The The Effects of Storage Methods on the Emergence, Growth, and Yield of Cocoyam [Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schotts] Soğan depolama yöntemlerinden etkilenen tanen performansı

Abstract

Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), known as tannia, is cultivated for fresh leaves and cormels by resource-limited farmers in tropical regions. However, it is not fully utilised to enhance food security for the growing population. One of the key challenges in its production is the lack of sufficient planting material, largely due to limited information on effective storage methods that ensure adequate planting material for establishing the crop in the following season. This study aimed to evaluate weight loss and storage efficiency under common storage conditions and determine the field performances of the stored corms. Freshly harvested corms (T1), corms stored under shade (T2), corms stored in pits (T3) and corms stored on raised platforms (T4) were assessed for weight loss and storage efficacy. In a field experiment, the stored corms were planted and evaluated for emergence, growth and yield differences using a randomised complete block design with three replicates. Weight loss in storage and storage efficiency ranged from 11.42 (T3) to 35.62% (T4) and 60.0 (T4) to 84.0% (T2), respectively, with significant differences observed among the storage conditions. The T4 had a significantly lower emergence rate than other storage conditions. Across the observation periods, cocoyam height and stem diameter were similar for the storage conditions but lowest in T4. The cormel yield obtained from T1 was significantly higher than T4 but had 18.28 and 31.43% higher yields than the yields observed for T2 and T3, respectively. The corms stored under shade conditions were suggested for preserving tannia corms meant for planting.