Tubers

Tubers are enlarged underground storage organs produced by some plants to store nutrients. They help the plant survive adverse seasons and provide regrowth energy. In botanical terms, a tuber is typically a thickened part of an underground stem, such as the swollen ends of stolons or other storage stems. Some edible tubers arise from storage roots rather than stems, which can complicate common terminology. The best-known example is the potato, whose underground tubers bear buds called eyes that can sprout new shoots.

Potatoes are the classic stem tubers. Other widely consumed tubers include sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, and taro. Sweet potatoes are botanically storage roots rather than true stem tubers, while yams and cassava are major tropical staples produced as tubers. Taro is cultivated for starchy underground organs in many regions. Tubers vary in texture and flavor, but they are all valued for providing calories, primarily as complex carbohydrates.

In agriculture, tubers are typically propagated by planting pieces of the tuber or whole tubers containing buds. They are stored under cool, dry conditions to prevent sprouting or rot. Potatoes account for substantial share of global food production in temperate zones, while cassava and yams are essential staples in many tropical diets.