ACCUMULATION AND PARTITIONING OF DRY-MATTER IN TARO [COLOCASIA-ESCULENTA (L) SCHOTT]

A field study was conducted as part of an ongoing effort to collect data on patterns of leaf area development and dry matter accumulation and partitioning among various plant parts during growth and development of two tare cultivars. Plants were harvested for biomass about every 6 weeks during the growing season. At each harvest, plants were separated into various plant parts, and their dry matter content was determined. The first 80 d after planting were characterized by low rates of dry matter accumulation, with only leaves, petioles, and roots showing substantial growth. Afterwards, increases in total dry matter were mainly the result of corm and sucker growth. Corm bulking occurred after the attainment of maximal leaf area indices. The absence of an optimal leaf area index for a longer period of time may have prevented the realization of higher dry matter yields. The partitioning of dry matter to the corms of both cultivars remained almost constant especially after 150 d after planting. This process was in contrast to the partitioning of dry matter to the suckers, which increased significantly until the end of the growing cycle. (C) 1995 Annals of Botany Company