26 Short description and history of use The Apios Americana, or groundnut by the common name, used to be a preferred vegetable of North American tribes in the pre-colonial period, valued for its delicious tubers and nuts. It had quite a wide range of distribution- from the northern states of present-day USA and some states of present-day Canada, down to the Gulf of Mexico. Early European colonists attempting to establish themselves in the “New World” were faced with many difficulties, among which the occasional shortages of food. In situations of food shortages, they resorted to the groundnut in order to survive. However, after the early settlers tasted Apios americana and found it was savoury and had an innocuous effect on their health, they came to appreciate it so much that it became a part of their regular diet. In fact, in Massachusetts, Apios americana had become so important as a food source that the colonists passed laws prohibiting the tribes of American Indians to take them off “their” property. The groundnut was brought to Europe in the beginning of the 1600s, but was not given serious consideration until much later, in 1845, during the potato famine in Ireland. Then, it was cultivated and researched for a number of years in Europe, but with the discovery of more resistant varieties of potato, the groundnut fell out of favour once again. Another factor that needs to be considered is that Apios americana tubers take much longer to mature than the potato: 2-3 years as opposed to yearly yields. It was this characteristic that determined many farmers to renounce the Apios in favour of quicker potato yields. However, Apios americana has several qualities that can compensate for its slower maturation process. Aside from taste, it is interesting for its nutritional properties. The tubers have approximately three times more crude protein than the potato (over 16%) and high starch content. The tubers as well as the seeds are rich in essential fatty acids, with the lipid content ranging between 4-4.6% for the tubers and 12-18% in the seeds. Farmers should also take into account that Apios americana is a nitrogen-fixing plant, a characteristic which naturally facilitates its growth and reduces reliance on fertilizers. A proposed field cropping of Apios Americana, this photo was provided by William J,. Blackmon to show work that he and his late colleague Burt Reynoldsof Louisiana State University did in promoting the full domestication of this crop. Photo by William J. Blackmon Pagina 35
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