Yield of cocoyam cultivars propagated by the single bud method

Abstract

Experiments were conducted at the Isabela agricultural substation to determine the performance of several cocoyam cultivars with seed material obtained by the single bud propagation method. Twenty-two cultivars representing the three major groups of cultivated cocoyams were tested, in 1986 the best cultivars produced marketable cormel yields exceeding 9,900 kg/ha. Among the best cultivars were Alela and Viequera, two white varieties. In 1987 yields were similar to those of the previous year; varieties Alela and Viequera, a purple-fleshed cultivar, were the most outstanding. Yields of mother corms were also obtained both years in order to obtain an estimate of the harvest index (weight ratio of cormel to corm) for the different cultivars. Only cultivar Alela had a harvest index greater than unity, which is the expected minimum for an outstanding variety. Observations on the incidence of symptoms of mal seco (dry rot) showed that some cultivars were partly resistant to the disease. However, none was superior to Palma, an almost wild cultivar that does not produce cormels.