultural habitats in Uva region

Abstract

Local roots and tuber crops are important and popular food crops, which are high in carbohydrates, minerals (zinc, iron) and essential vitamins. They also have adaptability on different climatic conditions in addition to contributing to increase agricultural production. Root and tuber crops are versatile staples to address food and nutrition security and produce more food per unit area of land. Also, they are cheap but nutritionally rich compared to many of the other staple crops. Therefore, local roots and tuber crops are vital for sustainable food production in Sri Lanka and are certainly an alternative for achieving food security of the country. Therefore, local roots and tuber crops are an alternative for achieving food security of the country. Today, these crops are facing a threat of extinction in Sri Lanka due to the ignorance of cultivation and consumption. On-farm germplasm conservation process as an in-situ conservation of crop genetic diversity towards improving total agroecosystem conservation and small farmers’ livelihood through the use of local crop resources can provide a better solution to the food security problem and provide economic benefits for the farmers. The study was aimed to identify the distribution and species diversity of local roots and tuber crops in agricultural habitats in Uva region together with farmers’ awareness and constraints on on-farm germplasm conservation. A questionnaire based survey was carried out with Geographic Information System (GIS) application. Many types of local roots and tuber crops are grown in Uva region. Majority of the farmers who are engaged in organic agriculture and home gardening cultivate local roots and tuber crops in the region. Uva region is rich with 29 species of roots and tuber crops. Importantly their distribution follows the agro-ecological zones that provide favourable conditions such as soils, rainfall, elevations and drainage for their growth and development. Cultivation of local roots and tuber crops faced constraints mainly due to pest and climatic problems, lack of planting materials, lack of market places, and lack of knowledge and awareness on on-farm germplasm conservation.