Analysis and Development of Mirabilis Expansa (Nyctaginaceae) (Ruiz and Pav.) Standl., for Potential As a New Root Crop Outside the Andes.

The ancient Andean root crop Mirabilis expansa (Ruiz and Pav.) Standl., is a potential new source of high quality starch, currently in great demand in the food industry.  The aims were to conduct field trials of  two cultivars of M. expansa measuring growth, yield and quality traits in sand plots in southern Illinois.  Vegetative propagation produced dozens of plantlets, simultaneously, from 2-6 mature plants of each cultivar each season.  Plantlets were transplanted to the field in late spring/early summer from 2008-2012.  Plants were shown to be tolerant to the varied extreme weather conditions of southern Illinois field seasons.  Plant growth responded to nitrogen and organic matter content in 96% or greater sand, fertilized at the time of plot construction with different amounts of peat and steer manure.  Aged mushroom compost (2-3 pints) was also given to each plant at planting time, and was the only fertilizer given to plants in the 100% sand control plots.  Weeding was done by hand biweekly, then monthly, then one time mid-summer, in consecutive years.  Roots were harvested and dried in October of each year.  Amino acid contents and quality were measured.  The amino acid profile predicts starch and leaves could be used to supplement animal feeds. Initial investigation of starch shows very fine small starch grains desired by the food industry. Methanol extracts of metabolites showed a lack of toxicity against colon cancer cells and a pathogenic fungus.  It was concluded that M. expansa might provide a new starch and protein crop for North America, provide fodder under arid conditons and/or in well-drained soils, and prove of greater nutritonal value than Cassava derived starches.