ABSTRACT
A field study was carried out at CSIR-Plant Genetic
Resources Research Institute at Bunso (lat. 06⁰
46’ N, long. 01⁰ 01’ W, 149m above
sea level) in the East-Akim District of the Eastern Region to evaluate
different soil amendments on growth and yield of three accessions of taro (Colocasia
esculenta). It was a 3×4 factorial experiment and treatments were laid in a
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The two
factors studied were soil amendments and taro accessions. The fertilizer rates
were 0, 60 kg NPK/ha, 4 t poultry manure/ha and combined application of 40 kg
NPK/ha + 2 t poultry manure/ha. The three taro accessions studied were KA/035,
BL/SM/116 and CE/MAL/032. There were variations in the vegetative and growth
parameters, yield and yield components and the biochemical composition of the
taro accessions. KA/035 was the least in all the vegetative growth parameters,
yield and yield components except in plant height and number of suckers.
Accessions CE/MAL/032 and BL/SM/116 were statistically the same in all the
vegetative growth parameters, yield and yield components except in the number
of leaves where BL/SM/116 was significantly higher than CE/MAL/32. Differences
in the composition among the accessions were only observed in accession KA/035
in percentage moisture and calcium, while all the other elements were
insignificant. Soil amendments did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect
number of leaves, number of suckers and disease count but influenced plant
height, leaf length and width, cormel weight, number and yield, corm length,
diameter yield and total yield. Application of 4 t poultry manure per hectare
resulted in greater plant height, cormel weight, number and yield. Generally N
source did not significantly affect the composition of the accessions. The
results indicated that N application is beneficial to the growth and yield of
taro, without having any adverse effects on the biochemical composition of the
corms. It is recommended that further studies be done with higher rates of soil
amendments, as well as with different soil amendments in an attempt to enhance
production and profit margin of farmers. Also, other studies can look at
several organic and inorganic fertilizer combinations.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Colocasia esculenta (taro) is believed to be one of the vital
world’s most old food crops, with a historical past of more than 2000 years in
cultivation. According to Goenaga et al. (1991), taro is a most important food
crop in areas including Africa, Pacific and the Caribbean and belongs to the
family of Araceae. FAOSTAT (2010) ranked taro the fourteenth major vegetable
crops, with about 12 million tonnes produced from about 2 million hectares with
a yield of 6.5 t/ha. The crop plays a principal role within the livelihood of
farmers in the rural areas, who on the whole resort to cocoyam as their source
of everyday energy throughout durations of food shortage and economic stress
(Onyeka, 2014). The report of FAO (2012) indicated that nutritionally, taro is
superior to cassava and yam with regards to higher protein, mineral and vitamin
contents as well as easily digestible starch. According to FAO (1990), the
relatively low price of cocoyam compared to yam makes cocoyam a ready
alternative for yam during off-seasons. In addition, it also brings foreign
exchange where it is produced on large scale (Revill et al., 2005).
The crop is the fourteenth most consumed vegetable worldwide
(Lebot and Aradhya, 1991) serves as an export commodity. In Ghana, existing
yield levels of taro production are slightly low. Ghana produced 1.8 million
metric tonnes as the second highest Colocasia producer after Nigeria in 2005
(FAO, 2005). On a global basis, taro yields 6,000 kg/ha compared with 14,746
kg/ha for potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and 13,628 kg/ha for sweet potato (Ipomoea
batatas L.) FAO (1991). Singh et al. (2012) reported that cocoyam farmers in
most African countries use minimal inputs. Regardless of its financial abilities as a food and cash crop and it’s
nutritional worth the crop is under exploited and poorly understood. Onyeka
(2014) stated that there is nonexistence of well documented and consolidated
understanding on taro cultivation even though the crop is contributing
extensively to the food security and earnings of many households.
Soil fertility decline is a major constraint to crop
production in Ghana. Continuous land cultivation without soil amendment is a
major means through which the soil losses essential plant nutrients. In the
West African sub region, Ogbonna and Nweze (2012) reported that without soil
amendments, growth and yield of taro is drastically reduced. Poultry manure is
an effective organic fertilizer and a vital source of plant nutrients.
Application of poultry manure helps improve the soil’s physical conditions.
Reddy and Reddi (1995) presented the average nutrient composition as 3.03 % N,
2.63 % P2O5 and 1.4 % K2O. Poultry manure is an important means of creating and
sustaining optimal physical condition of the soil for proper plant growth and
development. Also, it is an affordable means of nitrogen for sustaining
agricultural production (Rahman, 2004; Dauda et al., 2008).
Generally, the Pacific and Asian countries produce higher
yields of taro than those in the West African countries where it is widely
grown (FAO, 1987). Research has indicated that taro yields increased in the
tropical soils using inorganic nitrogen fertilizers. According to Manrique
(1994), early growth development of taro requires high nitrogen fertilization.
Enhanced methods of farming are essential to increase taro yields which may
include the use of inorganic fertilizers (Blamey, 1996; Osorio et al., 2003) as
constant farming without fertilization decreases crop yield (Hartemink et al.,
2000). The information about inorganic fertilization on taro production
is inadequate compared to other agricultural crops. Some researchers have shown
that NPK fertilization enhanced growth and corm yield of taro (Udoh et al.,
2005 and Shiyam et al., 2007). It is known that taro consumes substantial
amounts of potassium (O’Sullivan et al., 1996).
The agronomic abilities and value of taro stays unidentified
considering the fact that it has remained underutilized and abandoned crop in
the country as a result of little awareness on the crop, which has resulted in
unsafe levels of reduced economic livelihoods and loss of its genetic diversity
(Akwee, 2015). In the last three decades, taro production in Africa has
continuously attained an increasing percentage of global cocoyam production,
which currently stands at about 10 million tonnes each year (FAO, 2012). This
increase largely depends on cultivating extra land than increasing crop yields.
This contradicts the predictions of FAO that the 70% growth in the world’s
agricultural production required to feed yet another 2.3 billion people by 2050
have got to be carried out by using increased yields and cropping intensity on
existing farmlands, as a substitute than increasing the area under cultivation
(FAO, 2009). It is, therefore, necessary to conduct research to come out with
the appropriate agronomic practices and inputs that will help optimize yield of
taro as there is very little information on soil amendment requirements and
high yielding varieties.
Determine the growth responses of the different taro
accessions to soil amendments.
Determine impact of different soil amendments on yield and
yield components of taro.
Evaluate the responses of the soil amendments on the
nutritional quality of the various accessions.
Determine the best soil amendment that will give optimum
yield.
The above objectives were based on the following hypotheses
that;
Application of soil amendments will increase yields of taro.
Soil amendments will affect the biochemical composition of
taro corm.
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