''Ullucus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Basellaceae Basellaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Caryophyllales, in the clade core eudicots, according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. The family comprises 19 known species of herbaceous plants in four genera: * '' Anredera'' – 12 s ...

, with one

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, ''Ullucus tuberosus'', a plant grown primarily as a root vegetable, secondarily as a

leaf vegetable Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

. The name ''ulluco'' is derived from the

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

word , but depending on the region, it has many different names. These include ''illaco'' (in Aymara), ''melloco'' (in Ecuador), ''chungua'' or ''ruba'' (in Colombia), ''olluco'' or ''papa'' ''lisa'' (in Bolivia and Peru), or ''ulluma'' (in Argentina).Busch, J. and Savage, G.P. (2000). Nutritional composition of ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) tubers. Proceedings on the Nutrition Society of New Zealand, 25 pp. 55-65.Arbizu, C., Huamán, Z. and Golmirzaie, A. (1997). ‘Other Andean Roots and Tubers’ in Fuccillo, D., Sears, L. and Stapleton, P. (1st ed.) Biodiversity in Trust: Conservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources in CGIAR Centres. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press pp.39-56. Ulluco is one of the most widely grown and economically important root crops in the

Andean The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...

region of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, second only to the

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

. The tuber is the primary edible part, but the leaf is also used and is similar to spinach.National Research Council (1989). Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation. National Academic Press. They are known to contain high levels of

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

, and carotene. Ulluco was used by the Incas prior to the arrival of Europeans in South America. The scrambling

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent wood, woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennial plant, perennials, and nearly all Annual plant, annuals and Biennial plant, biennials. Definition ...

grows up to high and forms starchy tubers below ground. These tubers are typically smooth and can be spherical or elongated. Generally they are a similar in size to the potato; however, they have been known to grow up to long. Due to the brightly coloured waxy skin in a variety of yellows, pinks and purples, ullucus tubers are regarded as one of the most striking foods in the Andean markets. ''Ullucus tuberosus'' has a subspecies, ''Ullucus tuberosus'' subsp. ''aborigineus'', which is considered a wild type. While the domesticated varieties are generally erect and have a diploid genome, the subspecies is generally a trailing vine and has a triploid genome.

Vernacular names

Aymara Aymara may refer to: Languages and people * Aymaran languages, the second most widespread Andean language ** Aymara language, the main language within that family ** Central Aymara, the other surviving branch of the Aymara(n) family, which today ...

: , .

: , .Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary). http://futatraw.ourproject.org/descargas/DicQuechuaBolivia.pdf

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: , , , . English: ''Ulluco''

Origin

It is probable that ulluco was brought into cultivation more than 4000 years ago. Biological material from several coastal Peruvian

archaeological sites An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and ...

have been found to contain starch grains and

xylem Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem. The basic function of xylem is to transport water from roots to stems and leaves, but it also transports nutrients. The word ''xylem'' is derived from ...

of the ulluco plant, suggesting domestication occurred between the central Andes of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and Bolivia. Illustrations and representations of ulluco on wooden vessels (keros), ceramic urns and sculptures have been used to date the presence and importance of these tubers back to 2250 BC.Sperling, C.R. and King, S.R. (1990). ‘Andean tuber crops: Worldwide potential’ in Janick, J. and Simon, J.E. (ed.) Advances in new crops. Portland: Timber press pp. 428-435. Although it lost some importance due to the influx of European vegetables following the Spanish conquest in 1531, Ulluco still remains a staple crop in the Andean regions. However, in comparison to the potato which is now cultivated in over 130 countries, outside of South America the ulluco tubers are still relatively unknown. Initial attempts were made to cultivate it in Europe in the 1850s following the potato blights but were not successful on a large scale due to its requirements for cultivation.

Importance and uses

Ullucos are cultivated for their edible tubers by subsistence farmers in high-altitude farming systems around above sea level. The tubers are usually eaten in

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

soups and stews, but more contemporary dishes incorporate them into salads along with the ulluco leaves. These tubers have been eaten in the Andean populations since ancient times and still to this day provide an important

carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or m ...

and

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...

source to people living in the high altitude mountainous regions of South America. The major appeal of ulluco is its crisp texture, which, like the

jicama ''Pachyrhizus erosus'', commonly known as jícama ( or ; Spanish ''jícama'' ; from Nahuatl ''xīcamatl'', ) Mexican turnip, is the name of a native Mexican vine, although the name most commonly refers to the plant's edible tuberous root. Jícam ...

, remains even when cooked. Because of its high water content, ulluco is not suitable for frying or baking, but it can be cooked in many other ways like the potato. In the pickled form, it is added to hot sauces. They are generally cut into thin strips. In order to increase their shelf life, a typical product is produced by the

and

communities in Peru called '' chuño'' or ''lingli''. This is produced via a process involving environmental freezing and drying which is usually then ground into a fine flour and added to cooked foods. In Bolivia, they grow to be very colorful and decorative, though with their sweet and unique flavor they are rarely used for decoration. When boiled or broiled they remain moist; the texture and flavor are very similar to the meat of the boiled peanut without the skin. Unlike the peanut meat becoming soft and mushy, ulluco remain firm and almost crunchy. They are a traditional food in Catholic Holy Week celebrations in Bolivia.

Production

Climate requirements

Ulluco is normally propagated vegetatively by planting small whole tubers. However, they are also easily propagated by stem or tuber cuttings. They prefer cooler climates and will produce much better yields in full sun where summer temperatures are relatively cool. They are also known to grow in hotter regions when covered with shade. They are short day plants which require around 11-13.5 hours of day length. However, due to the inherent diversity of ulluco, sun exposure needs vary among cultivars and location. As the day length shortens, stolons grow out of the stems and then develop into tubers.

Fertilization, chemical growth, regulators, field management

Ulluco is grown in the highlands and can survive in altitudes of up to above sea level. Indigenous Andean farmers regularly grow a large number of different cultivars of ulluco together in the same fields. Ulluco crop is alternated with two other Andean tuber crops known as oca and

mashua ''Tropaeolum tuberosum'' (mashua, see below for other names) is a species of flowering plant in the family Tropaeolaceae, grown in the Andes, particularly in Peru and Bolivia, and to a lesser extent in Ecuador as well as in some areas of Colombi ...

. These different tubers are planted together in relatively small field and harvested after approximately eight months. The different species are then separated following harvest.

Harvest and postharvest treatment

Ulluco tubers need to be dug by hand due to their sensitivity to scarring. Due to the importance of their appearance, scuffing of their skin is likely a problem. Under traditional cultivation conditions, yield range from five to nine tons per hectare however in intensive systems, they have been known to reach 40 tons per hectares. These tubers can be stored year-round in the Andes but are best stored in the dark as exposure to the sun can cause fading of their vibrant colouring. Usually a proportion of the smaller tubers from the harvest are preserved for use as seed tubers the following year. The remainder of the harvest is most often used for consumption however there has been an increasing trend for ulluco use as a cash crop at the markets.

Diseases, viruses, pests

The ulluco is popular among Andean farmers for not having pest and disease issues. However, it has the potential to be host to viruses such as '' Tymovirus''. ''Tymovirus'' is similar to the Andean potato latent virus. This could threaten potato crops, as well as other crops in the family Solanaceae (tomatoes, aubergines, peppers). Other species in the family

Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it ...

(spinach, beet, quinoa) may also be at risk. These viruses pose no risk to human or animal health. The ulluco can be legally imported to the EU with a phytosanitary certificate, but caution is advised. Other viruses of ulluco include the Arracacha virus A,

Papaya mosaic virus ''Papaya mosaic virus'' (PapMV) is a plant pathogenic virus in the genus ''Potexvirus'' and the family ''Alphaflexiviridae''. PapMV is a filamentous, flexuous rod, 530 nm in length. The virus is a monopartite strand of positive-sense, sing ...

, Potato leaf roll virus,

Potato virus T ''Tepovirus'' is a genus of viruses in the order ''Tymovirales'', in the family ''Betaflexiviridae ''Betaflexiviridae'' is a family of viruses in the order ''Tymovirales''. Plants and fungi serve as natural hosts. There are 108 species in t ...

, Ulluco mild mosaic virus, Ulluco mosaic virus, and Ulluco virus C. Most heirloom ulluco have diseases, but if cultivated from a seed these can be avoided. Ullucus cultivated from clean seed tubers can increase yield by 30-50%. There are clones being developed to eliminate viruses, and these also have been shown to raise yields by 30-50%. The ulluco is susceptible to

Verticillium wilt Verticillium wilt is a wilt disease affecting over 350 species of eudicot plants. It is caused by six species of '' Verticillium'' fungi: ''V. dahliae'', ''V. albo-atrum'', ''V. longisporum'', ''V. nubilum'', ''V. theobromae'' and ''V. tricorp ...

, a soil organism, at low altitudes and high temperatures. There are fumigants available to fight Verticillium, or, for organic farmers, annual rotations into soil that has not been infected for 2–3 years. Ulluco is also susceptible to Rhizoctonia solani, though not as susceptible as the potato. This pathogen can reduce the amount and quality of the yield. Slugs and snails are common pests, though generally only cause cosmetic damage to the ulluco.https://www.agronomysociety.org.nz/files/2002_6._Agronomic_requirements_of_ulluco.pdf

Breeding

The ulluco has a limited ability to produce a seed. It was thought to be infertile until researchers in Finland produced a seed in the 1980s. This low fertility poses a challenge when trying to breed this crop. This infertility is thought to be due to the long history of cultivation by planting tubers. However, the ullucus has high genetic diversity, in terms of color, protein content, and tuber yield. It is thought this diversity arises from somatic mutations or from sexual regeneration. Ullucus is primarily bred from seed tubers, but it is also possible by seed and stem cuttings. In New Zealand there have been experiments to induce mutation by gamma radiation and produce more varieties.

Research needs

There may be potential for much higher yields of ulluco and a larger role in the world food system. Potential research into virus free varieties, the photoperiod, and seed producing varieties could expedite this. This could allow for manipulation of colors and other genetic factors. This could also lead to an increased adaptability for ullucus to be grown around the world.

Cultivars

The majority of accessions are diploids (2n=24). Triploids (2n=36) and tetraploids (2n=48) are rare. With 187 accessions evaluated with 18 morphological descriptors, 108 morphotypes or groups have been identified. Considering that the reproduction of the species is vegetative and that the production and use of the germination of botanical seeds is very rare, morphological diversity of the ulluco can be seen as high. The main characteristics that determine the choice of farmers for cultivars are sweetness, storage capacity before consumption, mucilage content and yield. Skin color is also a key parameter to consider while assessing the potential of the ulluco culture. Red tuber plants are the most frost-resistant and yellow tubers are the most popularly eaten in markets in Ecuador. The attractiveness of the color of cultivars varies among countries and regions. In the New-Zealand market, the preferred skin color was red over plain yellow and mixtures of yellow, green and red. Unusual and unfamiliar colors may explain why some multicolored crops or crops with different colored spots are not appreciated by consumers of New-Zealand.

Nutrition

Fresh tubers of ulluco are a valuable source of carbohydrates, comparable to one of the most world spread

root crop Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food. Although botany distinguishes true roots (such as taproots and tuberous roots) from non-roots (such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, although some contain both hypocoty ...

, the

. It contains also high fiber levels, moderate protein and only little fat (< 2%). Regarding the vitamin content, ulluco tubers contain a significant value of vitamin C (11.5 mg/100 g), higher than the commonly eaten vegetables such as carrots (6 mg/100 g) and celery but lower than yams (17.1 mg/100 g) or

(19.7 mg/100 g). Dietary value variability is pronounced between cultivars. Little is known about the nutrition content of the leaves. They are nutritious and contain 12% protein dry weight.

Carbohydrates

The carbohydrates of ulluco are composed mainly of starch. But there is also a significant amount of

mucilage Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion. The direction of their movement is always opposite to that of the secretion of m ...

, a heterogeneous and complex polysaccharide that is recognized as a type of soluble fiber. The mucilage level varies among tubers, high content gives to the raw tubers a gummy texture. Soaked in water or cut very finely are methods used to remove the greatest amount of mucilage from raw tubes,. The characteristic is also reduced or lost for cooked tubers. In South America, ulluco tubers with high mucilage content are popular for soups because they add a thicker texture.

Proteins

The proteins contained in the ulluco tubers are a source of amino acids as they contain all the essential amino acids in the human diet: lysine, threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine+tyrosine, tryptophan and methionine+cystine.

Antioxidant activity

Ulluco is a crop that contains

betalains Betalains are a class of red and yellow tyrosine-derived pigments found in plants of the order Caryophyllales, where they replace anthocyanin pigments. Betalains also occur in some higher order fungi. They are most often noticeable in the petals o ...

pigments in the base form of betacyanins and acid form of betaxanthins. Thirty two types of betalains have been reported in Ulluco, 20 in the form of betaxanthins and the remaining 12 in the form of betacyanins. Red or purple tuber varieties appear to have a high concentration of betacyanins. A high concentration of betaxanthins is responsible for the yellow or orange coloring of the tubers. In comparison to the three other Andean tuber crops - native potato, oca, and mashua - the antioxidant capacity of the ulluco is low. This is in part explained by the absence of

flavonoids Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

carotenoids Carotenoids (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, co ...

and

anthocyanins Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical com ...

pigments in Ulluco. These pigments are much more abundant sources of antioxidant compounds than betalains. The stability of the betalains pigments makes ulluco a promising industrial crop of natural pigments.

Comparison to staple root foods

This table shows the nutrient content of ulluco next to other major staple root crops –

, sweet potato,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

, and yam. Taken individually, potato, sweet potato, cassava, and yam, rank among the most important food crops in the world in respect of annual volume of production. Together, their annual production is about 736.747 million tonnes (FAO, 2008). Comparing to these staple root and tuber crops, the nutritional value of ulluco is good and promising for the geographical extent of the crop. The nutritional content for each of the crops listed in the table is measured in its raw state, although staple foods are usually sprouted or cooked before consumption rather than consumed raw. The nutritional composition of the product in sprouted or cooked form may deviate from the values presented. The nutrient composition of the ulluco is given within a range, based on the results of nutritional analyses of ulluco grown in South America.

References

External links

*
Ullucus tuberosus Caldas: colección de germoplasma de ulluco conservada en el Centro Internacional de la Papa
nternational Potato Center. {{Taxonbar, from1=Q1478038, from2=Q17393812 Basellaceae Monotypic Caryophyllales genera Crops originating from the Americas Crops originating from Bolivia Crops originating from Colombia Crops originating from Ecuador Crops originating from Peru Root vegetables Leaf vegetables