The Unified Cycle from Stellar Nucleosynthesis to Food Crop Systems: Gratitude to Earth for Underground Tubers, Sweet Potato Leaves as Source of Energy-Nutrition

Abstract

Solar energy not only supports primary productivity on Earth but also connects biological systems to the broader structure of the universe. This paper presents a scientific synthesis linking stellar nucleosynthesis, photosynthesis, trophic nutrition energy transfer, and ecological process, with a focus on food crop systems including tuber crops. We highlight how bio-essential elements, formed in celestial objects, are transformed through plant metabolism into edible nutritional energy and how this energy flows through food-nutrition webs, ultimately participating in Earth’s geochemical and cosmic recycling. The interconnected role of sunlight, air, water, and food in sustaining metabolic function was systematically described in ancient Indian scientific scriptures over two millennia ago. They revealed in those ancient time the energy-matter continuum. That concept now boosting modern ecological science models through thermodynamic and biogeochemical principles. This energy-matter cycle underscores the systemic interdependence between agricultural products, food-nutrition cycle and cosmic processes. The energy and matter as well as food-nutrition cycle their inter dependence are common to food web including tuber crops grown underneath soil. In our life cycle, we all are dependent on different supportive components. We are born, grow and leave in due course of time. During this cycle we observed the integrated ecosystems for our existence governed by the “Mother Nature”. Contribution of Mother Nature is enormous. We are fortunate for the opportunity to work directly with sub surface soil products of Mother Earth. Yes, we had worked on tropical root and tuber crops for their improvement. Among the various tropical tuber crops, cassava, sweet potato, taro and greater yam occupy special niche in fragile ecosystems to provide food energy (361 - 386 calories/100g) to millions across the world. Those are ancient, ethnic and life support crop species in distress across the world. With integrated knowledge on biotechnology and crop breeding, we developed the climate resilient nutritious field products of sweet potato, taro, greater yam etc. Those products are developed especially for the needy mass live in fragile ecosystems across the Nation and beyond. The first author (Archana Mukherjee) got the opportunity to express gratitude to our mother earth by adoring the good names to the improved varieties in sweet potato, taro, greater yam and so on. The valued products, their characteristics and popular names of sweet potato like “Bhu Sona”, “Bhu Krishna”; in taro—“Bhu Kripa”, “Bhu Sree” and so on are highlighted with gratitude to mother earth. Here “Bhu” signifies “Bhumi” the “earth (soil)” a part of cosmos as well as place of development the “Bhubaneswar” city in Odisha, India. Further, analysis of nutritional elements in purple, orange and white flesh sweet potato leaves indicate their potentials as leafy vegetables throughout the year. Good amount of lutein (5.17 to 14.83 mg/100g), Ze (0.72 to 2.6 mg/100g), Fe (0.97 to 2.93 mg/100g) in sweet potato leaves are as nutritious as water spinach and spinach. Let the healthy food-nutrition source and congenial environment of “Mother Nature” of unified cycle perpetuate towards sustenance of all in this planet.