DIOSCOREA BATATA-Potato of the Future?By Bernard Jarman
POTATOES HAVE BEEN PART of our western culture for several hundred years. Before that they were unknown in Europe and there may well come a time when they are less popular than they are today. Already there are far fewer potatoes consumed than there were some 80 or 90 years ago. Between 1968 and 1988 annual per head consumption in Germany fell from 114Kg to 56Kg and it is probably not dissimilar in the UK.
        In the eighth lecture of his Agriculture Course, Rudolf Steiner spoke about the effect of the potato on the human organism. Having described the independent growth habit of the tomato and how it thrives on its own compost, he went on to speak about the second staple nightshade in our diet, the potato:
        “To some extent the potato is akin to the tomato. The potato too works in a highly independent way, so independent in fact that it passes easily through the digestive process and penetrates the brain to make it independent – independent even of the influences of the other organs in the body. Indeed the exaggerated use of potatoes is one of the factors, which have made people and animals materialistic since the introduction of potato cultivation to Europe. We should only eat enough potatoes to stimulate our brain and head nature. The eating of potatoes above all should not be overdone.”
        Elsewhere he suggests that like other elements in our modern diet the potato has played an important and necessary role in human development. Today however we need to evolve further and become less materialistic.
        After the conclusion of the Agriculture Course Rudolf Steiner was asked by a participant whether food produced using the new biodynamic methods would be sufficient on its own to meet the nutritional needs of a spiritually evolving humanity.
        “On its own this will not be enough” he replied “The Chinese Yam Dioscerea batata will need to be introduced into Europe so that it can eventually replace the potato as a diet staple. This is the only plant, which can store ‘light ether’ and in the future these light forces will be absolutely vital to human nutrition.”
        We can begin to understand the importance of these light forces if we consider how much of our culture and the food we eat has become earthbound. When food crops are grown under intensive conditions with a focus only on the nutrient intake and the end yield, it is as though we walk through the world with our heads down oblivious to all that goes on around us. A key task of biodynamic agriculture is to work not only with the processes going on inside the earth but also to connect them with the influences streaming in from the surrounding cosmos including light. Biodynamic horn silica when sprayed on the crops helps to enhance these light qualities and improve the nutritional value of the crops being grown. Dioscorea batata appears to have a particularly strong concentration of this light quality in its roots.
        Following the Agriculture Course some yam roots were brought back to the Goetheanum from China to test and try out where they have been grown and maintained ever since. More recently they have been grown commercially in the Bodensee region of Germany. Various qualitytesting methods were used to confirm this light quality in the Chinese Yam. While doing so it was found that other varieties of yam growing in Africa and South America did not have this property to the same degree. More recent research by Dorian Schmidt has also confirmed that this particular variety of yam is very rich in light ether. To distinguish it Dioscorea batata has become known in Germany as “Lichtwurzel” (light root).
 
DESCRIPTION
The yam is a monocotyledon. It grows as a climber similar to runner beans and is capable of reaching heights of between 3m and 8m. In the course of the growing season the stems become very woody. The leaves are heart shaped and not dissimilar to those of black bryony. It produces numerous cinnamon scented racemes of white flowers that hang down from the leaf nodes. Both male and female flowers are found but occur on different plants. Female plants are rarely present when the crop is cultivated. In the Far East they were even thought of as different species. The roots can grow down to 2m and tend to develop their swollen tubers well below the surface presenting a particular challenge for cultivation.
         Dioscorea batata is native to the north eastern provinces of China where it was traditionally grown in the mountains on shallow slate soils. These soils prevented the yam roots from penetrating to any depth .They were cultivated on specially prepared raised beds that were large enough to grow pumpkins and cucumbers on either slope and in the middle to plant a row of yam. They were supported as they grew with long poles in much the same way as runner beans. It was a fairly labour intensive method. Most of the crop was sold in dried form for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. It was especially known for its ability to give hair an extra shine. According to Chinese herbalists it stimulates the stomach and spleen and has a tonic effect on the lungs and kidneys. It stimulates appetite, helps the metabolism, has a general rejuvenating effect and is very effective in supporting the immune system. Tea made from the leaves is also used as a treatment for poor appetite, diarrhea, asthma, coughs, diabetes and emotional instability. It is also used externally on ulcers, boils and abscesses.
 
GROWING
Cultivation of the plant in Europe has been a big challenge and is at least as labour intensive as the raised bed system of China. The largest acreage of Chinese yams grown in Germany is to be found in the Bodensee region. Here the soil is fairly deep and fertile. To get around the need for digging two meters down in order to retrieve the roots a novel solution has been invented. Large wooden boxes are constructed(2m*1.3m*0.5m) and filled with earth. Two rows of 25 plants are put into these boxes and then suitable poles or other clamber material is built on top so that the leafage can develop. This system has the advantage of allowing the plants to attain their full depth and therefore attain maximum vitality.
The plants are mainly propagated vegetatively. A piece of root planted out in May will grow into a full size plant in one year. The plant also produces nodules at the leaf nodes. The nodules begin to form from the end of May. These early ones can be planted out immediately and will produce a crop the following year. Nodules that form after mid-summer should only be planted out the following year from about Candlemas time. The small beech nut-like seeds  produced by the female plants can also be used for propagation. These should be sown in the autumn since they need a dormant period in the earth. The seed will of course produce female as well as male plants.
The plants prefer a light well-drained soil, which retains moisture. It can be grown in Britain but like the potato is frost sensitive. A sunny aspect is best since the more the plant is exposed to the light the higher the root yield will be. The root cuttings are usually planted in early spring , grow throughout the summer and are ready to harvest in October and November once the leaves have died down. Harvesting involves unscrewing one of the sidewalls of each box and carefully removing the roots. They are very brittle and it halos if the boxes are left un-watered for a week before harvest. The soil can then fall off more easily and this reduces the possibility of damage. The harvested roots are then laid out in the light for 2 or 3 days before being put in a storage box. A clear with an average temperature of about 4 degrees and a humidity of 60%-70% is ideal. The roots should not be stored in an electrically cooled room since it is important that no electro-magnetic field should come into contact with them. They store well and keep for a long time. The cooked root has a floury texture similar to a potato and can be eaten as a vegetable or used in soups and sauces. It is also good in salads but the slime like covering to the root can cause skin irritation when it is being prepared. This property disappears when it is eaten or when cooked. It is very important that no electrical kitchen gadgets are used in its preparation otherwise the unique ‘light giving’ property of this vegetable will disappear.
The root can also be used as an ingredient in other products. They will then be imbued with the light ether quality even if only small amounts are used. Imton GmbH of Uberlingen produces a range of products containing yam root including bread, biscuits, herb salt, spelt coffee and also soap and skin cream. Lichtwurzelkaffee (roasted spelt with yam roots) is particularly tasty. All ingredients are grown and produced to Demeter standards. More information about the products can be found (in German) at www. Lichtwurzel. De
 
Notes
‘Agriculture Course: lecture8
 
“Light ether is one of four ethers corresponding to but also complimenting the four elements earth, water, air and fire described already by the ancient Greeks the foundation of our world. Earth is complimented by life ether, water by sound or chemistry ether, air by light ether and fire by warmth ether. The concept of ether today is usually limited to the invisible waves of radio transmission. It used to be applied far more widely in scientific circles to describe cosmic energy streams.
Whereas air is expansive and fills space, light is directed and moves in straight lines-clearly complimentary to one another. In addition to the physical light, Rudolf Steiner indicates that an invisible life stream accompanies it which stimulates and structures growth processes.
Dorian Schmidt has opened up a whole new field of research into etheric formative forces. It involves training ones own inner organs of perception in order to perceive the stream of movement surrounding living organisms. It is proving a very useful means for assessing the vital qualities of different plants and foods. More information can be found in “Observations in the Field of Formative Forces in Nature-Methods and Results” by Dorian Schmidt. It is available from the BDSS at €2.00 plus P+P.