I have found that my biggest losses are to furry 4 legged theives. I have a solar powered electric fence . Works like a charm, I actually harvested sweet corn last year. to repel critters, there is all kind of things. Put hair from a barbershop around your garden, piepans on a string, streamers, netting, fences, 12 gauge, pee along the borders, dogs and so on. animals do not understand fences, to them its just a barrier to cross.

IMO good fencing combined with an electric fence, regular inspection and presence are the best.

For starchy tubers, I like potatoes. they are easy to grow, did not have a problem with pests, and produce! That and most people do not know what they look like in the ground. They store well in cool dry areas, and you can plant what you had left over from the previous season to grow a new crop.