Agro-economic performance of Comum tannia cultivated with plant spacing and different seed-rhizome masse

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the increase in plant height and agro-economic productivity of Comum tannia cultivated using two different row spacing (0.10 and 0.15 m) and four seed-rhizome masses (5.52 g; 3.76 g, 2.17 g, and 1.44 g, mean of 480 rhizomes). The plants were cultivated in a 2 × 4-factorial scheme, completely randomized block design, with three replications. The maximum height of the plants reached 43.2 cm at 179 days after planting with a seed-rhizome mass of 5.52 g and 0.15-m space between plants. The highest fresh mass yields of the aerial parts (1.74 t·ha-1) of medium (3.25 t·ha-1) and small (4.24 t·ha-1) cormels were obtained in plants propagated using a seed-rhizome mass of 3.76 g. The highest yields of corm (2.64 t·ha-1) and large cormels (2.37 t·ha-1) were achieved using a seed-rhizome mass of 5.52 g. The diameters and lengths of corms and cormels showed a direct relationship with the seedling mass, except for the diameters of small cormels, which were higher in plants propagated using a seed-rhizome mass of 1.44 g. Thus, it was concluded that to achieve increased plant height, production of commercial rhizomes, and gross and net incomes, Comum tannia should be propagated using seed-rhizome mass of 5.52 g and plant spacing of 0.15 m.

Keywords

• Xanthosoma mafaffa; Seedlings; Plant density; Gross and net incomes