Mirabilis expansa
| Mirabilis expansa | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Nyctaginaceae |
| Genus: | Mirabilis |
| Species: | M. expansa |
| Binomial name | |
|
Mirabilis expansa (Ruiz & Pav.) Standl. |
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Mirabilis expansa (mauka or chago) is a species of flowering plant cultivated as a root vegetable in the Andes, at cold, windy altitudes between 2,200 m (7,200 ft) and 3,500 m (11,500 ft). The above-ground portion dies back with frost, but the root is quite hardy. The roots can reach the size of a man's forearm, and yields can reach 50,000 kg/ha (45,000 lb/acre) given two years maturation time.
It is considered to be an underutilized crop, and has received interest for its ability to grow in conditions that do not favor other root crops. The Andean region is considered one of the most important places for crop development and diversification.
M. expansa was a very important crop to the Inca Empire and was considered lost. The botanical name for Mauka is Mirabilis expansa. In Bolivia, Mauka’s common name is Spanish Mauka. In Peru it has many different common names, such as chago, arricon, yuca, inca, cuship, and chaco. In Ecuador it is known as miso, taso, or pega pega. The cultivation of mauka was first described in a rural community in Bolivia in the 1960s. Fifteen years later it was found in Ecuador and Peru and has seen the largest area of production in those countries. It has been proposed that the reason Mauka has survived in three separate locations is because the Incas had a policy of transplanting valuable crops to communities throughout the empire.
M. expansa is in the dicot Nyctaginaceae family. It can grow up to one meter in height and is relatively disease resistant. Mauka produces an edible storage root and its top portion contains plenty of edible foliage that develops from the basal shoots. Mauka is a known perennial plant because of the edible part of the collar swells. The stems of Mauka are cylindrical in shape and nodes separate them; from these nodes pairs of leaves arise. The inflorescences are on long slender branches that range from three to six centimeters in length. These branches are covered with hairs that are constantly trapping small insects. Flower colour is different depending on geographical location. In Bolivia the flowers are purple and in Ecuador they are purple and white. The stems underground are a salmon-pink colour and are smooth and fleshy. They are up to 50 cm (20 in) long and 5 cm (2 in) wide. Mature mauka roots have been seen to reach the length and diameter of a human forearm.
Mauka can reproduce with seeds, or can propagate vegetatively using basal shoots, pieces of stem or suckers. Vegetative propagation is the technique that is used most often. If a plant is reproduces using a basal shoot it can usually be harvested after one year. If a sucker is used then it may be a longer period of time before the plant can be harvested. Mauka is planted into holes in long narrow grooves that are one meter by one meter and must be earthed carefully. In Ecuador, farmers intercrop mauka with maize to optimize soil structure for root development. Mauka can grow with a minimum of 500 mm (20 in) of rainfall, optimally with an annual rainfall between 600–800 mm (24–31 in). The absolute minimum pH level that mauka can survive with is 5.5, but the optimal level is between 6 and 7. Mauka is usually harvested annually but can be left in the ground for long periods of time. After two years of growth yields increase substantially. Potential advantages of Mauka for poor farmers are that it is very inexpensive to reproduce because it can be done by vegetative propagation and once it is planted it requires very little labour. A potential disadvantage is its long growing period. Poor farmers may not be able to wait two years for it to reach its optimal yields.
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Wikipedia