Studies on the Effect of Pre-planting Treatments of Corms (Minisetts) with Different Organic and Inorganic Substances on Growth and Yield of Elephant Foot Yam under Agro-climatic Condition of Chhattisgarh Plains

Abstract

In the present study, the maximum plant height at 120 days after planting was recorded under pre-planting soaking of minisetts in thiourea at 400 ppm (48.36 cm) followed by its lower concentration at 300 ppm (47.65 cm). The thiourea at 400 ppm recorded significantly maximum pseudo-stem girth (9.52 cm), number of pseudo-stems plant -1 (4.34) and average canopy spread (42.37 cm) among different pre-planting treatments. Thiourea at 400 ppm took significantly maximum number of days to first senescence, days to 50 per cent senescence and delayed maturity in elephant foot yam in comparison to rest of the treatments. Among different pre-planting treatments, the maximum diameter of corms and corm yield plant -1 were recorded under thiourea at 300 ppm (7.34 cm and 0.540 kg) followed by its higher i.e. 400 ppm (7.33 cm and 0.539 kg) and lower concentration i.e. 200 ppm (7.16 cm and 0.522 kg). The next best treatment in increasing corm yield plant-1 was found to be cow dung 50 % + cow urine 50 % (0.506 kg). The pre-planting treatment of minisetts with thiourea at 400 ppm resulted highest corm yield (12.57 t ha -1 ) and this treatment showed maximum increase in corm yield (31.07 per cent) over control treatment. The next best treatment in increasing corm yield was noted to be thiourea at 300 ppm (12.43 t ha -1 ), thiourea at 200 ppm (12.24 t ha -1 ) and KNO 3 at 250 ppm (12.11 t ha -1 ).