New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Effect of three plant densities on the corm yield of konjac (Amorphophallus konjac) grown for 1 or 2 years

J. A. Douglas
J. M. Follett+

New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research Limited
Private Bag 4704
Christchurch, New Zealand

J. E. Waller

New Zealand Pastoral Agriculture Research Institute Limited
Private Bag 3123
Hamilton, New Zealand

Abstract We investigated konjac (Amorphophallus konjac) corm production when grown from small corms at three plant densities for 1 or 2 years under shade in the Waikato region of New Zealand. Increasing plant densities from 28 570 to 66 670 plants/ha by narrowing the intra-row spacing from 0.7 to 0.3 m in 0.5 m-spaced rows had a large significant effect on the corm production/ha but no significant effect on the individual plant yields. Corm yields/ha were increased by 79% in the first year and 96% in the second year by increasing the plant density from low to high, with corm yields at the high plant density 11 t/ha in the first year and 30 t/ha in the second year. Further research is required to define the agronomic requirements that optimise the yield and quality of konjac corms. It is anticipated that by using higher plant densities and heavier corms at planting, corm yields could be further increased. This trial shows that konjac can be successfully grown in New Zealand but there is a need to develop practical production systems.

Keywords konjac; Amorphophallus konjac; plant density; corm production

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2006, Vol. 34: 139–144
0014–0671/06/3402–0139      © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006
+Deceased. .H05093; Online publication date 12 April 2006. Received 12 August 2005; accepted 13 February 2006

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