48 - Taro: Colocasia spp.

Abstract

Publisher Summary Taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, Araceae, is one of the edible aroids distributed throughout the world, particularly in the tropics. Although cultivated as an annual, taro is a perennial herb with a thick, tuberous underground stem whose leaves are simple, broad, and long-petioled. Unopened leaves and petioles are prepared like spinach and used as a vegetable, while the tubers can be steamed or boiled as a delicacy. Taro has a higher nutritive value than most other root and tuber crops. Both corms and leaves contain good-quality protein and are good sources of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and readily available iron. The corms also have very fine-grained, easily digestible starch, a rich ash content and can be a fair source of oils. There are possibly thousands of recognized cultivars of taro that fall into two groups: (1) the “eddoe” type (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum syn. Colocasia esculenta var. globulifera) and (2) the “dasheen” type (Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta). Both the types are widely grown in both flooded and upland culture. Despite its tremendous potential, research into the biology and genetics of Colocasia spp. appears to be rudimentary. Little attention has been paid to this plant by breeders, with the result that in most cultures taro still occupies subsistence crop status. As with most other food crops, the aims of taro breeding include and place emphasis on higher yields, resistance to major diseases (leaf blight and corm rot) and pests (leafhopper), short crop duration, superior food value and general acceptance, low or no acridity, adaptability to harsh environmental conditions—drought, salinity, and flooding limits—and amenability to mechanization. This chapter provides an overview of taro breeding and genetics, with an application of biotechnology and specialized breeding techniques.