High intensity microsett-based cocoyam

The new cocoyam or tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium Schott) is an important starchy staple in the humid tropics, especially various parts of West and Central Africa, where the daughter-corms or cormels are consumed. The young leaves are also utilized as a vegetable or spinach. The latter practice presents a major cormel production constraint as continuous defoliation depresses yield. However, a specialized spinach production system recently developed at the University of Ghana Agricultural Research Station at Kade, Ghana, holds promise in overcoming the problem. Corm-explants or 'microsetts' weighing 5-l0g, are pre-sprouted in fresh, moist, medium-coarse textured sawdust for 3 weeks and are then transplanted in raised beds. These beds are a metre wide, 25-30cm high and as long as space permits. The plants are spaced at 10cm x 10cm intervals and the beds hand-watered as necessary. The plants are defoliated to provide a spinach when the young leaves are available. This system could provide a year-round, diversified income source for small-scale market gardeners as well as serve as a highly lucrative large-scale agri-business venture. Efforts are currently directed to the breeding of specialised genotypes with high leaf turn-over rates and protein contents. The high intensity planting using 100,000 plants/ha has oresented a new line of thinking as regards the optimum density required for specialized cormel production. Dr C E Gyansa-Easmon University of Ghana Crop Science Department PO Box 44 Legon Accra GHANAThe new cocoyam or tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium Schott) is an important starchy staple in the humid tropics, especially various parts of West and Central Africa, where the daughter-corms or cormels are consumed. The young leaves are also..