Como cultivar Yacon- TvAgro por Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo

Twitter @juangangel Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a tuber grown in the warm and temperate zones of the Andes Mountains for its crunchy texture and sweet flavor. It contains prebiotics and is believed to have a beneficial effect on intestinal flora; its root contains vitamins B1, B, and C and is composed mostly of water and oligofructans. Although sometimes confused with jicama, yacon is actually a close relative of the sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus). These plants produce two types of roots: propagating roots and storage roots. The propagating roots grow together beneath the soil surface and produce new shoots that become the aerial parts of the next plant. These roots resemble the Jerusalem artichoke. The storage roots are large and edible, with tubers that can weigh up to 1 kg. The edible roots contain inulin, an indigestible sugar, which means that although they have a sweet taste, these sugars are not assimilated by the human metabolism. This is why the roots can be consumed and used for the treatment of cholesterol and diabetes, and it is increasingly used as a prebiotic and sweetener. Yacon plants can grow up to 1.5 to 2 m in height, although this can sometimes be exceeded. This perennial plant produces small, yellow, inconspicuous flowers at the end of the growing season. Unlike other root vegetables domesticated by the Incas, such as olluco or oca, yacon is not sensitive to photoperiods and can produce a commercial crop in the tropics. It first arrived in Japan in the 1970s and from there spread to other Asian countries, especially South Korea, China, the Philippines, and Taiwan, and is now widely available in their markets. It later arrived in New Zealand in 1985. It grows well in South Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand, where the climate is temperate and the growing season is long. It has also recently been introduced to farmers markets and natural food stores in the United States. Source Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo www.tvagro.tv