Question

Which one of the following plants is considered lesser-known species of food crops?
A. Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
B. Sorghum vulgare
C. Eleusine coracana
D. Pennisetum typhoides

Answer 1

Plants produced grown and harvested on large scale is known as crops. Crops are of two types- Food crops that are grown for edible purposes and cash crops that are crown for commercial purposes like rubber, coffee, tea etc.

Complete answer:
Food crops are grown all over the globe which are used for edible purposes. The types of food crops include legumes, cereals, seeds, fruits, herbs, vegetables, fruits etc. The food consumed predominantly in a geographical location depends on the availability of the crop in that region.

Let us discuss the food crops given in the question.
A. Psophocarpus tetragonolobus is known as winged bean. It is native to the tropical areas. It belongs to the family Fabaceae. It is a leguminous plant and is rich in nutrients. Almost all the parts of the plant are edible. It is consumed in salads, seeds and can be eaten both cooked and raw. It is a multi-use food crop in tropical areas like Asia, Africa and Latin America.
B. Sorghum vulgare- It is also known as jowar. It belongs to the grass family Poaceae. These are consumed as food crops widely across the globe. It is drought resistant and can be grown even with less nutrients.
C. Eleusine coracana- It is also known as finger millet commonly called ragi in India. It is an annual herbaceous plant and is grown in the hilly regions and requires a lot of water. It is considered as the lesser-known food crop and is consumed in some parts of Asia and Africa.
D. Pennisetum typhoides It is the most widely grown millet and is known as the pearl millet or Bajra in India. It is consumed worldwide and accounts for the 50% of the millets grown worldwide. It can withstand drought, highly saline soil.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: The other mostly consumed food crops are rice and wheat. They are used as the staple food crop in almost all the countries across the globe. Millets are preferred as a healthy diet as they are rich in minerals and roughage and do not contain gluten.