13 - Tuber Crops

Summary

Tuber crops add to the food security of many rural households. Different tuber crops are cultivated in the homesteads, paddy fallows and garden lands. Some of them are grown wild and some are cultivated.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potato is regularly cultivated in vast stretches of paddy fallows and garden lands in many parts of Kasaragod district. Localities like Kanhangad, Pallikkara, and Ajanur are popular for sweet potato cultivation in the district.

Varieties

Kanhangad local is a variety of sweet potato having comparatively better yield and is relatively free from pests and diseases.

Planting Materials

Healthy vines with three nodes are selected for planting. The vines are planted with two nodes inside the soil.

Application of Fish Manure

Fish manure is applied in the planting trenches.

Earthing up and Green Leaf Mulching

Earthing up is done one month after planting, which is repeated after one month. This helps in covering the exposed tubers, thereby preventing the attack of sweet potato weevil. Eupatorium leaves are applied as a mulch/manure.

Cheruchembu (Colocasia esculents)

Cheruchembu produces small round tubers. Small tubers are sown after the receipt of summer showers. Pits are dug and ash is added at the time of sowing. Farmyard manure would be added two to three months later. Harvesting is done during Kanni-Thulam months.

Elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus)

This is usually planted in the full moon day of ‘Kumbham’. The belief is that if amorphophallus is planted on the day of Kumbhappara (full moon of ‘Kumbha’ month is termed as Kumbhappara), yield will be as large as a big pot (Kumbhappara kudatholam).