The objective of this work was to evaluate yield and income of two taro clones cultivated under different doses of urea to the soil. The work was carried out at medicinal plant garden of the Agrarian Science Experimental Center of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, in Dourados - MS, in the period of September 5th, 2002, to April 25th, 2003. 'Macaquinho' and 'Chinês' taro clones were evaluated under incorporation to the soil of 0; 60; 120; 180 and 240 kg ha-1 of urea (45% of N). Treatments were arranged as 2 x 5 factorial scheme in a randomized block design with three replications. Planting was done with whole cormels under populations of 73,260 plants ha-1. Harvest of 'Macaquinho' plants was done at 189 days after planting and harvest of 'Chines" at 232 days, when more than 70% of aerial parts of plants showed senescence symptoms. Plants of 'Macaquinho' taro produced 41.89 t ha-1 of total rhizomes and 10.49 t ha-1 of corms - RM, which corresponded to 3.06 (7.88%) and 3.15 (42.92%), respectively, more than 'Chines" did, and with vegetative cycle of 43 days less than this one. Highest yields of commercial cormel fresh mass were with addition to the soil of 240 (31.77 t ha-1) and 180 (19.90 t ha-1) kg ha-1 of urea. Dried mass yield of total rhizomes was dependent on clones/fertilization with urea interaction, in which doses influenced significantly on yield of 'Macaquinho' plants (maximum of 13.10 t ha-1 and minimum of 6.30 t ha-1, for incorporation of 240 and 120 kg ha-1 of urea, respectively). RM dried mass yield was higher for 'Macaquinho' (2.26 t ha-1) and smaller for 'Chinês' (1.95 t ha-1). Commercial RF dried mass depended significantly on urea doses, which was higher with the incorporation of 240 kg ha-1 of urea (7.05 t ha-1) and smaller with 60 kg ha-1 of urea (3.91 t ha-1). The greatest calculated incomes and profits were for the use of 240 kg ha-1 of urea for both two clones. The use of smaller urea doses was economically negative for 'Macaquinho' plants including in relation to no addition of urea.
Colocasia esculenta; Araceae; clones; fertilization; productivity; profit
