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Original Articles

Plant Spacing and Planting Depth Effects on Corm Yield of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott)

Pages 747-757 | Received 26 May 2015, Accepted 12 Aug 2015, Published online: 04 Nov 2015
 

Abstract

Taro is a marginalized tuber food crop, with wide distribution in the tropics. This study was aimed at assessing the effects of plant spacing and planting depth on corm yield and yield-related traits in taro. Dasheen, a predominant taro cultivar in Uganda, was sourced from farmers’ fields and evaluated using a randomized complete block design for two seasons. Three plant spacings (0.30 × 0.30 m, 0.50 × 0.50 m, 0.75 × 0.75 m) and two planting depths (0.15 m and 0.30 m) were used. Plant spacing had a significant effect on plant height, corm girth, corm yield plant−1, shoot yield plant−1 and corm yield hectare−1 (ha−1). Planting depth had a significant effect on corm length and corm yield ha−1. The widest spacing (0.75 × 0.75) produced largest corm yield plant−1 and shoot yield plant−1, whereas the narrowest spacing (0.30 × 0.30 m) produced largest shoot yield ha−1 and corm yield ha−1. Planting depth of 0.30 m produced higher corm yield and length than that of 0.15 m. Plant spacing was positively and significantly correlated with plant height, corm girth, and shoot yield plant−1 but negatively correlated with corm yield ha−1 and shoot yield ha−1. Planting depth was positively and significantly correlated with corm length, indicating that deeper planting of taro produced longer corms, thus enhancing corm yield.

Additional information

Funding

The author greatly acknowledges the International Foundation for Science for funding the study through Grant No. C/5461-1.

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