Cultivation of mountain yam can be alternative income source

Mandi, January 7

Cultivation of mountain yam vegetable crop can be an alternative source of income for farmers of the state, reveals a study conducted by Dr Tara Devi Sen, assistant professor of botany at Government College, Mandi.

Medicinal value

• Mountain yam is extremely beneficial in treating high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems
• Its tubers are a good source of vitamins and minerals and help in boosting immunity
• Tubers are useful in treating stomach pain, anaemia and rheumatic swellings.
• Tuber paste is applied on swelling of joints
• The inflorescence of mountain yam is eaten to recover from weakness

Sen is an expert of local wild food plants cultivation. Mature tubers of mountain yam are sold at a price of Rs 250 to Rs 500 per kg because of its organic value.

Talking to The Tribune, Sen says mountain yam is commonly seen growing as a vine in miscellaneous forests and shrub jungles up to an altitude of 1,500 m. The tubers, bulbs, inflorescences and young leaves of mountain yam are eaten cooked. The tubers are usually eaten as a seasonal delicacy. A variety of traditional dishes like ‘bhale, ‘siddu’, ‘parantha’ and ‘kachouri’, etc can be prepared with the stuffing of tubers.

She says there is an urgent need to promote cultivation of this vegetable crop commercially in Himachal Pradesh to provide alternative source of income to the farmers of the state.

“An incessant rise in temperature followed by a drought or water shortage is likely to pose a serious social, economic and hunger crisis in coming years. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has already reported that all aspects of food security like production, access, consumption and price stability will be potentially affected by climate change in the coming years. So, the need of the hour is to focus on the diversification of existing food crops with climate resilient food crops for ensuring climate resilient future farming,” she adds.

“One such wild vegetable which can be domesticated in urban areas in drum of plastic or clay waste container is mountain yam. The special thing about this crop is that unlike other yam varieties leaves, inflorescence and tubers (both growing under the ground and the bulbil growing above the ground, which looks like a sky potato) can be used as a vegetable,” Sen says.

“Mountain yam has high medicinal value. Its tubers are a good source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, so it helps in boosting immunity. Tuber paste is applied on swelling of joints. Tubers are also useful in treating stomach pain, anaemia and rheumatic swellings. The inflorescence of mountain yam is eaten to recover from weakness. Mountain yam is extremely beneficial in treating high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.” adds Sen.