Generation of taro (Colocasia esculenta) planting material using treated split corm apices.

Abstract

Scarcity of planting material is a problem in taro cultivation. A field experiment was conducted that compared unsplit apical corm portions ("huli") with huli split longitudinally into twd portions. There were five treatments: unsplit huli; split huli; and split huli treated with acetylene, wood ash, or coconut milk, respectively. Untreated split huli established just as rapidly as intact huli, but split huli treated with the substances established more slowly. Leaf area at 6 or 14 weeks after planting was higher for the intact huli than for any of the split huli treatments. The intact huli also yielded significantly more than each of the split huli treatments, which did not differ from one another. Split huli produced as many side corms as the intact huli, thereby making them effective for producing future planting material. The implications of the results are discussed, and it is suggested that the yields from split-huli plantings could be increased by planting them at higher density.