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Planta Med 2009; 75 - P-2
DOI: 10.1055/s-2009-1216440

The Effect of Propagule Type on Yacon Propagation, Growth and Development in Mississippi

J Sumiyanto 1, 2, D Bolonhezi 1, 4, IA Khan 1, 2, 3, RM Moraes 1, 2
  • 1National Center for Natural Product Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677
  • 2Center for Water and Wetland Resources, The University of Mississippi Field Station, Abbeville, MS, 38601
  • 3Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677
  • 4Instituto Agronomico de Campinas, Brazil

Diet-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer are growing problems in industrialized countries and obesity is the major cause with 36 million deaths annually in the world. Yacon, Smallanthus sonchifolius, (Poepp. et Endl.) H. Robinson, is a root crop and is a rich source of phenolic compounds and dietetic oligofructans with low glucose content [2]. These constituents have shown efficacy in the treatment and prevention of diet-related chronic diseases, including gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes. The objective of this study is to develop an integrated system that promotes yacon as a sustainable root crop industry in Mississippi, including root and leaf production, as well as processing yacon into value added commodities as functional food. Yacon is native to Peruvian Andes and originally grows at elevation 1800–2800 of meters above sea level (masl) [1]. The purpose of our work is to evaluate Yacon growth in Mississippi during the hot and dry summers at elevation of 137.8 masl. Yacon propagules were produced by tissue culture and by stem cuttings. Miicropropagated plantlets adapted to soil conditions at an average of 90%. A significant difference on plant height, number of roots, leaf and root biomass was noticed for plants cultivated in pots which were produced by tissue culture. Only plants produced from stem cuttings were planted in the field and during the first growing season the average yield reached 0.755 kg of fresh weight per plant. Acknowledgements: Thanks go to Mr. Mark Baker, the resident Director of UM Biological Field Station, for preparing the field for yacon plantings and Ms. Michelle Edwards for taking several pictures. This research work was partially supported by the USDA/ARS Cooperative Research Agreement No. 58-6408-2-009. References: [1] Grau A, Rea J, (1997) Yacon, Smallanthus Sonchifolius, 21: 224–231 [2] Lachman J, et al. (2003), Plant Soil Environ, 49(6): 283–290