EFFECTS OF DEFOLIATION, RUNNER REMOVAL, AND FERTILIZATION ON TUBER YIELD OF TARO

Abstract

Three degrees of defoliation (light, medium, and heavy), removal and non-removal of runners and three levels of complete fertilizers were studied on taro cv. Kalpao under lowland conditions. Light defoliation treatment did not affect the leaf area index but increased plant height at maturity, size of tubers, and tuber yield compared to the undefoliated plants, and those subjected to heavy defoliation. Heavy defoliation, on the other hand, resulted in a significant decrease in plant height and tuber yield. The removal of runners from the mother plant markedly enhanced better growth of plants and significantly increased tuber yield as manifested by the development of larger tubers. Tuber yield and other agronomic characters significantly increased with increasing levels of complete fertilizer applied from 50 to 150 kg/ha each of N, P2O5, and K20. There was an increase of about 2 tons of tubers for every 50 kg/ha of NPK applied.