ARROWROOT

FARMING BOOKLET

Arrowroot farmers guide

HOW TO GROW ARROWROOT

Arrowroot is a high value crop in Kenya. This means that their prices are good because they are
considered a health food.

Identify the portion of the land you want to grow your arrow roots. Dig a trench of 1m wide and the
length of your wish. Dig the trench to a depth of not less than 60cm. Then put a large gauged
polythene paper in the trench to prevent seepage of water.
Using a wheelbarrow put the soil of a medium tilth in the trench. The soil should be mixed with
farmyard manure. The soil manure mixture should be put in the ratio of 2:1 respectively and then
mixed proportionally.
After mixing the two water the trench to make the soil moist to ease planting of the suckers. Plant
the suckers at a spacing 0f 30cm by 30cm and to a depth of up to 20cm. Mulching is done to
prevent loss of water and reduce the emergence of weeds.
Ensure the trench soil is always moist and should be watered on a weekly basis. Weeding should
also be done frequently.
Within a period of 3-6 months your arrow roots are ready for harvest. When mature the leaves
starts shrinking. At the time of harvest, ensure the soil is moist so as to prevent breakage of the
root tubers while uprooting. The arrow roots are now ready for the market.

Arrowroot consumes lots and lots of water. They like wet conditions and are a common site along
riverbeds and marshlands where the soil is permanently moist. It is possible to grow arrow roots
away from river beds by planting them in trenches. The trenches are dug and heavy gauge
polythene is used to cover the bottom before they are filled in with a mixture of soil and manure.
The smaller Eddoe variety is better suited to growing away from riverbeds because it can tolerate
less water than the larger Dasheen variety.
Make the trench not more than one meter wide so that you can weed without stepping in it
because that will make the soil compact which will reduce the aeration in the soil. Water the trench
every week to keep the soil moist. Use mulch to keep the moisture in the soil from evaporating
away.
Expect your arrowroots to be ready in six months. You can tell when it is harvest time because the
leaves begin to change color and shrink.
The correct spacing for planting the suckers is 30cm by 20 cm at a depth of 20 cm.

Upland arrow roots technology

This innovative farming method can contribute greatly to food and income security, while helping
in climate adaptation in Kenya, bearing in mind many river valleys have dried up due to global
warming. Upland arrowroots technology involves planting the crop in trenches lined with polythene
paper and filled with soil manure mixture at a ratio of 2:1. Planting trenches are spaced at 0.5m.
One acre of upland arrowroots technology grown tubers will accomodate 29,333 plants which will
yield 29,333 tubers.
The tubers are in high demand in Kenya due to increased health consciousness .Arrow root leaves
are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus,
and zinc, and a very good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, copper, and
manganese. Corms are very high in starch, and are a good source of dietary fiber.

Varieties
There are two main arrow root varieties namely
Eddoe type with small tubers; scientifically called colossia esculental. This is best for upland
technology due to its productivity in low water.
Dasheen type- with large tubers scientifically called colocasia esculenta.
Land preparation in upland arrowroots technology
Arrow roots are traditionally grown along the river valleys where there is a flowing stream, river or
marshland and in wet areas. With the upland arrowroots technology they can now be grown away
from river valleys. This variety can be grown almost anywhere in a regular garden, not necessarily
on water-soaked land. Better still, the upland arrowroot variety does not require large amounts of
water.

Avoid chemical fertiliser like DAP and CAN and use farmyard manure. Mix the manure with the soil
at a ratio of one to two (one part manure, two parts soil) and pour it into the trench. Pour water in
the ditch until it is completely soaked.
Identify the portion of the land you want to grow your arrow roots.

Crop and Water management

Avoiding stepping on the trench while weeding to prevent compaction. Tubers grown using upland
arrowroots technology requires ample moisture throughout the growing season and therefore,
Irrigation is required once per week. Soil ph of 5.5 to 6.5 is favourable.
Advantages of upland arrowroots technology
1. Security: upland arrowroots technology crop can be grown near homestead
2. Avoid damage from floods
3. Production is throughout the year
4. Easy to enrich the soils by adding manure and making the trenches
5. Time to maturity is shorter
6. With good management there is higher yield
7. More suckers are produced by upland arrow root
8. Upland arrowroots technology has low labour requirement

Planting materials in upland arrowroots technology /conventional method

There are four types of planting material that are used in cocoyams production:
1. Side suckers from lateral proliferation of the main plant in the previous crop
2. Small corms (unmarketable) resulting from the main plant in the previous crop.
3. Huli i.e. the apical 1-2 cm of the corm with the basal 15-20 cm of the petioles attached;
Corm pieces resulting when large corms are cut into smaller pieces.
Establishment of 1 meter by 10 meter bed, 60 centimeter deep for upland arrowroots technology
Requirements
1. Polythene sheet (heavy gauge) 10mx 2m wide
2. Planting comels 105 pieces
3. Manure- 4 wheelbarrows of complete decomposed manure
4. Mulch ( during dry spell)
5. Labour 7man days
Water 200 liters

Remove all weeds along the designated area and dig a straight trench 1 meter wide and 60
centimeters Deep Remove top soil (40cm) and subsoil(20cm) put them in separate side of the
trench Put the polythene sheet to line the trench Mix the top soil with manure and return the
mixture in the trench leaving a depression of about 10 cm then wet to saturation Plant the suckers
in a spacing of 30cm by 30 cm inserting the plant up to 20 cm Spacing between beds should be
0.5MMulch the area when planting during the dry spell Water once a week to maintain wetness
Old and dry leaves should removed regularly Corms are ready to harvest between 6 to 8 month

Maturity and harvesting upland arrowroot technology crop

Harvest when most leaves are yellow within 6 to 8 months. Leaves also shrink towards maturity.

Health benefits of arrowroot

Arrowroot is very low in calories; 100 fresh roots carries just 65 calories; less than that of potato, yam,
cassava, etc. Its chief starch compose of amylopectin (80%) and amylose (20%). Its powder is fine, odorless,
granular starch that is found utility in the food industry as thickener and stabilizing agent.
It has relatively more protein than that of other tropical food sources like yam, potato, cassava, plantains,
etc.
As in other roots and tubers, arrowroot too is free from gluten. Gluten-free starch is used in special food
preparations for celiac disease patients.
Fresh roots indeed are good source of folates. 100 g arrowroot provides 338 g or 84% of daily required
levels of folates. Folate, along with vitamin B-12, is one of the essential components that take part in the
DNA synthesis and cell division. Diet rich in folate when given during preconception periods and during
pregnancy may help prevent neural-tube defects and other congenital malformations in the offspring.
Arrowroot contains very good levels of B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine,
pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Many of these vitamins take part as substrates for enzymes in
carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism in the body.
Further, it contains moderate levels of some important minerals like copper, iron, manganese, phosphorous,
magnesium, and zinc. In addition, it is an excellent source of potassium (454 mg per 100g or 10% of RDA).
Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood
pressure.

Arrowroot Flour
derived from the rhizome or root of the arrowroot plant that is dried then ground to a fine powder. With the
increasing number of people suffering from gluten and corn allergies, arrowroot flour is becoming more
widely used as an alternative to cornstarch. It is a minimumly processed flour high in protein, B Vitamins and
folate. Arrowroot flour also helps to regulate the bodys acid/alkaline balance. It mixes easily with cold
liquids or can be added to warm liquids as a thickening agent.