Bulbous Plants: Biotechnology PDF

Preface

We are pleased to present this unique book on plants with special storage organs such as tubers, corms and bulbs. Tubers, corms and bulbs are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season. Multiple storage organs are produced by such plants, therefore they represent a method of asexual reproduction. Both stem and root modifications can produce such organs. These are mostly underground. Root crops, tuber crops and corm crops are special terms used to refer to specific types of farm crops collectively called root and tuber crops. A bulbous plant is an ornamental or edible plant, herbaceous or perennial species which produce fleshly storage organs including true bulbs as well as corms, tubers, rhizomes, and tuberous roots. Plants from diverse taxa produce these structures which may provide food, medicine or flowers and saplings for the next generation. Therefore, this generalized term is used for the book.

Starchy root and tuber crops, also referred to as roots and tubers and tuberous crops, are plants that are grown for their modified, thickened root or stem which generally develop underground. These organs are rich in carbohydrate and are commonly used as staple, livestock feed, or as raw materials for the production of industrial products such as starch and alcohol, or processed into various food products. With the ever increasing world population, increasing the potential of these plants and agrotechnology for higher yield is focus of current research.

Root crops and tuber crops have very high yield potential although their protein, mineral and vitamin content are generally low compared to cereals. However, taro and yams contain up to 6% protein of good quality and the potato tuber provides some minerals and vitamin C. The orange-fleshed sweet potato is also well known as a rich source of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. These crops are known for their high dry matter production, with a potential of 2.1 tons per hectare from underground storage organs. In contrast, cereals have achieved about 1.5 tons.

In any review of tuberous plants, flower and medicinal plants having storage organs needs to be included. Several tuber/bulb bearing plants are excellent ornamentals. A section in the book is devoted to such plants by bringing together in one place the information growers need to propagate and cultivate their eye-catching plants. Dahlia tubers are a tuberous perennial plant much appreciated for the colorful Dahlia flowers. Dahlia flowers make great cut flowers.

A section is devoted to medicinal plants having such storage organs. Medicinal plants are sources of important therapeutic aid for healing human diseases. The depletion of the wild resources has prompted conservation, propagation, and enhancement of resources for medicinal plants. Micropropagation offers an alternate method to propagate and improve medicinal plants through selection of high-yield lines and their efficient cloning.

Biotechnological approaches such as cloning, haploid production, process of tuber formation, vegetative seeds production, use of molecular markers in genetics and breeding, genetic transformation for improvement have been employed for development and production of desired characters. This requires a deep understanding of structure and functioning of tuberous plants then only conservation, characterization and improvement technologies can be developed.

This book aimed at providing comprehensive information about biology, propagation strategies, genetics and genetic resources, plant growth and development, tuber quality, crop management, biological understanding and improvement through various biotechnological and molecular tools to all those who are interested in propagation, cultivation, improvement and protection of such crops. Important new tools have been developed in the area of molecular genetics, and our understanding of tuber plants physiology has been revolutionized due to amenability of the plants to genetic transformation. The chapters are written by recognized international specialists in their respective fields of research.

The book is divided in following sections to encompass entire spectrum of developments in this field-General biological aspects, edible plants, medicinal plants, and flowering plants. This book will be useful to botanists, biologists, foresters, industrialists, environmentalists, policy makers, conservationists, NGOs working in rural areas for village people, and biotechnologist involved in micropropagation.

We would like to acknowledge cooperation, patience and support of our contributors who have put their serious efforts to ensure the high scientific quality of this book with up to date information. We wish to thank our publishers for their support and timely publication.