Effects of high and low watering levels on growth and development of taro

Growth of taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) 'Alafua Sunrise' and 'Niue' was recorded in a high (16 mm water/day) and in a low (5.8 mm water/day) wa tering-level treatment. Recording took place at intervals for a period of 2 1 weeks, when corms had just passed optimum maturity. Leaf, root, and corm growth measurements were all higher in the high watering-level treatment; w ith corm fresh and dry weights reaching up to 80% higher than in the low wa tering treatment. The harvest index and water use efficiency are both gener ally higher in the high watering-level treatment. The harvest index tended to be higher in 'Niue' and water use efficiency tended to be higher in 'Ala fua Sunrise'. The increased corm weight in the high watering-level treatmen t may have been attributed to the earlier increased leaf and root growth. T he expected better corm growth of the drought tolerant 'Alafua Sunrise' in the low watering-level treatment did not occur in this experiment; possibly because it was conducted in low light conditions.