Plant Spacing and Planting Depth Effects on Corm Yield of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott)

Abstract

Taro is a marginalized tuber food crop, with wide distribution in the tropics. This study was aimed at assessing the effects of plant spacing and planting depth on corm yield and yield-related traits in taro. Dasheen, a predominant taro cultivar in Uganda, was sourced from farmers’ fields and evaluated using a randomized complete block design for two seasons. Three plant spacings (0.30 × 0.30 m, 0.50 × 0.50 m, 0.75 × 0.75 m) and two planting depths (0.15 m and 0.30 m) were used. Plant spacing had a significant effect on plant height, corm girth, corm yield plant−1, shoot yield plant−1 and corm yield hectare−1 (ha−1). Planting depth had a significant effect on corm length and corm yield ha−1. The widest spacing (0.75 × 0.75) produced largest corm yield plant−1 and shoot yield plant−1, whereas the narrowest spacing (0.30 × 0.30 m) produced largest shoot yield ha−1 and corm yield ha−1. Planting depth of 0.30 m produced higher corm yield and length than that of 0.15 m. Plant spacing was positively and significantly correlated with plant height, corm girth, and shoot yield plant−1 but negatively correlated with corm yield ha−1 and shoot yield ha−1. Planting depth was positively and significantly correlated with corm length, indicating that deeper planting of taro produced longer corms, thus enhancing corm yield.