2011 Volume 80 Issue 2 Pages 145-156
Edible canna originated in the Andean region and has been utilized since about 2500 BC. It is a large, perennial herbaceous monocotyledon and has not been significantly improved by breeding in the past; it is cultivated on a small scale in scattered locations of subtropical-to-tropical regions of the world. Unlike ornamental canna, it forms swollen rhizomes at the stock base and accumulates starch. Investigations into the physicochemical properties of this starch are in progress, but the utilization of edible canna has not yet been generalized. The large aboveground parts (about 3 m-tall and 12 LAI) are used not only as fresh forage for livestock but possible as silage. Stems with large ellipsoidal leaves directly grow from rhizomes without branching. The wild type of this plant is seen on the edges of moist thickets, and so the cultivated lines prefer moist soil and absorb a large quantity of mineral nutrients. Edible canna is a C3 heliophyte adapted to a broad range of light environments and warm temperature, and has a medium CO2-fixation rate. During the middle-to-late growth stage, the stand maintains a high LAI with a moderately high CGR, and its potential productivity is equivalent or superior to that of cassava and potato. However, botanical and agronomical studies are fairly limited. In this review, the author makes a comprehensive introduction of the history, morphogenetic characteristics, photosynthesis, dry-matter and starch productivity, and utilization of edible canna.
