Reading an article on kompas.com about the food crisis that might threaten Yogyakarta in 2039, then reading many similar stories about the fragility of Indonesia's food security, including a paper from Ms. Maria Hardayanto today, made me interested in opening and sharing some of my research files. Although it took place in the discipline of taxonomy, but the research is run within the framework of development of local food to support food security. During the research period published in the scientific periodical, we conducted survey and sampling to several areas in Yogyakarta and successfully identified a number of local plants that have potential as alternative food. Some types of plants are also grown in a number of other areas in Indonesia with local names that may vary.
Some of the plants and tubers below are some of the plant species that have the potential to be developed as alternative food, identified from my research.
In addition to maintaining the land, increasing food security can be done with diversification based on local resources and wisdom. Indonesia with abundant natural resources actually has the capital and great potential to achieve food self-sufficiency through diversification efforts. But unfortunately food diversification efforts in our country have never been developed seriously, the result of some areas in Indonesia often have food difficulty although the soil is quite fertile.
Not only to support food security, food diversification by utilizing local biological resources can also support the fulfillment of community nutrition as food sources become more diverse. There is no single food ingredient in the world that contains all the nutrients your body needs ideally. Therefore, to meet the nutritional needs, people should consume other sources of carbohydrates than rice.
Food diversification can begin by reintroducing a variety of local plants producing alternative food. One of the most abundant local food resources in the country is the tubers. Indonesia has many types and variety of potential tubers as alternative food for rice substitute. Unfortunately the potential of these tubers has not been developed properly. Hanyasingkong, sweet potato, ganyong, taro and potatoes that are currently widely developed and even then not maximal. Beyond that Indonesia has many types of tuber-producing plants that used to be consumed by our grandparents. The tubers include: Uwi, Gembili, Gembolo and Tomboreso. The tubers are produced by 4 different plant species but are classified in the same genus Dioscorea.
Members of the genus Dioscorea is generally a climbing shrub with leaves of heart shape such as betel leaf, kidney, ovoid, until rounded elongated. The genus Dioscorea produces tubers in the soil but some of them also have hanging / aerial tubers.
Habitus that climbs on the tree and Uwi leaf shape (Dioscorea alata)
Uwi Rice bulb shape
Uwiatau Dioscorea alata is a member of Dioscorea most commonly found in Indonesia. This species has also long been recognized by rural communities. Uwi has many local varieties and the flavor of tubers ranges from fresh to sweet. Habitus uwi in the form of climbing shrubs that can reach a height of 3-10 m.Bed winged 4, not hairy and rarely thorny. The leaves are oval. Tubers are generally compound, the shape is very diverse from round, long to menjari / berkgerombol. Uwi has white tuber meat, purple and light yellow. Uwi can grow in an area with an altitude of up to 800 m. dpl, but sometimes found growing at an altitude of 2700 m. dpl.Some Uwi local varieties include:
-Uwi Rice: Meat yellowish white tubers, on tuber cross section looks more oval-shaped oval structure and scattered in the middle of tuber meat. Meat of hard, medium gum, if squeezed meat breaks like sand. The amylum is triangular, single, average size 26.2 ± 3.28 μm. If boiled this bulb will be eaten with a sprinkling of salt.
-Uwi Purple: Purple-colored tuber-like sweet potatoes but harder texture, fresh slices of tuber meat show a whiter colored oval structure scattered in the center of tuber meat. Medium gummy beef meat, if squeezed meat breaks like sand. Amylum shield or fan (ovoid with one pole flat, single, average size 30,0 ± 5,139 μm.
Tuber cross section Dioscorea spp.
-Uwi Ulo: White tuber meat, freshly sliced tubers show a whiter colored round structure scattered in the center of tuber meat. Meat of hard, medium gum, if squeezed meat breaks like sand. Amylum is ovoid reversed, single, average size 31.3 ± 2.87 μm. The amylum is more stored in the parenchyma near the collateral-type transporter file and spread out.
Gembiliata Dioscorea esculenta, has the name of the area uwi butul or sweet potato. Habitus in the form of climbing clumps, kidney-shaped leaves, strong stems, round, fluffy and prickly. Bulb shape, white to yellowish flesh. Flowers arranged in green grains. Gembili can grow on flat ground to a height of 700 m. asl. Gembili is a type of Dioscorea that has long been cultivated by villagers though not en masse. Tubers are still raw if eaten itch itch, but if boiled nice and somewhat sticky as sticky rice. Butter meat is soft but if crushed crushed like sand. The amylum is polyhedral in shape, the average size is 6.18 ± 0.933 μm, in the parenchyma cells of amylum mostly in the aggregate structure
Umbi Gembili
Gemboloata Dioscorea bulbifera, has the name uwi berries, uwi blicik or jebubug. Gembolo morphology is very similar to Gembili. This makes most of the people who plant them regard both as the same plant even though the taxonomy is different. Gembolo and Gembolo's most obvious difference is in the size of the tuber. Gembolo bulbs can grow very large like the size of a soccer ball. While the habitus of climbing shrubs that can reach a height of 3-10 m. Single heart-shaped leaves, bulbous, bulbous bulbs with short, rough root hairs. Tuber meat is very gummy but soft, yellowish and hard, growing in the lowlands up to 1800 m altitude. dpl.Amilum-shaped polyhedral, the average size of 3.36 ± 0.447 μm, inside the parenchyma cells are mostly in the aggregate structure. In addition to being grown, Gembolo also can still be found as a wild plant.
hanging tubers are also produced by Gembolo in addition to the main bulbs in the soil
Umbi Gembolo
Tomboreso or Dioscorea pentaphylla, has the name of huwi sawut, uwi mantri or uwi dewata. Habitus is a climbing shrub that can reach a height of 5-10 m. Bulb-shaped tuber with fine root fibers. Tuber meat is white, yellow and sometimes seen purple spots, not gummy, hard but if crushed crushed like sand. The color of the bulb meat is very quickly turned brown then black after exposure to air and alcohol 70%. Hard tuber meat, if squeezed crushed like sand. Amylum is ovoid inverted elongated, single, average sized 42.1 ± 5.494 μm. Compound leaf with 3-7 pieces of jorong-shaped leaf. Tomboreso grows in areas with an altitude of 500-1050 m. asl. In addition to being cultivated, Tomboreso can also be found as a wild plant.
Umbi Tomboreso
Some members of Dioscorea are part of local food resources that actually have potential to be developed as alternative food in Indonesia. But unfortunately the plants are now more rarely found unless planted in small quantities by some rural communities. The present generation may even no longer recognize the existence of plants and tubers. While in some countries in Africa and Central-South America actually managed to develop it as one of commodity trade. It is ironic because Indonesia is actually believed to be one of the centers of the spread of Dioscorea species in the world. Indonesia also has a long body of special research tubers and beans.
Finally, the potential of Dioscorea and other localized food resources that are marginalized shows the stubbornness and failure of Indonesia in developing its biological resources. Certain food cultivation development and uniformity programs that have been encouraged by the government for years have displaced local food. At the same time, the negative stigma of local food, especially the tubers, is becoming more sticky and less nutritious. The assumption was time to be thrown away. According to Opara (2003), in one hundred grams of tuber Dioscorea spp. the average contained 1.4 - 3.5 g protein, 0.4 to 0.2 g of fat, 16.4 - 31.8 g of carbohydrates and 0.4-10 g fiber. The elements contained in tubers Dioscorea spp. among others, Calcium (12-69 mg / 100 g), Phosphorus (17-61 mg / 100 g), Iron (0.7-5.20 mg / 100 g), Sodium (8-12 mg / 100 g), and Potassium (294-397 mg / 100 g). Vitamins contained in tubers Dioscorea spp. is vitamin C (4-18 mg / 100 g), Tiamin (0.01-0.11 mg / 100 g), Riboflavin (0.01-0.04 mg / 100 g) and Niacin (0.3-0 , 8 mg / 100 g).
Already Indonesian local tubers should be developed as alternative food. Dependence on one or a small number of foodstuffs will not only threaten the sustainability of the local plant's genetic resources but also threaten Indonesia's food security. Caring for and utilizing local tubers as well as part of efforts to maintain the local wisdom of Indonesian society that continues eroded by development.
well that's my story today may be useful for all of us ok
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