Effects of watering frequency on the growth of elephant foot yams
2004
Santosa, E. (Bogor Agricultural Univ., West Java (Indonesia)) | Sugiyama, N. | Sulistyono, E. | Sopandie, D.
Elephant foot yams are usually cultivated in rain-fed fields and home gardens in South and Southeast Asia. To analyze die effects of die watering frequency on die growdi and yield, elephant foot yams were cultivated in plastic bags containing 20 kg of soil in a glasshouse from May to December 2002. Different watering schedules, i.e., 1.0 to 1.5 liter of tap water applied at 1-, 3-, 5-, 7- and 15-day intervals, were applied when the buds became visible. Watering frequency affected die number and size of leaves, corm size, cormel number and root growth, widi long intervals between die watering events restricting growth. Growth of plants did not show any abnormalities when die plants were watered at 1, 3 or 5-day intervals. However, infrequent watering reduced yield and forced die corms to enter dormancy. These results suggest that elephant foot yams are tolerant to soil water stress, but diat soil water stress should be avoided to ensure a high yield. Key Words: Amorphophallus paeoniifolius. Dormancy, Water stress, Yield
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