Taro

Colocasia esculenta (2n=28, 42),

(Hindi: Arvi, Ghuiyan) Family: Araceae
 Colocasia is derived from Egyptian word.
 Both wild and cultivated types exhibit wide variability.
 Edible part tuber is an underground stem.
 Tender petioles and leaves are rich source of vitamins and minerals.
 Due to acridity, tubers are used as vegetable after thorough cooking.
 The corm is generally high in starch (13-30%) and low in fat and protein.
 It is recommended for Gastric patients.
 Hard to cook is a disorder of colocasia due to water stagnation.
 Metsubure is due to calcium deficiency. The metsubure is characterized by the
corm apical bud suppression and a smooth lesion in the apex. Corms
presenting "metsubure" showed anatomical changes with damage in the vascular
system which led to the suppression of apical bud formation, with
detection of a wound periderm. In these corms, the periderm was thicker
with compact and suberized cell layers.
 They are rich in starch grains (amyloplasts).
 Taro corms are rich in the soluble starch called amylose (soluble in hot
water).
 The starch that is most prevalent is amyloplasts in colocasia bit in other species it is in
the form of amylopectin (insoluble starch).
 Since they contain about 3% sugar, they are more like a sweet potato (Ipomoea
batatas) than a true potato (Solanum tuberosum).
 In the Caribbean region it is called dasheen.
 Hawaiian poi is made by steaming the corm, followed by crushing and natural
fermentation.
Origin and Classification
Colocasia and Xanthosoma together are known as coco yam.
In Colocasia, leaves are peltate (attached to stalk near the center of leaf) and sterile
appendage is at top of spadix.
In Xanthosoma, leaves are sagitate and sterile appendage is absent.
Taro (Colocasia) originated in South East Asia including India and Malaysia.
Plucknett (1983) differentiated Colocasia esculenta into two types:
Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta(Dasheen)
Produces a large main corm with a few cormels. This includes wild types and is grown
under a wide range of moisture conditions from flooded to rainfed upland conditions. This
group has 28 chromosomes and are diploids. Leaves are generally elongated. Sterile
appendage of spadix is shorter than male part.

C. esculenta var. antiquorum syn C. esculenta var. globulifera (Eddoe)

This includes both cultivated and wild forms. It has small or medium sized main corm and
a larger number of side cormels which are edible. It is raised as an irrigated or rainfed
upland crop. Plants have 42 chromosomes and are always triploids and do not set
seeds. Leaves are almost round. Sterile appendage is larger than male part.
Colocasia esculenta var. stoloniferum (Swamp Taro) in this species stolons are
very much distinct and are the edible portion.

Botany
Taro is an herbaceous, perennial plant consisting of a main corm from which cormels,
roots and shoots arise. Corm is botanically a stem and is covered with concentric
rings of leaf scars and scales.
Cormels arise from lateral buds - present under each scale or leaf base. Morphologically
main corm is the stem and stolons and cormels are lateral branches of stem.
Inflorescence is produced on a stout peduncle shorter than petiole. It consists of 20-40
cm long rolled spathe and 5-14 cm long cylindrical golden yellow coloured spadix
inside.
Spadix has female flowers at the base followed by a compressed neck of neutral or
aborted flowers. A larger male section with a sterile appendage at the tip is attached to neck.
Length of appendage helps to differentiate or identify different types.
Female flower are uncommon but when they occur consist of a few ellipsoid or ovoid
ovaries male have 2-3 sessile anthers. Berries are thin walled green in colour, and
rarely contain a few albuminous seeds.
In colocasia growth of roots and leaves begin simultaneously when the apical
portion of corm with petiole base is used as planting material.
However root growth commences much earlier then that of leaf growth, when
corms devoid of petiole base are used as planting material.
Taro is cross-pollinated due to protogyny.
Three phase of growth in taro are recognized.
 In Phase I coincides with regeneration of mother corm mainly characterized by
emergence of roots and leaves that extend up to 8 weeks after planting.
 Phase II represents the grand growth period characterized by rapid vegetative growth
commencing from second to sixth month after planting while the
 Phase III coincides with crop maturity and duration of which varied with
cultivation and growing conditions.
Biochemical constituents of Colocasia
The starch grain in colocasia is smallest among all food plants and its tuber is more easily
digestible and it is a good source of Ca and P. Taro lactin and taro malt prepared from taro
flour is good infant and invalid food.
In Hawaii the tubers are grated and the resultant slurry is allowed to ferment to
produce acidic “Poi” a steamed pudding made from grated taro and coconut
which is very popular in Hawaii. Taro is used in prevention of allergic diseases.
Anti Nutritional Factors of Colocasia
Most cultivars particularly dasheen contain oxalic acid mainly in the form of
raphides. These are minute bundles of crystals of calcium oxalate which account for
irritating effect of corm. This effect is removed during boiling. Small quantities of
prussic acid are also present in taro corm. The amount is much less than cassava and is not
nutritionally hazardous. The levels of oxalate accumulation in taro were found to be
much higher in leaf tissues compared to that of cormels.

Varieties
Characters of improved varieties developed at CTCRI, Thiruvananthapura.
Sree Rashmi All plant parts are non-acrid. Corms are big and con are medium size. Yield is
15-20 t/ha in 7-8 months. Corms have excellent cooking quality and taste.
Sree Pallavi Corms are relatively big. It yields 15-18 t/ha in 64 months.
Sree Kiran This is a F1 hybrid with high yield and good cooking quality
Satamukhi , ML-1, ML-2, ML-9, Co-1, Bidhan Chaitanya ( BCC-1), Bidhan Joydeb (
BCC-2), White Gouria, Sahasra mukhi, Bhavpuri, HaluKesu, Muktakeshi, Indira
Arvi-1, Ahina Katchu, NDC-1, NDC-2, Pani Saru-1, Pani Saru-2, Kadma Arvi-Local,
PKS-1, RNCA-1, Sonajuli, Jhankri,

Colocasia –Bunda-
NDB-21, NDB-03, NDB-1 (Narendra Bunda-1)
Soil and climatic requirement
As a tropical tuber crop Colocasia require a continuous supply of water. In India, under
lowland conditions, it is grown in alluvial and fertile soil while under upland conditions it
performs well on marginal land. Well drained and fertile sandy loam soil with pH range 5.5-
7.0 gives best result.
Colocasia prefers moist condition for better growth and yield. It is best suited in swampy
tropical climate with a temp range of 25°C to 30°C and also grows well in flooded
conditions. In moist environment it can be grown at a temp of 20-21°C. Annual rainfall of
1000 mm is optimum for its growth and high yield.
Propagation
Eddoe type ( Taro) Mother corm and cormels are used as planting material. Sucker
production was higher when mother corms were used for propagation and yield was
higher when it was propagated by cormels. Cormels weighing 20-25 g are commonly
used as planting material for eddoe in many taro growing ares under upland conditions.
Healthy disease free planting materials having uniform size and no injury should
be selected and stored in a cool place at least 3 months before planting. Cut pieces of
corm can also be used as planting material.

Dasheen type (Bunda) The main corm of Dasheen is cut transversely into pieces of 4
to 5 cm thickness containing one to two buds and weight should not be less than
50 gms. The top portion of the main corm containing apical bud is the best for
sprouting. Sometimes daughter corms are also used as planting materials. Healthy
disease free planting materials having uniform size and no injury should be selected and stored
in a cool place at least 3 months before planting.

Land Preparation and Planting

Eddoe type ( Taro)
Time of planting It is normally planted during rainy season but it can be grown any time if
irrigation facilities are available. April-June was the ideal time of planting under
rainfed condition. However, Feb(irrigated) and June (rainfed) is recommended time for
planting in North and Eastern part of India and April to June for Southern part.
Depending on soil types and management practices, different methods of land preparation and
planting are followed. In sandy loam, pit method is better while in alluvial soils raised
mounds or beds or ridges are preferred. Ridges of 30 cm height are made and tubers are
planted at 45-60 cm apart. Mulching with green or dried leaves helps to hasten sprouting,
controls weed growth, regu1ates soil temperature and retains soil.
Spacing and seed rate A spacing of 60x 45 cm was found to be optimum to get good
economic return. Higher planting density at a distance of 45x30 cm is also adopted on marginal
land. About 1 ton planting material is enough for planting one ha at spacing of 60x 45 cm
while higher planting density 45x30 cm requires about 1.5-2.0t/ha. In the former spacing
the plant population will be 37000/ha whereas in the latter , plant population will be
74000/ha. Depth of planting is 5-10 cm.
Manuring and Interculture
Apply 12 tonnes of farmyard manure per hectare and mix it with prior to planting. Taro
requires a fertilizer dose of 80 kg N, 80 kg P205 an 120 kg of K20/ha in two or three
split doses. One-third dose of nitrogen, full dose of phosphorus and one-third
potash are to be applied at two weeks after sprouting. Remaining dose of nitrogen and
potash may be applied in equal split doses at monthly intervals after the first
application of fertilizer.

Weeding and Earthing-up Two manual weeding along with earthing up has been
recommended for better growth and tuberisation in eddoe. First weeding along with
earthing up is done after 7-8 days of sprouting and second a month later. Small,
unhealthy suckers from mother plant have to be removed along with second weeding
and earthing up operation. Weeding and earthing up are to be done along with application
of fertilizers.
Irrigation Eddoe grows well under moist situations. Although soil moisture has least
influence on sucker initiation, moisture stress adversely affects vegetative growth,
which largely reduces the dry matter production and tuber yield. Usually 7-8 irrigations are
required for best yield in summer season. Generally, eddoe type requires less
amount of irrigation as compared to dasheen type, due to short life period. Eddoe
type is relatively more tolerant to drought than dasheen type.

Mulching Mulching with dry leaves and other organic mulches provides additional nutrients ,
conserves soil moisture, maintains soil temperature and reduces weed growth.
Desuckering A large number of suckers per plant reduces the tuber size hence only 3
suckers/plant should be retained at second earthing up.

Dasheen type ( Bunda)

Time of planting It is normally planted during February to June , but Feb is the best
time of planting under irrigated conditions in North Bihar, parts of WB and eastern UP. As
rainfed crop it can be planted in June where there is no frost during growing period.
Planting is done by ridge and furrow method. Flat bed method of planting is also adopted under
upland conditions with good drainage. Furrow method is better than others as it
conserves moisture. The trenches are usually made at a distance of 60x 75cm whereas the
plant to plant distance is kept at 30 to 45 cm.
Spacing and seed rate dasheen type is usually taller, spreading and robost in structure
than the plant of eddoe. A spacing of 75x 45 cm or 75x 30 cm was found to be optimum to
get good economic return. Higher planting density at a distance of 60x45 cm or 60x30 cm is
also adopted on marginal land. About 1.5 ton planting material is enough for planting one
ha while higher planting density requires about 2.5t/ha. In bunda type Colocasia ( Colocasia
esculenta var. esculanta) seed size of 40-50gm is needed.
Manuring and Interculture
Apply 10-12 tonnes of farmyard manure per hectare and mix it prior to planting. Taro
requires a fertilizer dose of 100 kg N, 60 kg P205 an 120 kg of K20/ha in two or three
split doses. One-third dose of nitrogen, full dose of phosphorus and one-third potash are to be
applied at two weeks after sprouting. Remaining dose of nitrogen and potash may be
applied in equal split doses at monthly intervals after the first application of fertilizer.

Weeding and Earthing-up Three manual weeding along with earthing up has been
recommended for better growth and tuberisation in dasheen due to longer life span. First
weeding along with earthing up is done after 7-8 days of sprouting and second and third a
month later at monthly interval. Weeding and earthing up are to be done along with application
of fertilizers.
Irrigation The life period of dasheen is comparatively longer than eddoe, therefore it requires
more amount of irrigation. Usually 8-10 irrigations are required for best yield in summer
season. Generally, dasheen type, requires more irrigation as compared to long life period.
Dasheen type is relatively less tolerant to drought than Eddoe type.
Mulching Mulching with dry leaves and other organic mulches provides additional nutrients ,
conserves soil moisture, maintains soil temperature, reduces weed growth which results in
better tuberisation and corm production.
Desuckering In case of dasheen there is no need of Desuckering.

Harvesting and post harvest management

The crop matures in about 120-150 days but dry matter content of tuber increases
upto 180 days after planting. Colocasia becomes ready for harvest within 5-7 months after
planting. Generally eddoe type is harvested early while dasheen type requires larger
duration. Drying up of leaves is the indicator of maturity. Yield varies from 20 to
40t/ha. The mother corms and cormels should be separated before marketing. In dasheen
type mother corms are marketable where as in eddoe type cormels are marketable.
At the time of harvesting , damaged tubers must be removed to prevent rotting during
storage. The tubers should be dried for a day under the shade by spreading on ground
and the soil adhering to the tubers should be removed. It should be stored either in
soil pits or in heap under well ventilated room.
Upland taro matures earlier (6 to 9 months) than the low land taro (12 to 15 months).
Under high fertility and wet land conditions corm bulking commences very late (3
to 5 MAP) while under upland condition bulking commences early (2 to 3 MAP)
and the crop duration in the latter is shortened due to prevailing dry condition. The specific
gravity of 1.0 to 1.1 is for main crop and 1.1 to 1.58 for sucker corms. Leaves of cocoyam
are used as vegetable in Africa and caribbean islands where defoliation is practiced.
Light defoliation did not affect yield of Colocasia but removal of the youngest two or
three leaves during rapid bulking, reduced corm yield