Yield and foliar concentration of nutrients of taro "Blanca" grown with two plant spacings and three fertilizer levels

Abstract

Taro cv Blanca was evaluated under two plant spacings and three fertilizer levels in a Corozal clay soil. Plant distances evaluated were 0.91 m x 0.30 m and 0.91 m x 0.6 m. Fertilizer levels evaluated were 0, 56 and 112 grams per plant of a 14-3-13 commercial mixture. The evaluation was performed with two different planting methods: bench and flat. Results showed that an increase in the planting distance caused a significant reduction in the corm fresh yield but a significant increase in the average corm weight in all of the planting methods. The fertilizer levels had no effect on the corm fresh yield nor on the average corm weight. Fertilizer levels had no significant effect on the foliar concentration of N, P, K, Ca and Mg measured six months after planting. Average foliar concentrations of these elements across treatments were 4.6, 0.36, 4.1, 0.23 and 1.5%, respectively.