Indian Potato (Apios americana): harvested in the wild, and in the process of domestication
The Indian potato occurs in intervale (annually flooded) land by rivers in Nova Scotia. It is an annual, tuberous legume which the Micmac people use as food. Efforts are being made in Louisiana to cultivate it as a crop.
To form the nodules in which atmospheric nitrogen (N2) is "fixed", the roots must be infected by soil rhizobia. Interestingly the type of rhizobium that infects Apios can also infect soybeans. Otherwise, this rhizobium type is not found in North American soils except where exotic strains have been introduced to nodulate soybeans. Thus, rhizobia isolated from Apios could serve as a source of improved local strains of rhizobia for soybeans. (Peter van Berkum, USDA, personal communication)
The following description from a *PURDUE UNIVERSITY NEW CROP FACT SHEET provides a few details.
Apios can be grown as an annual or as a perennial. In the wild, they are found mainly in moist areas growing on brush for support, but may be grown in cultivated fields without support. It is better to grow on a trellis if seed production is desired. Weed control is important for good yields. No herbicides are labeled for apios, so mulch or hoeing may be necessary. Usually whole tubers are planted. The seedlings are very heterozygous, and many will not have desirable horticultural traits. Selections of the best plants may be maintained clonally by planting the tubers. Rhizobium for southern peas is satisfactory for use in apios. The tubers may be left in the ground and dug as needed or may be dug in the fall and sorted at 1-5oC. The tubers are approximately 50% dry matter, so may easily be dried for storage or grinding into flour. Much research remains to be done on apios culture and utilization.
PURDUE UNIVERSITY NEW CROP FACT SHEET(http://newcrop.hort.purdue.edu/ newcrop/cropfactsheets/apios.html)
(Mar 05, 2000)
Contributed by D. Patriquin
Photos by David Patriquin (Dalhousie University)