Comparative Study of Dormant Bud Development in Taro [Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Xanthosoma sp. and Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] in Relation to their Size and Localization on the Principal Tuber

The study was to determine the effects of variety, position and bud size on six parameters of taro development and production. For that, 480 tuber cuttings of three varieties (C1, C3, CD) of Colocasia and (X1, X4, X5) of Xanthosoma carrying small and large buds were sown in a complete randomized blocks design with two repetitions, in the University Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Côte d'Ivoire). The analyses showed that leaves of X5 emerged earlier (23 days). Also, leaves limb of X1, X4, X5 are longer (22 to 25 cm) and wider (20 to 25 cm) than those of C3 and CD (19 cm). Petioles and leaves are longer (51 and 74.25 cm, respectively) in X1. In contrast, Colocasia produced more tubers. Overall, bud of the top germinated earlier (26 days), generated longer (22.90 cm) and wider (22.54 cm) laminas and more tubers. Conversely, petioles and leaves from bud of the middle are longer. Also the large buds sprouted earlier (24.82 days) and generated longer (24.09 cm), wider (23.48 cm) laminas, longer petioles (45.32 cm) and leaves (69.43 cm). Furthermore, in individual varieties, on the one hand, plants grown from top buds presented the widest laminas (19.89 and 25.58 cm), in CD and X5, the longest petioles and leaves (41.44 and 67.83 cm) and, in addition, produced the greatest number (3.35) of tubers, in X5. On the other hand, large bud germinated earlier (25.20 days) in C3 and generated the longest laminas (19.71 to 26.84 cm) in the five varieties, wide (21.96 to 27.32 cm) in X1, X4, C3, the longest petioles (46.57 cm) in C3, longest leaves (61.30 to 79.73 cm) in C3, X1, X4 and the greatest number (3 to 6.23) of tubers in C3 and X4. All these findings should be exploited for better taro production.