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Oca
Pages 82-91

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From page 83...
... An attractive, bushy plant with cloverlike leaves, oca is easy to propagate, grows luxuriantly, requires little care, and is exceptionally tolerant of harsh climates- under which its yield can be twice that of the potato. Moreover, it prospers in poor soils and at altitudes too high for most food plants.
From page 84...
... 2 The potato probably had similar limitations initially and became a major crop in Europe and North America only after types that would tuberize during long days were selected (see next chapter)
From page 85...
... The plant will probably perform poorly in tropical lowlands because it is susceptible to heat, and also because its soft, fleshy stems are easily infected by bacteria. Industrialized Regions.
From page 86...
... Oca plants can also be used as stock feed. Livestock notably pigs relish both tubers and foliage.
From page 87...
... The sour or "bitter" tubers contain amounts of oxalic acid varying up to 500 ppm. Some sweet types, on the other hand, have only an ~~- ~.:~: ....
From page 88...
... Farmers mound dirt over the base of the plants to encourage stolon formation, which starts usually about 4 months after planting and peaks at about 6 months. As more stolons appear higher up the stem, more dirt is heaped over them.6 The tubers normally take another 2-3 months to mature, after which the aboveground part of the plant usually dies back.
From page 89...
... All levels, however, are far below those of spinach and some other widely eaten green vegetables. RESEARCH NEEDS Oca offers superb research opportunities for root crop specialists, graduate students, the Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP)
From page 90...
... Attention should be paid to advances already made by Andean researchers. Individual plants should be closely examined for uniformity, growth patterns, and desirable tuber qualities such as size, shape, shallow eyes, and color.
From page 91...
... Environmental Requirements Dayleng~. The common Andean types generally require days shorter than 12 hours to initiate tuber formation; in most cases longer days promote only foliage development.


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