Effect Of Mulch Application And Planting Depth On Growth, Development And Productivity Of Upland Taro

Jose  R. Pardales,

Effect Of Mulch Application And Planting Depth On Growth, Development And Productivity Of Upland Taro

Abstract:

Growth, development and harvest attributes of taro were more apparently affected by mulching treatment than by planting depth. Mulched plants exhibited superior height and LAI and markedly higher total and corm dry matter (DM) accumulation than their unmulched counterparts. Most of the harvest characters were significantly greater when taro was mulched than when they were unmulched. The difference between 5 and 10-cm planting depth was negligible for plant height and LAI but was pronounced in the total and corm DM production. Deeper planting significantly favored high DM production at most stages of growth. All harvest characters were significantly increased by planting depth treatments except the main corm volume and total herbage yield.

References:

ALESSI, J. and POWER, J.F. 1971. Corn emergence in relation to soil temperature and seeding depth. Agron. J. 63:717-719.
ALI, M. and PRASAD, R. 1974. Effects of mulches and type of seed bed on pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) under semi-arid conditions. Exptl. Agric. 10:263-272.
BANKS, L.W. and GILMORE, A.R. 1979. Effects of sowing depths on field emergence of soyabeans. Aust. J. Exptl. Agric. An. Husb. 19/719 - 724 .
BLACK, A.L. 1970. Soil, water and soil temperature influence on dryland winter wheat. Agron. J. 62:797-801.
JOHNSON, B.L. and SCHNEITER, A.A. 1982. The effects of achene size and planting depth on sunflower seedling emergence. Agron. Abstr. Crop Sci. Soc. Amer. p. 134.
KAY, D.E. 1973. Root Crops. Crops and Product Digest No. 2, Tropical Products Institute. 245 pp.
KOSHI, P.T. and FRYREAR, D.W. 1971. Effect of seedbed configuration and cotton bur mulch on lint yield, soil, water and water use. Agron. J. 63:817-822.
LAL, R. 1974. Soil temperature, soil moisture and maize yield from mulched and unmulched tropical soils. Plants and Soils 40:129-143.
MATTHEWS, L.J. 1983. Vegetation management in no-till crop produc-tion. In No-Till Crop Production in the Tropics. pp. 45-60.
PARDALES, J.R. JR. 1979. Role of natural water stress on some agro-nomic characters of lowland gabi planted in the upland under different fertilizer application. ViSCA Vista 2/22 - 23 .
PARDALES, J.R. JR., MELCHOR, F.M. and DE LA PEÑA, R.S. 1982. Effects of water temperature on the early growth and development of taro. Ann. Trop. Res. 4:231-238.
PARDALES, J.R. JR. 1984. Dry matter accumulation and distribution in upland taro main plants under drought stress condition. Phil. J. Crop. Sci. 10(1):13-16.
PEÑA, R.S. DE LA and PLUCKNETT, D.L. 1972. Effect of nitrogen fer-tilization on the growth, composition and yield of upland and lowland taro (Colocasia esculenta). Exptl. Agric. 8:187-194.
PLUCKNETT, D.L., PEÑA, R.S. DE LA and OBRERO, F. 1970. Taro (Colocasia esculenta). Field Crops Abstr. 23:413-426.
VILLANUEVA, M.R., PARDALES, J.R. JR. and ABENOJA, E.A. 1983. Performance of taro in the upland as affected by fertilizer application and population density under different production systems. Phil. J. Crop Sci. 8:17-22.
TAYO, T.O. 1983. Growth, development and yield of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp) in the lowland tropics. 4. Effect of sowing depth. J. Agric. Sci. Camb. 101:435-440.