Chufa (Cyperus esculentus L. var. sativus Boeck.): An unconventional crop. studies related to applications and cultivation

Tubers of Cyperus esculentus were art important food in ancient Egypt. In Spain the tubers are used to make a beverage named horchata, and are also consumed as fresh after soaking. In other countries tubers are used in sweetmeats or uncooked as a side dish. New products obtained can enhance the interest irt this crop: as a sour-ce of dietary fiber in food technology; as ri high quality cooking/salad oil or as biodiesel fuel; as caramel to add body, paver or color to other products; as a source of starch; as an antioxidant-containing food etc. The results of a twenty-year research program on nutrition, fertilization, lodging control, planting date, soil texture and use of herbicides are shown. Three cultivars ('Ametlla Bonrepos', 'Gegant Africana', and 'Llargueta Alboraia') are selected and characterized using horticultural and morphological traits, the chemical composition of tubers and horchatas, and the RAPD technique.