The agronomical and economic viability of the use of the 'Chinês' taro main corm (Colocasia esculenta) for crop implantation was checked, compared to the conventional cormels propagation. The experiment consisted of ten treatments, in the randomized complete block design, with five repetitions. The evaluated treatments were: use of the main corm (intact head or corm), by six head segments, and by three classes of intact cormels like: IH = Intact head (medium weigh, 300 g); SHH = Superior half head (150 g); IHH = Inferior half head (150 g); STH = Superior third head (100 g); MTH = Medium third head (100 g); ITH = Inferior third head (100 g); SiHH = Side half head (150 g); BC = Big cormels (100 g); MC = Medium cormels (50 g), and SC = Small cormels (25 g). At monthly intervals, the stand, height, and the leaf area of the plants were assessed. Corm yield and the classes of cormels were evaluated at harvest. The economic analysis was done estimating the possible returns obtained with the propagation method. The smaller % of emergency was observed in the seedling kinds: ITH, IHH and MTH, with 0%, 35% and 68%, respectively. Maximum values of leaf area index and plant height were observed at 105 and 165 days after seedling. The use of intact head (IH) and segments SHH, SiHH and STH was agronomically and economically viable resulting in profitable corm yield and cormels classes, medium, commercial, reject and total, similar to the obtained by the kind of seedlings BC and MC. Segments SiHH, STH, and BC were advantageous because of higher percentage of bigger cormels class BC per unit area and higher economic return. Application of the intact head and of segments SHH, SiHH, and STH, in taro propagation is of interest especially when there is no market demand for the head trade.
Colocasia esculenta; vegetative propagation; dasheen; eddo; yield
