ABSTRACT
Chinese potato is supposed to have originated in Kenya or Ethiopia in East Africa from where it spread throughout tropical Africa, Guinea and then into Southeast Asia including India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia. Chinese potato is a rich source of carbohydrates, which are present in the form of sugar, starch and dietary fibres. It contains calcium and iron in good amounts, protein, vitamin C and niacin in moderate amounts and riboflavin and thiamine in trace amounts. Chinese potato tubers, which are somewhat sweet in taste and release aroma during cooking, are very much similar to potato in ways of cooking and eating. Chinese potato tubers possess an elite flavour and taste and have medicinal properties due to the presence of flavonoids, which help to lower the cholesterol level in blood. Chinese potato prefers a well-drained friable sandy loam soil with good organic matter content. The seed rate varies according to the growing season, growing region and cultivation system.
