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GREEN-Seeds.com
vegetables & herbs
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TARO Climate
Upland taro can be grown throughout the year in Hawaii. It is best adapted
to a warm, moist environment. Evenly distributed rainfall is ideal. Supplemental
irrigation is necessary in dry, low rainfall areas.
Cultivars
Varieties
There
are several varieties of Hawaiian taro that can be used for upland planting.
The most common and easily accessible varieties are Lehua Maoli and Bun
Long. For other varieties, consult your local Extension Agent. Lehua Maoli
is an excellent "poi" taro while Bun Long is an excellent table taro which
is grown mostly for making taro chips. Dasheen or araimo varieties are
Tsurunoko, Miyako, and Akado. A few unnamed dasheen varieties are also
grown throughout the state.
Culture
Soil
 Taro can be grown
on a wide range of soil types, however, for best results, use deep, well-drained,
friable loams with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Rocky or stony areas should be avoided
to prevent deformed corms and to facilitate harvesting.
Land
Preparation
Land preparation for
upland or dryland taro is similar to land preparation for most upland crops
such as corn. Existing vegetation or weeds are turned under by plowing or
cultivation. A few days are allowed for decomposition after which clods
are are broken by harrowing or rotovating. A hoe or rake is used to break
clods in small gardens. After the soil has been pulverized the surface may
be smoothed in preparation for planting. Upland taro can be planted on ridges,
furrows or flat ground. Prepare rows and use a guide string to plant 18
to 24 inches apart. Plant taro in rows at a spacing of 18 inches to 24 inches.
Irrigation
Water availability
can drastically affect the yields of upland taro. Upland taro thrives best
under moist soil conditions. It can withstand prolonged water-logging. Soils
growing dasheen or araimo on the other hand, should not be allowed to waterlog
for an extended length of time. For best results, maintain soil moisture
at near field capacity throughout the growing period. Irrigation water can
be conveniently applied by furrow, sprinkler or drip irrigation.
Weed
Control
Taro is very susceptible
to weed competition, especially during the first 3 to 4 months after planting
when the leaf canopy is being formed. During this time, control the weeds
by hand pulling or cultivation with a hoe and other implements. After the
crop has attained the maximum vegetative stage, the lush foliage will shade
out further weed growth and weeding or cultivation should be minimized to
avoid injuring the roots and the developing corms.
Description
Taro is an important
food crop in Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and other Asian countries. Taro
leaves are used as vegetable in laulaus and taro corms are made into poi.
Corms are also boiled, steamed, baked, or fried into taro chips.
Taro can be grown
under two distinctly different cultural management systems:
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upland or dryland planted in unflooded, rainfed areas, and
-
lowland or wetland grown in waterlogged or flooded fields.
Most of the taro grown
in Hawaii is wetland taro, however, upland taro production is rapidly increasing.
Pest and Disease Control
Among the diseases that
affect upland taro in Hawaii, leaf blight, caused by Phytophthora aolocasiae,
is the most prevalent. Its incidence is influenced greatly by climatic conditions
and is most serious during the rainy or wet season.
Its presence usually
diminishes during the dry months of the year. To control leaf blight, apply
fungicides like dithane M45 at bi-weekly intervals using 6.8 to 9.1 g/gal
spray solution. A drop or two of surfactant or sticker is recommended for
better leaf coverage. Leaf blight can be recognized by the formation of
purplish to brownish circular water-soaked spots on the surface of the leaves.
A clear yellow liquid is exuded from the spot.
Other diseases
of upland taro are dry rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii and Phyllosticta
leaf spot caused by Phyllosticta colocasiophyla. These can be serious
in upland taro but seldom occur in well managed upland taro plantings.
Fertilization
Upland taro requires
adequate soil fertility. An initial preplant application of 2-3/4 to 3 pounds
per 100 square feet garden area of 7-30-20,10-20-20 or similar analysis
is recommended. Broadcast the fertilizer over the surface of the soil and
work it into the topsoil by harrowing, rotovating, raking or by using other
means.
Side-dress at
2, 4, and 6 months after planting with 1 pound per 100 square feet area
of 16-16-16 or similar fertilizer mix. An alternate side-dress application
of l 1/4 pounds per 100 square feet at 3 and 6 months after planting can
be used. This rate of fertilization is based on results obtained from a
relatively poor or infertile soil.
For a more precise
fertilization program, send soil samples to your Extension Agent for analysis
and recommendation.
Harvesting
Upland taro is ready
for harvest 8 to 10 months after planting. As harvest-time approaches leaves
turn yellowish and the petioles are short, usually less than 2 ft. high.
Corms protrude from the ground. Dasheen is ready for harvest when all or
most of the cormels have attained dormancy, that is, when the leaves have
dried. Time of maturity varies with location, varieties used, soil fertility,
and water availability.
For home use,
the taro may be harvested as required over a period of several weeks. Dasheen
can be harvested and stored for a considerable length of time. However,
the corms should be thoroughly cleaned, washed and drained before storage.
Storage under refrigerated conditions will prolong the life of the corms.
Poi taro cannot be stored for any considerable length of time without seriously
impairing its quality, whether for poi or table use.
Leaves used for luau
or laulau can be harvested at any time during the growth of the crop. Only
the young leaves are harvested and the taro is allowed to continue to grow.
Insects
Pest and Disease Control
Several insects attack
upland taro in Hawaii. The most common and important are the leafhoppers
(Tarophagus proserpina) and aphids (Aphis spp.). These insects
do not cause serious damage unless they are present in large numbers. They
damage the taro plants by sucking sap from the petioles and leaf blades.
Leafhopper damage can be distinguished by the presence of numerous brown
to black spots on the petioles caused by stains from sap that has oozed
from puncture holes on the petioles. Aphids are easily distinguished on
the young leaves.
Most taro insect
pests can be controlled by spraying with diazinon using 2.4 to 4.7 ml/gal
of a 48% emulsifiable concentrate or 2.3 to 4.5 g/gal of a 50% wettable
powder formulation. Malathion can be used at 4.7 to 9.5 ml/gal of a 5596
emulsifiable concentrate (0.25 to 0.5 gal mixed solution is sufficient to
spray 100 sq. ft.).
Planting Materials
Planting materials called
"hulis" or setts are pre- pared from the suckers or main plants. Hulis consist
of the upper 1/4- to 1/2-inch section of the corms or cormels and the first
8 to 10 inches of the petioles. Dasheen or araimo can also be planted using
hulis, however, the more common planting materials are the small, usually
non-marketable cormels. These are planted after the dormancy period which
is indicated by shoots or sprouts coming out of the growing tips. Hulis
or cormels can be planted by hand, using hand trowels or "pineapple planters"
to a depth of 3 to 4 inches in the ground.
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Green - Seeds Co., Ltd.
81/10B Ho Van Hue Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ward 9, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84 (8) 847 6901 - Fax: +84 (8) 844 1392 - Email: info@green-seeds.com
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