Author Description

In order to increase the production and productivity of crops in general, tuber crops is particular in the present over increasing population with decreased per capita land availability, the only way is to increase the vertical increase in the production with better value added varieties, farmers friendly sustainable management as well as production technologies. In this context, the tuber crops, especially potato and other tropical tuber crops, being known as energy banks of nature serving either primary or secondary stable food in order to meet the calorie requirements of about 1/5th of world s population. Practically, these tuber crops play very crucial role towards food security as well as reduction of hunger and elimination of poverty as well in the world. It has been estimated that there are about 18 families having more than 30 genera which are used by human beings for vegetable where either the tuber or roots as edible part in the form of vegetable. Economically, these tuber crops are most commonly used for food, feed, medicinal and various important industrial uses. The most important among them are potato, sweet potato, cassava, yam, aroids, arrowroot etc. cultivated in the world. Basically, these crops have the potential to produce significantly high amount of food per unit area having more efficiency in conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide into carbohydrates as compared to major cereal crops of the world. All these tuber crops, except the potato have peculiar features such as better adaptation to marginal environments, relatively higher contribution to household food security and above all the better flexibility in mixed farming system. Thus, in turn, these crops provide a wide range of crop diversification, competitive products of food, feed and industries etc. Above all, except the potato, all other tropical tuber crops are now treated as, Future food crops. In spite of versatility of these tuber crops, still not much attention has been given from