New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Effects of high and low watering levels on growth and development of
taro
W. T. BUSSELL1
M. J. BONIN2
School of Agriculture
University of the South Pacific
Apia, Western Samoa
1Present address: Department of Landscape & Plant Science,
UNITEC Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92 025, Auckland, New Zealand.
email:wbussell@unitec.ac.nz
2Present address: Tropical Hydroponics Ltd, P. O. Box 3924, Apia,
Western Samoa.
Abstract Growth of taro (Colocasia esculenta L.
Schott) `Alafua Sunrise' and `Niue' was recorded in a high (16 mm
water/day) and in a low (5.8 mm water/day) watering-level treatment.
Recording took place at intervals for a period of 21 weeks, when corms had just
passed optimum maturity. Leaf, root, and corm growth measurements were all
higher in the high watering-level treatment; with corm fresh and dry weights
reaching up to 80% higher than in the low watering treatment. The harvest index
and water use efficiency are both generally higher in the high watering-level
treatment. The harvest index tended to be higher in `Niue' and water use
efficiency tended to be higher in `Alafua Sunrise'. The increased corm weight
in the high watering-level treatment may have been attributed to the earlier
increased leaf and root growth. The expected better corm growth of the drought
tolerant `Alafua Sunrise' in the low watering-level treatment did not occur in
this experiment; possibly because it was conducted in low light conditions.
Keywords Colocasia esculenta; watering levels;
growth
H98012
Received 20 February 1998; accepted 24 August 1998
Short communication
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (333K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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