Effect of Type of Planting Material and Population Density on Corm Yield and Yield Components of Taro (Colocasia Esculenta L.)

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of type of planting material and plant population density on the yield and its components during the main rainy season at Areka Agricultural Research Center from April 2006 to January 2007 in a split- plot design with three replications. The treatments included a factorial combination of two type of planting material of variety Boloso -1 and 16 densities through different arrangements (35, 50, 65, and 80cm) inter and (50, 70, 90 and 110cm) intra row spacing. The result showed that type of planting material had a significant (p<0.05) effect on 50% emergence, number of leaves, leaf area, weight of corm and dry matter percentage per plant and total, marketable and unmarketable yield (tha-1). Corms achieved 50% emergence earlier than cormels, they also recorded higher mean height, leaf number, shoot number, leaf area, corm weight and corm diameter per plant as well as higher total and marketable yield (tha-1). Plant population density had a highly significant (p<0.001) effects on number of suckers, corm diameter, number of corm, weigh of corm, leaf area index per plant and total, marketable and unmarketable corm yield (tha-1). Total yield, marketable and unmarketable yield of corm yield increased with increasing planting density while the mean corm weight per plant decreased at higher densities. The highest average total yield (49.85tha-1) were obtained at 25,973 plants ha-1 with marketable yield of 37tha-1 that is followed by 40.5tha-1 were obtained at 31,745 plants ha-1 with marketable yield of 27 tha-1. Type of planting material and population density interaction had a significant (P<0.001) effect on total and marketable corm yield (tha-1) with their maximum density at 25,973 plants ha-1. Therefore, to maximize yield and still to properly earth up, population density of 25,973 plants ha-1 (35cm x 110cm) could be recommended. In conclusion, total and marketable yields were maximized at 25,973 plants ha-1 for both corm and cormel type of planting material for marketable and unmarketable (for planting) taro production. Keywords: Density, Planting material, Taro, Spacing, LAI, Yield, Yield component