Case study 16: Influence of planting date and organic fertilisation on growth, yield and corm quality of South African taro landraces

Objectives

The objective for the whole study was formulated after consideration of the research strategy. It was:

To assess the qualities of three taro landraces, namely Dumbe-Dumbe, Mgingqeni and Pitshi, in terms of plant growth, yield, mineral content, suitability for crisp making and storage, and to recommend the landrace that is most suitable for the formal market.

Each study had its own separate objective:

Study 1: To determine effects of date of planting and level of organic fertiliser on plant growth, yield, corm crisping quality and mineral content of taro corms from three landraces: Dumbe-Dumbe, Mgingqeni and Pitshi.

Study 2: To determine effects of temperature and packaging on storage quality of corms from three landraces (Dumbe-Dumbe, Mgingqeni and Pitshi) in terms of level of carbohydrate (sucrose, glucose, fructose and starch concentration) and also on any emergence of new shoots or roots.

Study 3: To determine the performance of first generation corms from three landraces (Dumbe-Dumbe, Mgingqeni and Pitshi) in terms of shoot emergence and plant development (plant height, leaf number, leaf area, number of suckers and overall above ground biomass).