Interactive effects of cultivars and spacing on the growth and yield of taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) schott] under acid soil conditions of Lohardaga district of Jharkhand

Abstract

A trial was conducted to study the interactive effects of cultivars and spacing on growth and yield of taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] during summer planting seasons of 2015 and repeated in 2016 at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Lohardaga. The results based on two years mean revealed that out of eight different treatments, the plant of Kadma Local attended the maximum length of main suckers of 79.31 cm, number of side suckers plant-1 (7.21) and number of petioles clump-1 (27.87). The genotype Muktakeshi showed the maximum girth of main suckers of 17.37 cm. Kovvur Local produced maximum number of cormels of 31.73 plant-1. The plant of Kadma Local produced biggest corm and cormel of 151.23 and 16.36 g, respectively. Muktakeshi produced maximum weight of cormels plant-1 of 411.90 g resulting in maximum yield of cormels 15.11 t ha-1. Planting of taro at different spaces plays significant difference in case of growth parameters and plants planted at 60X60 cm2 attended maximum growth. However, yield attributes and yield 10.73 t ha-1 was recorded maximum from plants planted at 60X45 cm2 space.