Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq.

Family Convolvulaceae
English Name Giant potato
Malayalam Name Palmutukku, Mothalkanta
Tamil Name Nilappoosani, Nilapusini
Kannada Name Bhuja gumbala, Guddagenasu
Telugu Name Boochakra gadda, Chirugummudu
Hindi Name Bhilaykand, Bhuyikohada
Sanskrit Name Ksiravidari
Trade Name Giant potato
Part Used Tubers and Leaves
In Wild NA
Under Cultivation NA
Temperature 28°-32° C
Rainfall 800-1200 mm
Farmers NA
Traders NA
Institution NA
Individually NA
State/Region NA
District NA
Nursery Information NA
Yield Yield is around 1580 kg of fresh tuber per hectare.
Economic of cultivation Cost of cultivation is ₹ 15000 per hectare. Market price, as on Nov- Dec 2014, is Rs 30-40 per kg of dried rhizome.
Quantitative quality standards 1. Foreign matter: Nil 2. Ash: Not more than 7.0% 3. Acid-insoluble ash: Not more than 2.0% 4. Ethanol-soluble extractive: Not less than 4.0% 5. Water-soluble extractive: Not less than 8%
Description Stout perennial climbers with tuberous roots and glabrous stem. Leaves to 15 x 15 cm, orbicular in outline, palmately lobed, lobes elliptic, acuminate; petiole to 12 cm long. Flowers pink, in axillary, few to many- flowered cymes. Corolla widely campanulate, 2.5-3 cm long and 4-5 cm across. Capsule 14 x 12 mm, ovoid, glabrous, 4-seeded; seeds 7 x 5 mm, obtusely trigonous, densely covered with long cottony hairs.
Agro technology/Cultivation practices Ipomoea mauritiana grows in dense and open forest, in riparian woodland, savanna with trees, dwarf forest near seashores, on river banks and in swamps, often on sandy soils, from sea-level up to 2500 m altitude with annual temperature of 28°-32° C and annual rainfall of 800-1200 mm and can grows on almost all soil types. Cultivation 1. Planting-stock production: Propagules can be raised from seeds and stem cuttings 2. Seed propagation: Seeds are best suited for propagation. Seedlings are raised in mother beds or polybags of 25 cm × 10 cm size filled with potting mixture of soil and farmyard manure and irrigate regularly. Within 5-9 days, seeds germinate. 3. Vegetative propagation: Stem cutting of 10-15 cm length having 1 to 2 leaves are used and basal portion of cuttings are treated with Bavistin solution (0.5%) prepared in water, for 30 minutes followed by IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid) 6000 ppm for five hours and planted in polybags filled with mixture of soil and farmyard manure and irrigate regularly. 4. Field planting: Seedlings are transplanted when they are 10-20 cm tall. Pits of size 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm are dug at a spacing of 1 m x 1 m. 5. Manuring/Fertilization: Apply Farmyard manure as basal dosage during field preparation. 6. Irrigation: During the initial stages of plant growth, the plants were irrigated at an interval of 3-4 days. During flowering and fruiting periods they were irrigated on alternate days. 7. Pest and diseases: No serious pests or diseases are reported in this crop, but caterpillar of the moth (Eucromia polymena) has been reported feeding the leaves.
Harversting I. mauritiana tubers are harvested 10- 12 months after planting. Crop is generally harvested during January by digging out the tubers manually.
Processing The harvested tubers are separated from the aerial parts, washed thoroughly and then dried under shade, packed in gunny bags before they are marketed.
References NA