lec 12 Flashcards
what makes sorghum such a good crop?
drought tolerant, staple carb crop
where was sorghum domesticated?
ethiopia/sudan, later travelling to india and china and the americas
what is the important species of sorghum, and what are the three important subspecies/
S. bicolor
- bicolor - cultivated
- arundinaceum - wild
- drummondii - hybrid
what is the most widely grown type of millet? who grows the most?
pearl millet, about 50% of global millet production
world’s 6th most important cereal crop, with india being the world’s largest producer
what are millets high in compared to other staple crops?
calcium + thiamin (vitamin B1)
what is unique about teff?
only cultivated in ethiopia and eritrea
what is cassava? where was cassava domesticated?
perennial woody shrub with a starchy tuber root that we eat, which is a great source of carbs
domesticated in brazil
what is the family + genus of cassava?
family: euphorbiaceae
genus: manihot
what makes cassava so important?
BUFFER AGAINST FAMINE
since its a root tuber, it doesnt need to be stored - it can be left underground just chillin
grows well in poor nutrients too
cassava is high in many things. what are they??
starches, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, cyanide
where did sweet potatoes originate from? what part are we eating?
sweet potato is a tuber so we eat the starchy bit (high in starch!)
also can eat the leaves
where did yams originate?
africa
what is the difference bw sweet potato and yam
sweet potato is a SPECIES while yam is a general term for the Dioscorea species
sweet potatos are DICOTS while yams are MONOCOTS
who is the largest producer of banana?
uganda
what is the importance of bananas + plantains?
shade intercrop for other crops + stabilizing the soil
