SWEET POTATO AND TARO RESILIENT TO STRESSES: SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD IN FRAGILE ZONES VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGES

Abstract

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) and taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] are the important tuber crops used as staple or subsistence food by millions of people in developing nations. Both tubers and leaves of these crops are an alternative source of dietary energy. Visibility of these crops as life support crops species has been enhanced during post super cyclone in Odisha and Tsunami in coastal states of India. Genetic diversity of these crops, and their wide distribution and potential to adapt in harsh environmental condition advocate for their further exploitation to develop stress tolerant crops with valued traits. Gene fl ow through conventional breeding is hindered owing to fl owering behaviours, cytogenetical anomalies in taro and hexaploidy coupled with self incompatibility in sweet potato. To make these crops more resilient, an extensive study was taken up integrating conventional and non conventional methods to tap the vast potential of genetic diversity in isolating the stress tolerant sweet potato and taro genotypes. The varietal gene bank of sweet potato maintained at the Regional Centre farm of the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) were also tested under in situ to study tolerance to environmental stresses. Under such conditions, percentage of leaf damage and vine weight were recorded to identify the varieties to cope with unfavorable agro-climatic conditions. Results to isolate and develop stress tolerant sweet potato and taro and, their impact on livelihood security under climatic adversities are discussed.