Comparison of suckering, leaf and corm characteristics of taro grown from tissue culture and conventional planting material

Abstract

Summary. The growth of taro plants propagated either from tissue culture plantlets or conventionally using huli (sections of corm containing the shoot apex) was followed throughout a season. The plants grown from huli began suckering 11 weeks after planting and produced an average of 5 suckers per plant. During most of the season, the huli-grown plants maintained 4–5 leaves at any one time, but had a high turnover of leaves producing 25 leaves during the 30 week period (0.8 leaves per week). At harvest the corms of the suckers contributed about one-third of the total corm weight to the entire huli stand. Plants grown from tissue culture exhibited earlier suckering (starting 8 weeks after planting) and a more profuse suckering, producing an average of about 8 suckers per plant. The tissue culture plants had a similar number and turnover of leaves on the main plant as the huli plants. However, due to the early and more profuse suckering of the tissue culture plants, the suckers contributed more to the leaf area, leaf number and yield of the entire stand than the huli suckers. The tissue culture main plants had a decreased leaf area, leaf size and shorter petiole length than the huli plants. The total corm yield of the huli and tissue culture entire stand was similar. However, the main corm of the tissue culture plants was smaller as the suckers contributed over 50% to the total corm weight of the entire stand in tissue culture plants.