GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF XANTHOSOMA AND COLOCASIA SPP. UNDER DIFFERENT SPACINGS

Dry matter production and distribution were studied in the cocoyams (Xanthosoma sitifolium and Colocasia esculenta) for 2 yr at 3 spacings of 1 x 1 m, 1 x 0.75 m, and 1 x 0.50 m. Monthly plant samples were taken after 12 wk and the leaf and stalk areas, leaf area index, number of leaves, and dry weights of different plants parts determined. No statistically significant differences were established between the spacings but in general, the 1 x 0.5 m spacing consistently gave the highest yields. In Xanthosoma, the total photosynthetic capacity (source) reached a maximum at 20–24 wk. There was a similar but less distinctive trend in Colocasia. Dry matter production in Xanthosoma reached a peak around the 24th wk and then began to decline, but in Colocasia there was no clear-cut trend in total dry matter yield.