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AIZATUL NUR HIDAYAH JAMADI, MURALI REDDY, DAHLIA SHAHBUDDIN (USM), RAIHANA RIDZUAN<\/strong>*<\/p>\n *Corresponding author : raihana.r@utm.my<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cUnlocking the Future of Food: Exploring the Potential of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius<\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n *Dr. Raihana Ridzuan is a member of Natural Product Research Group (NatPro) and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, UTM.<\/p>\n often dismissed as just a \u201csmelly flower\u201d?<\/p>\n Beyond its pungent aroma lies a valuable food source with high potential to address global food security challenges. This underutilized tuber, rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and other essential minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper. It offers a sustainable and resilient alternative to conventional crops, especially in the regions that facing food scarcity and environmental pressures.<\/p>\n Amorphophallus paeoniifolius<\/em> (A. paeoniifolius<\/em>), or locally known as Ubi Sarek, is frequently referred as elephant foot yam. This tuber crop has high economic potential and nutritional values. Tuber crops are the second most important group of crops that can contribute to 5.4% energy to human towards global food security. A. paeoniifolius<\/em> produces a large underground tuber that serves as a storage organ for nutrients. This tuber is edible and widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for its starchy content.<\/p>\n In Peninsular Malaysia, A. paeoniifolius<\/em> could be found in various habitats, including orchards, oil palm and rubber plantations, the fringes of paddy fields, and secondary forests. These habitats typically feature open, moist areas. Notably, populations of this species have been documented in Jerantut, Pahang, Gombak, Selangor, Gunung Angsi, Negeri Sembilan and Machang, Kelantan, where the habitat conditions align with its preferred environment.<\/p>\n A. paeoniifolius<\/em> is a tropical tuber crop valued for its high production potential and popularity as a vegetable, which has various industrial and traditional medicine applications. Despite its economic and nutritional importance of Amorphophallus<\/em> sp., there is limited understanding of the genetic variability for Malaysian Amorphophallus<\/em> sp. using molecular markers.<\/p>\n In traditional farming practices, is typically propagated using corms, the underground storage organs of the plant. The size of the corm plays a crucial role in cultivation success. Larger corms possess greater energy reserves, leading to faster sprouting and more vigorous plant growth. As a result, plants originating from larger corms tend to mature more quickly and produce harvestable corms within a shorter timeframe compared to those grown from smaller corms. Smaller corms, on the other hand, require a longer period of vegetative growth before they can produce harvestable corms of their own.<\/p>\n Inflorescence of A. paeoniifolius<\/em><\/p>\n Kingdom<\/strong> : Plantae Leaf<\/strong> Petiole<\/strong> Inflorescence<\/strong> Infructescence<\/strong> Tuber<\/strong> The unique scent compounds released by the flowers are crucial for attracting pollinators. These scents act as deceptive signals, guiding insects precisely to the areas that ensure successful pollination. Genus Amorphophallus<\/em> emits deceptive scent compounds that indicate a specialized plant-pollinator relationship. Nearly a hundred Amorphophallus<\/em> species have been chemically profiled, revealing a fascinating array of scents that range from the repulsive \u2013 mimicking carrion, excrement, and even nauseating gases \u2013 to the somewhat less offensive, such as the aromas of fish, sewerage, rancid cheese, fermenting fruit, and mushrooms.<\/p>\n So the secret behind smelly flower of A. paeoniifolius<\/em> lies in its pollination strategy. Amorphophallus<\/em> flowers have a wide variety of foul smells that attract insects, mimicking the odors of rotting things like dead animals and decaying matter. This clever trick helps the plants get pollinated, showing how they\u2019ve evolved to attract specific pollinators.<\/p>\n Amorphophallus paeoniifolius<\/em> is commonly known as elephant foot yam.<\/p>\n Locally known as \u2018Ubi serek\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Tropical tuberous plant that has a great value in nutritional value and food source.<\/p>\n Kingdom: Plantae \u2022 Underground tuber is used as vegetable \u2022 Influenced by soil type and climate condition. \u2022 To attract pollinators Edi Santosa, Sugiyama, N., Nakata, M., & Lee, O. N. (2006). Growth and Corm Production of Amorphophallus<\/em> at Different Shading Levels in Indonesia. Nettai Nogyo\/Kanto Nogyo<\/em>, 50(2), 87\u201391. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.11248\/jisg1957.50.87<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Gao, J., Hussain, R. M., & Weng, C. Y. (2020). Vorotegene nepraven in retinal diseases: A review of the current clinical evidence. Clinical Ophthalmology<\/em>, 14, 3855\u20133869. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2147\/OPTH.S231804<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Karyo Kate Nambui & Otsangju Aku Timothy Namo. (2019). The Contribution of Root and Tuber Crops to Food Security: A Review. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology B<\/em>, 9(4). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17265\/2161-6264\/2019.04.001<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Odor polymorphism in deceptive Amorphophallus<\/em> species \u2013 a review. (2021). Plant Signaling & Behavior<\/em>. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/15592324.2021.1991712<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nAre you familiar with Ubi Sarek,<\/h3>\n
\nA Guide to Propagating A. paeoniifolius<\/em><\/h3>\n
\nFigure 1<\/h3>\n
\nFigure 2 Classification of A. paeoniifolius<\/em><\/h3>\n
Phylum<\/strong> : Tracheophyta
Class<\/strong> : Magnoliopsida
Order<\/strong> : Alismatales
Family<\/strong> : Araceae
Genus<\/strong> : Amorphophallus<\/em>
Species<\/strong> : A. paeoniifolius<\/em>
Common name<\/strong> : Elephant foot yam<\/p>\n
\nThe Anatomy of a Stink:<\/h2>\n
Decoding the Morphology of A. paeoniifolius<\/em><\/h3>\n
Has a light green to dark green color, with upper side lighter green and lower side paler green. Rounded, ovate, elongated elliptic, elliptic-oblong shape with pointed tip.<\/p>\n
Has rough surface with white patches. Petiole roughness serves as a primary visual cue for farmers to assess corm acridity. However, this association is not absolute, as acridity can be observed in plants with smooth petioles, particularly during their immature phase.<\/p>\n
If the inflorescence is flowering, it tends to produce a bad smell. The color exhibits pale green to reddish brown with round patches. The top portion of the spadix often has a different color or texture from the lower part.<\/p>\n
The inflorescence boasts a long peduncle, culminating in oval-shaped berries that elongate as they ripen. Initially orange, the berries transition to a vibrant red hue upon full maturity.<\/p>\n
Resembling a flattened sphere, the corm is impressively large, its dark brown outer surface masking a light brown interior etched with a multitude of root scars.<\/p>\n
\nThe \u201cSmelly Flower\u201d: Unraveling the Mystery Behind the Stench<\/h2>\n
\nBACKGROUND<\/h3>\n
\nTAXONOMY CLASSIFICATION<\/h3>\n
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Amorphophallus<\/em><\/p>\n
\nFOOD SOURCE<\/h3>\n
\u2022 The tuber is the most important carbohydrate source
\u2022 Rich source of protein, phosphorus and calcium<\/p>\n
\nCULTIVATION & SUSTAINABILITY<\/h3>\n
\u2022 Types of soil can be loamy soil, red-loamy soil, and sandy sandy loam soil.
\u2022 Climate condition: rainfall conditions, warm and humid climate for vegetative phase and cooler and dried climate during corm development.<\/p>\n
\nWHY SMELLY FLOWER ?<\/h3>\n
\u2022 The strong odor resembles rotting flesh to attracts insects like flies and beetles
\u2022 Pollinate the flower for plant\u2019s reproduction<\/p>\n
\nReferences<\/h3>\n
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