Stenochlaena palustris - Miding

Miding is Stenochlaena palustris, a fern of the Blechnaceae family.

It is rhizomatous and epiphytic perennial, commonly found in fresh water and peat swamps, as well in secondary jungle.

The young frond tips, with or without open leaves are consumed as vegetable.  The frond colour varies from light green to dark green.  Red shaded leaves means malnutrition or unfavourable environment.

Stenochlaena palustris can be propagated from the spores.  Stem cutting with 4-6 nodes and some leaves are also used.  Rhizomatous stem can also be used.

Miding grows well on moist or irrigated soil.

It is very sensitive to herbicides.

Pests and diseases are not common, thus pesticides application is necessary.

Pruning of old fronds may promote new growth.

Confusing UBI

Ubi in Malay language refers to specialized root modified for storage of food or water. .Tuber it is.

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There are not many varieties of edible tuberous roots that I know of. But in Malay term, the word ‘ubi’ is prefixed to almost all of it, i.e ubi kentang, ubi kayu, ubi keledek. This creates confusion lead many to conclude that they are from ‘ubi’ family. They are however, of very distinct family.

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Ubi kentang 马铃薯 is potatoes, the tuberous root of Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family ( nightshades family ). It is an herbaceous annual shrub.

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Ubi kentang is suggested to originated from Peru, South America. However 99% of today’s cultivated potatoes are descendants of a subspecies indigenous to Chile. The Chilean subspecies, Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum, is believed to be cultivated as long as 10,000 years ago.

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The Spaniard brought it to Europe in 1536, soon spread to the rest of the world. The potatoes reached India in the late 16^th and early 17^th century, most likely aboard ships from Portugal. Then, it spread to the rest of Asia.

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Potatoes contains vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and trace amounts of magnesium phosphorus, iron and zinc.

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World production of potatoes was 314 million tones. China was the main producer with 70 million tones.

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Ubi kayu 木薯 is cassava, root of Manihot esculenta, is a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae family ( spurge family ).

Ubi kayu is native to South America, presumably eastern Brazil.

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Ubi kayu is an ancient crop species. Domestication began some 5000-7000 years BC. By the time the Europeans reached the New World, the crop was already cultivated in all of neotropical America. It was only centuries ago. The Portuguese traders carried the crop from its native America to Africa and then Asia.

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The roots are very rich in starch, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C. However they are poor in protein and other nutrients. In contrast, cassava leaves are a good source of protein

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World production of cassava was estimated to be 184 million tones in 2002. The major production is Africa, with Nigeria lead as world’s largest producer.

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Ubi keledek 番薯 is sweet potato, tuberous root of Ipomoea batatas, an herbaceous perennial vine belongs to the family Convolvulaceae family.

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Sweet potatoes are native to South America, domesticated some 5000 years ago. Radiocarbon dating suggested it has been in Cook Islands around 1000 AD, possibly brought by Polynesians who had travelled to South America and back, and spread across Polynesians to New Zealand. Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks found the Maoris of NZ’s North Island growing sweet potato ( locally known as Kumara ) when they landed in 1769.

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The Spaniard brought the sweet potatoes to the Philippines in the 16^th century. From there the Portuguese spread it to East Indies and India. Sweet potatoes found it way to China in 1593, when a famine in Fujian province leads the people to search for alternative food from the Philippines. It was not until the 18^th century that the sweet potatoes made its way into Japan, possibly through China.

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The roots are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium and iron. The leaves and shoots are also edible

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World production of sweet potato is 127 million tones in 2004. China was the top producer.

Organic Farming - Benefits

Agricultural Contaminants

Agricultural contaminants such as inorganic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from conventional agriculture are a major concern all over the world.

Eutrophication, the suffocation of aquatic plants and animals due to rapid growth of algae, referred to as "algae blooms", are literally killing lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Persistent herbicides and insecticides can extend beyond target weeds and insects when introduced into aquatic environments. These chemicals have accumulated up the food chain whereby top predators often consume toxic dosages. Organic agriculture restores the environmental balance and has none of these or other such deleterious effects on the environment.


Biodiversity

A wide range of organisms benefit from organic farming, but it is unclear whether organic methods confer greater benefits than integrated agri-environmental conventional programs.

Organic crops use little or no herbicides and pesticides and thus biodiversity fitness and population density benefit. Many weed species attract beneficial insects that improve soil qualities and forage on weed pests. Soil-bound organisms often benefit because of increased bacteria populations due to natural fertilizer spread and reduced intake of herbicides and pesticides. Varieties of bacteria and fungi break down chemicals, plant matter and animal waste into productive soil nutrients. In turn, the producer benefits by healthier yields and more arable soil for future crops.


Soil Conservation

Agriculture relies on roughly one meter of topsoil, and that is being depleted ten times faster than it is being replaced.

No-till farming, which some claim depends upon pesticides, is regarded as one way to minimize erosion. However, a recent study by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service has found that manure applications in organic farming are better at building up the soil than no-till despite tillage.


Mitigate Climate Change

Organic agriculture can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by effectively locking more carbon into the soil rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. Application of compost, mulch, green manure etc introduced more organic matter in to the soil, locking up carbon and keeping it out of the atmosphere. Scientists also believe that emission of methane gas, a noxious greenhouse gas, from conventional animal husbandry, could be cut dramatically by feeding the cows with leguminous foliage.

Production of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which is indispensable in conventional faring, produces NO2, another greenhouse gas. Organic farming, which excludes application of chemical fertilizers, too will remove the potential emission of NO2 into the atmosphere.


Food Quality & Safety

Organic food is widely believed by the lay public to be healthier than conventional food, although the research is inconclusive. Organic produce is likely to have less agrochemical residues, but these residues are generally below the acceptable daily intake and their health impact is questionable. Organic food also appears to have lower nitrate concentrations, but the health impact of nitrates is debated. However, studies show both organic and conventional food are expected to have similar concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals.


Energy Saving

Currently, we use around 10 calories of fossil energy to produce one calorie of food energy. Studies by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shows that, on average, organically grown crops use 25% less energy than conventional agricultural.

The organic movement was born out of a commitment to provide local food for local people, and so it is logical that organic marketing encourages localisation through veg boxes, farm shops and stalls. Local distribution and consumption (such as organic box schemes), energy used dwindled to a fraction of that needed for an intensive, centralised food system.