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.
References
[1]
Louis, S. (2010) Missouri Botanical Garden “Colocasia Schott subordinate taxa”. Tropicos, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis.
[2]
Wirth, F.F., Davis, K.J. and Wilson, S.B. (2004) Florida Nursery Sales and Economic Impacts of 14 Potentially Invasive Landscape Plant Species. Journal of Environmental Horticulture, 22, 12-16.
[3]
Rao, V.R.D., Hunter, P.B.E. and Matthews, P.J. (2010) Ethno Botany and Global Diversity of Taro. In: Rao, R.V., Matthews, P.J., Eyzaguirre, P.B. and Hunter, D., Eds., The Global Diversity of Taro: Ethno botany and Conservation, Biodiversity International, Rome, 1-2.
Niba, L.L. (2003) Processing Effects on Susceptibility of Starch to Digestion in Some Dietary Starch Sources. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, 54, 97-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/0963748031000042038
[6]
Onwueme, I.C. (1978) The Tropical Tuber Crops. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
[7]
Dayrit, R. and Phillip, J. (1987) Comparative Performance of Eight Dryland Taro Varieties on Pohnpei. Federated States of Micronesia.
[8]
Tisdale, S.L., Nelson, W.L. and Beaton, J.D. (1990) Soil Fertality and Fertilizers. 4th Edition, Maomillan, New York.
[9]
Sanchez, P.A. (1976) Properties and Management of Soils in the Tropics. Wiley, New York.
[10]
Buke, T. and Gidago, G. (2016) The Effect of Np Fertlizer Rates on the Yield and yield Components of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.) in Boloso-Sore Woreda Wolaita Zone, Snnpr, Ethiopia. International Journal of Agriculture Innovations and Research, 5, 329-341.
[11]
Steel, R.G.D. and Torrie, J.H. (1984) Principles and Procedures of Statistics. 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill Book Co. Ins., Singapore, 172-177.
[12]
Gee, G.W. and Bauder, J.W. (1986) Particle-Size Analysis. In: Klute, A., Ed., Methods of Soil Analysis, ASA and SSSA, Madison, 383-411.
[13]
Richards, L.A. (1954) Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils. Soil Science, 78, 154. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-195408000-00012
[14]
Nelson, D.W. and Sommers, L.E. (1982) Total Carbon, Organic Carbon and Organic Matter. In: Page, A.L., Miller, R.H. and Keeney, D.R., Eds., Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2 Chemical and Microbiological Properties, American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Soil Science Society of America, Inc., Madison, 539-579.
[15]
Soltanpour, P.N. and Schwab, A.P. (1977) A New Soil Test for Simultaneous Extraction of Macro and Micro Nutrients in Alkaline Soils. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 8, 195-207. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103627709366714
[16]
Bremner, J.M. and Mulvaney, C.S. (1982) Nitrogen-Total. In: Page, A.L., et al., Eds., Methods of Soil Analysis, ASA and SSSA, Madison, 595-624.
[17]
Hartermink, A.E., O’Sullivan, J.N. and Poloma, S. (2000) Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustaining Sweet Potato Yields in the Humid Lowland. Papua New Guinea Food and Nutrition Conference, Lae, 26-30 June 2000, 173-182.
[18]
Singh, R.B., Kumar, S.B. and Kumar, S.A. (2011) Effect of Nitrogen and Potassium Levels on Yield and Nutrient Uptake of Colocasia (Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta). International Journal of Agriculture Sciences, 7, 224-226.
[19]
Prajapati, M., Singh, P.K., Verma, R.B. and Singh, H.K. (2003) Yield and Quality Response of Colocasia (Colocasia esculenta L.) to FYM, Nitrogen and Potassium Application. Journal of Root Crops, 29, 42-45.
[20]
Alam, M.S., Reza, M.H., Islam, M.M., Bhuiyan, M.K.R. and Hossain, M. (2010) Effect of Split Application of NK Fertilizers on the Yield of Panikachu (Colocasia esculenta L.).
[21]
Mandal, R.C., Singh, K.D. and Maini, S.B. (1982) Effect of Nitrogen and Potash Fertilization on Tuber Yield and Quality of Colocasia. Vegetable Science, 9, 82-84.
[22]
Noor, S., Talukder, M.R., Bhuiyan, M.K.R., Islam, M.M., Haque, M.A. and Akhter, S. (2015) Development of Fertilizer Recommendation for Aquatic Taro (Colocasia esculenta) in Grey Terrace Soil. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 38, 83-92.
[23]
Verma, R.B., Singh, P.K. and Singh, S.B. (1996) Effect of Nitrogen and Potassium Levels on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Uptake of Colocasia esculenta. Journal of Root Crops, 22, 139-143.
[24]
Adam, R.M., McCarl, B.A., Segerson, K., Rosenzweig, C., Bryant, K.J., Dixon, B.L., Corner, R., Evenson, R.E. and Ojima, D. (1998) The Economic Effects of Climate Change on U.S. Agriculture. In: Mendelsohn, R. and Neuman, J., Eds., The Economics of Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Chap. 2.
[25]
Havlin, J.L., Tisdale, S.L., Beaton, J.D. and Nelson, W.L. (2005) Soil Fertility and Fertilizers. Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River.
[26]
Manrique, L.A. (1994) Nitrogen Requirements of Taro. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 17, 1429-1441. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904169409364817
[27]
Mehla, C.P., Ram, M. and Singh, J. (1997) Effect of Spacing and Fertilizer Levels on Growth and Yield of Colocasia (Colocasia esculenta L.). Agricultural Science Digest, 17, 205-208.
[28]
Udoh, D.J., Ndon, B.A., Asuquo, P.E. and Ndaeyo, N.U. (2005) Crop Production Techniques for the Tropics. Concept Publications Limited, Lagos, 446 p.
[29]
Shiyam, J.O., Obiefuna, J.C., Ofoh, M.C., Oko, B.F.D. and Uko, A.E. (2007) Growth and Corm Yield Responses of Upland Cocoyam (Xanthosoma satitti folium L.) to Sawdust Mulch and NKP 20:10:10 Fertilizer Rates in the Humid Forest Zone in Nigeria. Continental Journal of Agronomy, 1, 5-10.
[30]
O’Sullivan, J.N., Asher, C.J. and Blamey, F.P.C. (1996) Diagnostic Criteria for Nutrient Disorders of Taro. In: Craswell, E.T., Asher, C.J. and O’Sullivan, J.N., Eds., Mineral Nutrient Disorders of Root Crops in the South Pacific, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, 83-90.
[31]
Saigusa, M., Kasagaya, Y., Watarable, A. and Shibuya, K. (1999) Ecology of Apple of Pru (Nieandra physalodes L.) Press and Velvet Leaf (Abudtilon avicennae Garth).
[32]
Gasim, S.H. (2001) Effect of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Seed Rate on Growth, Yield and Quality of Forage Maize (Zea mays L.). M.Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Agric., Univ. of Khartoum.
[33]
Dauda, S.N., Ajayi, F.A. and Ndor, E. (2008) Growth and Yield of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) as Affected by Poultry Manure Application. Journal of Agriculture and Social Sciences, 4, 121-124.