Tropical Root and Tuber Crops. Cassava, Sweet Potato, Yams and Aroids by V. Lebot

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Tropical Root and Tuber Crops. Cassava, Sweet Potato, Yams and Aroids by V.
Lebot
Article in Economic Botany · January 2010

DOI: 10.2307/40686823
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86 ECONOMIC BOTANY [VOL 64
is an outlook on the Ohlone “World of the MA 02139; http://www.cabi.org/CABIPages/

Spirit;” and finally the recent history of the datapage.asp?iDocID=220. xxi + 413 pp.
Ohlone, spanning from the time of Spanish (paperback). USD 75.00, GBP 37.50. ISBN
Missionaries to the present day. 978-1-84593424-8.
Common names of Ethnobiological taxa: many of
the plants and animals used for shelter, food and In the developing tropics, root and tuber crops
medicine are noted throughout the text. A significant often provide the foundation for daily diets from
portion of the first section is devoted to explaining the lowlands of Amazonia to the highlands of
Ohlone subsistence from an environmentally-deter- Papua New Guinea. With several decades of
ministic perspective. Margolin describes the Bay Area experience in research with tropical root and
in the era preceding the establishment of Spanish tuber crops, Vincent Lebot has produced an
Missions as a particularly bountiful and productive extremely comprehensive volume focused on four
environment: “There is not any country in the world primary staples: cassava, sweet potato, yams, and
which more abounds in fish and game of every aroids. While Lebot admits that each of these
description” quipped the French mariner la Perouse crops is deserving of a book by itself, he does an
(p. 7). Margolin reasons that this led to an “episodic excellent job of condensing the available informa-
character of harvesting” (p. 54), wherein seasonal tion into one single volume.
camps were temporarily erected to take advantage of The book is divided into four sections with
seasonal acorn and seed harvests, large animal each dedicated to an individual crop. Within each
hunting, shellfish gathering, and fishing. Margolin section Lebot provides information regarding the
explains that this wandering life shaped a culture of individual crop’s origin and history, taxonomy
light, impermanent trappings which contrasts and botany, breeding and genetics, development
sharply with large durable artworks, masterful physiology, agronomy, pests and disease, and
pottery, and settlements constructed by some of the postharvest quality and marketing. While Lebot’s
contemporary societies farther north along the Pacific personal research has focused in Oceania, the
Coast and among some agricultural societies found book is relatively well-balanced geographically,
elsewhere on the continent. At times, this perspective referencing a wide array of case studies from
leads to passages which wander from the neutrality to Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.
which academics are accustomed, such as Margolin’s Lebot also does as strong job of staying abreast of
statement that “In the eyes of the Europeans the current research, particularly in the sections
Ohlone were poor … But the Oholones had not dedicated to breeding and genetics.
failed … if we compare (the Ohlone) with other As one of the primary aims of the book is to
hunting-gathering people, we find that they were provide a reference for researchers, farmers, and
among the most successful in the entire world. students in developing countries, Lebot attempts
(p. 57).” to address constraints and concerns of smallholder
Owners of earlier additions will note a novel farmers in the developing tropics. Innovative
afterword written by the author to commemorate programs in integrated pest management for
the 25th anniversary of the book’s first publication. resource-limited farmers are discussed along with
Nearly anyone with an interest in Native American traditional forms of pest management from differ-
lifestyles or Bay Area natural history would find ent parts of the world. Lebot also describes
something to enjoy in this book. traditional management techniques and their
relationship to crop productivity. For example, it
ANTHONY S. AMEND is relatively common for Amazonian farmers to
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY place two cuttings per mound when planting
BERKELEY, CA, USA cassava. Lebot notes that some farmers may do
[email protected]
this to heighten ground cover and prevent early
weed infestation, but he strongly advises against
this practice as it compromises yields. Several
Tropical Root and Tuber Crops. Cassava, useful tips such as this one are provided to help
Sweet Potato, Yams and Aroids. Lebot, V. smallholder farmers maximize their production.
2009. CABI North American Office, 875 However, I would caution that while some
Massachusetts Ave., 7th floor, Cambridge, traditional forms of production compromise crop
2010] BOOK REVIEWS 87
yields, they may also address other factors told us what they were, but I had never before
including lack of available labor or less than ideal seen them.
environmental conditions. Moreover, farmers can For those of us who have never been in the
have other priorities beyond total yield, often- Cono Sur, this compilation is most welcome. For
times selecting crop varieties based on local tastes. those who work in the area, it is even more
These are issues that warrant greater attention, valuable. Much of the region simply has no flora,
but not necessarily in this book. and those with floras are typically outdated. The
This volume will be a useful reference for introductory materials are in both Spanish and
agronomists and agricultural extension agents as it English. These include a classification of the
provides a wide range of information from biogeographic regions, tables of richness, endem-
developmental physiology to genetics of these ism, and life forms, conservation and protected
important crops. However, it can also serve areas, and an explanation of the format of the
researchers and academics from other disciplines catalogue. This is followed by acronyms for the
(including the social sciences) who may have countries, a bibliography, and a list of reviewers
interest in the origins and traditional processing and authors for the various families. Each volume
of cassava, sweet potato, yams, and aroids. is adorned with a single color photograph on the
Despite the ambitious task of summarizing front and four on the back. Each has maps inside
current information on these four crops into one the covers showing the area treated and its
volume, Lebot is successful in producing a highly biogeographic regions. Volume 1 also contains
informative and practical text. maps of each country with the departments,
provinces, or regions (Chile) delimited.
NICHOLAS C. KAWA This treatment recognizes 17,693 species, with
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 7691 of them being endemic to a region that has
GAINESVILLE, FL, USA subtropical, temperate, and cold-temperate cli-
[email protected]
mates. That number may be compared with the
United States’ estimated 17,000 native and 3,800
naturalized species (Editorial Committee 1993+),
Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono
or with Ecuador’s over 17,000 species (De la
Sur (Argentina, Sur de Brasil, Chile, Para-
Torre et al. 2008).
guay y Uruguay). Volumen 1. Pteridophyta,
Gymnosperms, Monocotyledonae; Volumen As with all biology, parts of this study are
2. Dicotyledonae: Acanthaceae–Fabaceae outdated by the time they come off the press. I
(Abarema–Schizolobium); Volumen 3. checked the name Ipomoea turbinata Lag. and see
Dicotyledonae: Fabaceae (Senna–Zygia)– that neither I nor the editors were able to change
Zygophyllaceae. Zuloaga, Fernando O., it to I. muricata (L.) Jacq. following our study
Osvaldo Morrone, and Manuel J. Belgrano, (Staples et al. 2005). There are probably other
eds. 2008. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, P. examples, but that is the nature of research and
O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299; learning.
http://www.mbgpress.info/. Vol. 1:xcvi + 983; I congratulate the authors, editors, and staff at
Vol. 2:xx + 985-2286; Vol. 3:xxii + 2287-3348 the press for providing this admirable and useful
(hardcover). USD 375.00 (3 vol. set). ISBN reference. The catalog is another of the floras
978-1-930723-74-0 (Vol. 1); 978-1-930723- coming from Missouri Botanical Garden that
75-7 (Vol. 2); 978-1-930723-76-4 (Vol. 3); should be emulated elsewhere.
978-1-930723-70-2 (complete work).
LITERATURE CITED
In the 1990s Brad Bennett visited and brought Editorial Committee. 1993+. Flora of North
a collection of plants from Chile. I was teaching a America North of Mexico. 12+ vols. Oxford
plant taxonomy course, and we sat down with the University Press, New York.
students and sorted through his stack of plants. De la Torre, Lucía, Hugo Navarette, Priscilla M.
Both Brad and the students were delighted when Muriel, Manuel J. Macía, and Henrik Balslev,
I flunked the “exam.” I have never worked in eds. Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del
southern South America, and I did not know the Ecuador. 2008. Herbario QCA de la Escuela
plants. Many of them were familiar when Brad de Ciencias Bioliógicas de la Pontifica Uni-
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

Article in Economic Botany · January 2010

Health and Cultures of migration View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

is an outlook on the Ohlone “World of the MA 02139; http://www.cabi.org/CABIPages/

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