Effects of Watering Frequency on the Growth of Elephant Foot Yams

概要

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Elephant foot yams are usually cultivated in rain-fed fields and home gardens in South and Southeast Asia. To analyze the effects of the watering frequency on the growth 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 the number and size of leaves, corm size, cormel number and root growth, with long intervals between the watering events restricting growth. Growth of plants did not show any abnormalities when the plants were watered at 1, 3 or 5-day intervals. However, infrequent watering reduced yield and forced the corms to enter dormancy. These results suggest that elephant foot yams are tolerant to soil water stress, but that soil water stress should be avoided to ensure a high yield.
日本熱帯農業学会の論文