A field experiment was
conducted to evaluate the response of colocasia (Colocasia esculenta) to different levels of 0, 60, 90, 120 and 150
kg N ha-1 under farmer’s field condition at Garhi Usmani Khel, District
Malakand Dargai during 2013. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete
Block design with three replications and treatment plot size of 2.74 × 2.43 m2.
All levels of N in the form of urea along with uniform basal doze of 90 kg P2O5 ha-1 as Triple Super Phosphate (TSPPP) were applied to soil at time
of seed bed followed by thorough mixing. Seeds of colocasia c.v. local variety
were sown in these plots with row spacing of 30 cm and plant to plant distance
of 12 cm in February, 2013. The results showed that application of N produced
significantly higher colocasia tuber yield, number of tubers plant-1,
1000-tubers weight and size of tubers (mean length and diameter) over control
but the differences among levels of N were nonsignificant. However, some
parameters like tuber yield was maximum at 60 kg N ha-1 and tuber
size especially the length of colocasia tuber was maximum at 150 kg N ha-1 suggesting that the response of each parameter was different to N levels. Based
on maximum relative yield (100%) and increase over control (46.1%) still at
lower N levels of 60 kg N ha-1, this level seems to be appropriate level
for colocasia under the prevailing soil and climatic conditions.
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