2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Hikama, or Pachirisus cut (lat. Pachyrhizus erosus) - vegetable culture; herbaceous liana-like plant of the legume family. Natural habitat - South and Central America, tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia. It is cultivated as a food plant in countries with hot climates.
Characteristics of culture
Hikama is a liana up to 4-5 m long with a rounded root crop weighing up to 20 kg. The skin of the root vegetable is yellowish, rather thin. In the context of the root vegetable creamy white color, has a sweetish apple aroma. The flowers are yellow. The fruit is a pod, contains a toxin - rotenone. The pods are not used for food purposes.
The culture is grown mainly in countries with warm climates, where night temperatures vary from 18 to 22C, and daytime - from 30 to 40C. Previously, the culture was grown only in America, today it is also cultivated in China, Nigeria and the Philippines.
Application
Root vegetables are eaten raw, and also with salt, paprika and lemon juice. Often soups, salads, casseroles, appetizers, main courses and sauces are prepared from hikama. Root crops lend themselves to pickling and drying. Storing jicama is difficult; it can only be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
Root vegetables are healthy and high in fiber, fructose, inulin, and minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, iron, selenium, copper, and manganese). In addition to the listed substances, roots are rich in vitamins such as A, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, C, E, K). Traces of proteins and lipids are also present. From the seeds of jicama, medicinal preparations are made for the treatment of dermatological diseases.
General information about growing
Unfortunately, information about the cultivation of this crop is negligible, which is probably why its cultivation in Russia is difficult. Hikama is a thermophilic culture, it develops well and gives good yields of root crops only in open sunny areas, protected from squall winds. Loamy and sandy loamy soils with neutral pH are optimal for jicam. Plants of strongly acidic, waterlogged, marshy and saline soils are not tolerated. They can't stand frost.
Jicama is propagated by tubers. The seed method is not used, since the seeds lose their germination after 4-5 hours. Crop care is standard: weeding, watering, loosening and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Support is required.
