CULTIVATION OF TARO
INTRODUCTION OF TARO:
It is also known as arum colocasia and Ghuiyan or arvi is an ancient crop grown throughout the humid
tropics for its corms, stalks, and leaves. It is the most commonly grown vegetable in tropical countries. It is
cultivated most intensively and has the highest percentage of tropical countries.
The greatest intensity of its highest percentage contribution to diet occurs in the pacific islands. However,
the largest area of cultivation is in West Africa, which therefore accounts for the greatest quantity of
production.
Additionally, taro is grown in virtually all humid or sub-humid parts of Asia and the Caribbean. It is widely
cultivated in Nigeria, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, West Indies, Brazil, Egypt, Bangladesh, and
India. In India, it is extensively grown in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar Uttar
Pradesh, Assam, Orissa, Kerala, Andhara Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Among the cultivated species, there are two types of taro, namely, the eddoe type and the dasheen type.
Eddoe types have cormels much larger than the mother corms, while dasheen types have mother corms
bigger than the corms. The species is Colocasia esculenta Schott. Typically grows wild in sub-Himalayan
tracts, the peninsular region, and the Northeastern region. There is no doubt that the majority of the
waterlogged tropical areas and their wide range of variability can be found in the eastern part of the
continent. The crop has evolved with the cultures of people in the Asia-Pacific region. It has acquired
considerable socio-cultural importance for the people. Among food crops in Oceania, the adulation and
prestige attached to taro are equal to yam in certain localities.
ITS ORIGIN:
Taro is indigenous to northeastern India and the Indo-Malaya region of Southeast Asia, but it was originally
domesticated in India or Malaysia. Colocasia species are distributed in Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, and
South America, which includes Guatemala and Peru. In India, it is distributed from the foothills of the
Himalayas to Maharashtra and Meghalaya.
USES OF TARO:
All parts of taro plant leaves, petioles, stalks, corms, and cormels, can be consumed as a vegetable or in
other forms.
These corms and cormels are boiled, roasted, or fried and served with fish, coconut dishes, etc. The leaves
are usually boiled or prepared in various ways and mixed with other condiments.
The high protien content of leaves favorably complements the high carbohydrate content of corms, which
goes with it. In Northern India, fresh tender leaves are used for the preparation of pakora. Geographically,
the most widespread use of taro for human consumption is in the form of chips and noodles.
Taro flour is available in some places and used as a thickener in soups, infant formulations, and other
preparations. Another possessed and packaged form of taro is poi, a fermented sour paste made from boiled
taro. In the Hawaiian Islands, its leaves are used for the preparation of fafa and palusami dishes.
Taro is especially useful to persons allergic to cereals and it can be consumed by children who are sensitive
to milk. Its acridity factors can be separated by gravitational means and the material can be stabilized by
dehydration.
A fresh sour paste made from boiled taro, poi., is an excellent remedy for food allergies, and consuming
cooked corms helps to relieve the discomfort associated with morphia. It reduces ulcers caused due to
tuberculosis and it expedites the healing of fungal abscesses in animals.
The juice from the corms is used as a poultice, and the juice from the petals is used as a styptic. Consuming
it as a vegetable relieves hemorrhoids.
CLIMATE REQUIREMENT:
Taro is a crop in tropical and subtropical regions, thus, a warm humid climate is ideal for its normal
growth. Usually, taro crops require rainfall of 1500 to 2000 mm for their optimum yield and it thrives best
under very wet or flooded conditions.
Dry conditions result in reduced corm yield. Corms produced under dry conditions also tend to have a
dumbbell shape and reflect the period of reduced growth during drought. The crop grows better at high
temperatures and high humidity.
It can thrive well in a frost-free subtropical environment with an average temperature of 20n degrees
celsius. It can be cultivated up to an elevation of 1500 m.
SOIL REQUIREMENT:
Taro can be grown on a wide range of soils from light to heavy soils. Loam and sand are ideal for their
successful cultivation.
The soil should be well-drained, fertile, loose fertile, rich in organic matter, and should have good water
holding capacity, which may favor the uniform development of tubers.
Dasheen types perform well in heavy soils with good water-holding capacity, while the eddoe types prefer
well-drained loamy soils with a high water table.
For its cultivation to be successful, a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 is ideal. To maximize plant growth and yield, the land
must be thoroughly prepared and brought to its optimum pH. During dry periods, supplementary irrigation is
necessary due to moisture stress.
CULTIVATED VARIETIES:
Several local varieties of taro like Sar Kachu, Topi, Jhankri, Bansi, and Desi Banda are available. Breeding
work concerning taro crops is being carried out at the central tuber crops research institute,
Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala.
The characteristic descriptions of some selected improved cultivars developed by the different centers are as
follows.
CO1: a variety developed at Tamil Nadu agricultural university, Coimbatore is high yielding with a yield
potential of 243 quintals per hectare.
Kovvur: it matures 180 days after planting. Its plants are about 70 cm tall, and its leaves are narrow with
purplish green petioles. Its corm yield is 200 to 230 q/Ha.
Muktakashi: it gave 250 to 200 q/Ha yield in crop duration of 150 to 180 days.
Panisaru 1: it takes 180 to 210 days after planting to be ready for harvesting and yield about 160 q/Ha.
Panisaru 2: its average yield is 130 q/Ha a crop duration of 180- 210 days.
Panchamukhi: it matures in 180 to 195 days and yields ranging from 120 to 150 q/Ha.
Punjab arv1: its average yield is 225 Q/Ha with a crop duration of 176 days.
Other varieties:
Sahasrammukhi, tamarakannan, serr kiran, sree pallavi, sree rashmi, vallabh nikki, white guariya.
PLANTING TIME:
Taro is planted from April to June in Kerala, February in Andhra Pradesh, May in Tamil Nadu, February,
and June in Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and In April In Assam. The crop is planted in southern parts of
the country, under rain-fed conditions, from May to June to October and November in the rainy season.
Under irrigated conditions, the crop can be planted throughout the year depending on the moisture
availability, especially in winter, although the spring season is the most common time to plant.
See The commercial propagation of taro occurs through cormels with a weight of about 20 to 25
grams.5gram mother tubers, suckers produced as a result of lateral pollination of the plant in the preceding
crop, a 1 to 2 cm apical portion attached to the basal 15 to 20 cm of the petioles. attached. Can also be used
for planting. Micro-sites of 2 g give higher cormels yield while apical and large-size micro sets are suitable
for getting sprouting and yield.
About 37.00 vegetative propagates are required for planting a hectare with a spacing of 60 cm from line to
line and 45 cm plant to plant within a line.
PLANTING TIME;
The preparation of land differs from place to place. Hawaii is the only country where taro is cultivated with
scientific Land in Hawaii is puddled before planting, while in parts of south India, it is planted on ridges and
furrows, and in the northeastern region, it is planted in beds.
control the soil should be plowed well up to 20 to 35 cm and made into a fine tilth before planting. In
general, the planting depth varies between 5 and 10 cm along the ridges, which are spaced 60 cm apart.
Plants are separated by 45 cm on these ridges.
The spacing also varies with the climate. Kerala recommends planting at a spacing of 60*45 cm, whereas in
Cuba, planting at a distance of 90*30 cm from line and plant to plant is suggested. In Japan, planting at a
spacing of 60*100 cm can bring you a higher yield.
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENT:
Like other tuber crops, taro is responsive to the application of crop requirements depending on soil type,
soil fertility, climate, spacing, cultivar, and cultural practices adopted.
Nitrogen has been recommended for 103.9kg, phosphorus 74.1 kg, and potash 135.7 kg/Ha. And the peak
period of removal of NPK is 3 to 5 months after planting. Calcium, iron, and manganese in 3rd month after
planting, and zinc and copper at the maturity stage.
IRRIGATION REQUIREMENT:
Water is one of the essential components required for the growth and development of the crop. The total
water requirement varies with the soil type, climate, and crop duration. Taris is one of the few crop species
that can adapt to a wide range of moisture regimes.
Over-watering is not harmful to its growth but supplementary irrigation is essential during the dry season.
Growth is restricted and suckering and/or reduced quality may occur if plants are water-stressed. Corm yield
increases with increasing levels of water because of extensive rooting Since the plant has shallow roots, it
requires plenty of water during growth. system.
Optimum irrigation should be made available to the crop of uniform sprouting. Irrigation immediately after
planting and 1 month after planting are crucial. Subsequent irrigation may be given at fortnightly intervals.
Moisture stress may be detrimental to growth thus, supplementary irrigation has to be given during the dry
period. Under moisture stress, plant growth becomes stunted and the yield of corms is reduced drastically.
During the summer, irrigation takes place every 10 days.
INTERCULTURE OPERATIONS:
HOEING AND WEEDING:
Weeding becomes natural under flooding conditions. Keeping the field free during the initial stage of crop
growth helps in better growth of the plant.
Three-hand weddings, two coinciding with the two splits of fertilizer application and earthing up, and one at
a later stage, are recommended to get higher corm yield.
It is recommended to Earth the soil around the base of the plants when weeding so that the growing corms
are protected from light exposure.
Herbicides like propanil, prometon, and nitrogen are effective in wetlands, while in uplands, ametrine is
recommended. Weeding and earthing up around 45 to 60 days after planting is considered the most effective
method of improving taro yield.
REMOVING OF SUCKERS:
Desuckring is therefore very significant importance in the cultivation of taro crops. It is done by removing
the side sprouts a month after emergence and only three suckers per plant are retained to obtain economic
corm yield.
Corm size, yield, and quality can be increased by desuckring unhealthy suckers and retaining the healthy
ones.
HARVESTING:
The crop duration depends on the type of cultivar, soil type, soil fertility, climatic conditions of the growing
regions and the cultural practices followed during crop production are cited as reasons that taro matures in 3
months in Ceylon, while it takes 12 to 15 months in how India, the crop matures 5 to in 5 to 7 months after
planting.
Dasheen types mature in 8 to 10 months and eddoe types in 5 to 6 months. Harvesting is signaled by a
decline in the height of the plant and general yellowing of the leaves at maturity, the main corms begin to
push out of the soil surface. This is usually an indication that the crop is ready for harvesting. Irrigation
should be stopped 3 to 4 weeks before harvesting.
YIELD:
The yield of taro also varies with cultivar, soil type, soil fertility, climate, and the cultural practices adopted
during farming in Kerala, the reported yield ranges from Approximately 160 to 260 square meters per
hectare, while in Tamil Nadu, the recorded yield is 130 q/Ha. Its average yield in general ranges from 120 to
150 q/ha.
POST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT:
The crop after harvest, the corms are washed with clean water to remove adhered soil and other practices.
Therefore, they are graded according to their size or weight depending on the market. During sorting and
grading, the deformed, cracked and decayed corms are rejected.
Studies on post-harvest management of taro are meager, though in general, taro is not suited to long-term
storage. Thus, the corms should be consumed within 2 weeks of harvesting. Refrigeration appears to extend
storage life.
Corms are short temperature for a couple of days to cure bruises and then at 7 degrees Celsius temperature
with good ventilation for long-term storage.
Taro corms harvested at full maturity can be stored for up to 30 days in sawdust and sand media. High
temperatures and relative humidity greater than 85% cause deterioration, and a very low-temperature results
in the death of corms within two months. Many countries also store their goods in pits.
INSECT-PEST:
S.NO INSECT-PEST IDENTIFICATION CONTROL
1 Aphids Adults and nymphs damage Two parasitoids, and two
the crop by sucking sap aphidophagous predators, have been
from tender leaves, causing found as effective natural enemies of
the leaf to curl and appear aphids. Out of them, m. sex maculata
sick. Aphids secrete a has a high predation rate of 15 to 28
honeydew-like substance, aphids per day.
which attracts the ants, and
on which the black sooty Spray the crop with malathion 50 EC 2
mold starts growing. ml/liter of water.
2 Leaf-eating caterpillar It is commonly known as Charpos here, which feed on the leaf-
the Tabacco caterpillar and eating caterpillar, are endoparasitic, and
one of the key pests of the parasitization ranges from 6% to
aroids, which is 10%. parasitoids are at their peak
polyphagous. The young during the months of September-
larve are gregarious, October.
scrapping the leaf tissues,
and later tissues, and later Spray the crop with malathion 0.5% to
on, segregate and become control these larvae.
solitary. It feeds
voraciously on leaves and
completes its life cycle in
30 to 40 days.
3 Thrips The nymphs and adults Irrigate the field at frequent intervals to
cause damage by sucking keep the soil moist.
cell sap from the tender
leaves. It is a seasonal pest Spray the crop with dimethoate @
attacking during the 5ml/liter of water for effective control
summer months from of thrips.
January onwards and the
peak period is from
February to May. The
damage is characterized by
slivery-white specks with
black dots on the leaves
due to the continuous
sucking of sap by the
nymphs and adults.
DISEASES:
More than 100 species of fungi cause damage to avoids out of which, 21 species have been reported from India. A detailed
description is below.
S.NO DISEASE NAME IDENTIFICATION CONTROL
1 Leaf blight The disease appears on the Spray copper fungicides, particularly
foliage, first as purple to copper oxychloride or blue copper 0.3%,
brownish circular water- folpet 02% dithane m-45 0.2%, benlate
soaked lesions 1 to 2 cm in 0.1% or dithane z-78 0.2% at an interval
diameter, usually at the tip, of 21 days for about 4 months starting
base, and margins of the from 6 weeks after planting.
leaves. These lesions
gradually enlarge by
coalescing small spots and
the entire leaf dies.
2 Brown spot The disease s characterized Spray copper fungicides like blue copper
by the appearance of or copper oxychloride 0.3% at an
numerous reddish-brown interval of 21 days for about 4 months
spots on leaves, which are starting from 6 weeks after planting.
more prevalent under
humid conditions.
CONCLUSION:
In addition to carbohydrates, taro corms contain a fair amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and beta-
carotene.
Taro contains abou7% protein, which is more than a yam, cassava, and potato. The protein fraction is low in
histidine, lysine, isoleucine, tryptophan, and methionine but otherwise rich in all essential amino acids.
Corms have a higher protein content at the corm's periphery than at its center.
The taro leaf, like most of the higher plant leaves, is rich in protien as it contains about 23% protien on a dry
weight basis. It is also a rich source of thiamine, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and iron, which are
important constituents of a human diet.
The fresh taro lamina has about 20% dry matter, while the fresh petioles have only about 6% dry matter.
DISEASES:
More than 100 species of fungi cause damage to avoids out of which, 21 species have been reported from
India. A detailed description is below.
S.NO
DISEASE NAME
IDENTIFICATION
CONTROL
Leaf blight
The disease appears on the foliage, first as purple to brownish circular water-soaked lesions 1 to 2 cm in
diameter, usually at the tip, base, and margins of the leaves. These lesions gradually enlarge by coalescing
small spots and the entire leaf dies.
Spray copper fungicides, particularly copper oxychloride or blue copper 0.3%, folpet 02% dithane m-45
0.2%, benlate 0.1% or dithane z-78 0.2% at an interval of 21 days for about 4 months starting from 6 weeks
after planting.
Brown spot
The disease s characterized by the appearance of numerous reddish-brown spots on leaves, which are more
prevalent under humid conditions.
Spray copper fungicides like blue copper or copper oxychloride 0.3% at an interval of 21 days for about 4
months starting from 6 weeks after planting.
