Wild Taro (Clocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.) populations in Papua New Guinea.

Abstract

Wild taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.) populations were evaluated for breeding purposes in several locations of Papua New Guinea. All evaluated populations were found to be susceptible to taro leaf blight (Phytophthora colocasiae) andthe Alomae-Bobone virus complex. Absence of taro leaf symptoms was mainly due to isolation of the population (the pathogen did not reach the population). Flowering ability was relatively high. At least a few plants were found to be flowering in each population. The analysis of quantitative variation indicates that there was relatively high uniformity in leaf dimensions and number of lamina veins within populations. Relatively low variation of measured quantitative characteristics and uniformity in qualitative traits indicate that seed propagation may be extremely rare and that at least some PNG wild taro populations may consist of a single clone. In breeding wild taro genotypes can be used as sources of genes for the improvement of flowering ability, environmental adaptability (for swampy or dry land conditions), growth vigour and earliness.