Adaptability and yield performance of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) cultivars in three agro-ecological zones in Ghana

Abstract

Low yields of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) reported in Ghana are due to inadequate agricultural tech niques and research. To explain the reported yields under these conditions, it is necessary to understand how various soils and climatic factors affect the growth and development of these new varieties when selecting appropriate genotypes for diverse agro-ecological environments. Four cultivars of taro namely; Huogbelor, Asempa, Agyenkwa and Y’anyawoa were, evaluated for their adaptability and yield performance in the rain forest, semi-deciduous forest and forest-savannah transition zones in Ghana in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Analysis of variance showed significant (P < 0.05) differences among the agro-ecological zones in terms of the vegetative growth, number of suckers/stand and inflorescence numbers of taro but not for corm yield. Taro cultivars also differed significantly (P < 0.05) in terms of the number of leaves/ stand but were statistically similar (P > 0.05) for number of suckers. Number of inflorescences differed signif icantly (P < 0.05) among the agro-ecological zones, cultivars as well as their interactions. The results also revealed significant (P < 0.05) agro-ecological zone and cultivar interactions for taro growth and yield. The Coastal-savannah translated the high vegetative growth of Hougbelor into corm yield of 25.67 tons/ha while the Agyenkwa cultivar produced higher numbers of suckers (25.0) and inflorescences (2.43) in the same agro ecological zone.