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Leaf Area Index and Dry Biomass of Taro 1
Author(s) -
Shih S. F.,
Snyder G. H.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1984.00021962007600050010x
Subject(s) - colocasia esculenta , leaf area index , biomass (ecology) , agronomy , cultivar , dry weight , environmental science , specific leaf area , biology , horticulture , botany , photosynthesis
Taro ( Colocasia esculenta ) is a wetland plant that can be used as a fuel stock for biomass conversion into various energy forms. Predicting the biomass production is important in developing the optimal harvesting schedule, but information needed to predict production is unavailable. The objective of this study was to predict the tare biomass production based on leaf area index information. Cultivar Lehua Maoli was planted with a space of 0.5 m between plants in 1981. In 1982, the same cultivar was planted with spaces of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 m between plants. Dry biomass and leaf area (LA) were monitored monthly in 1981 and bimonthly in 1982. Leaf area was best estimated from leaf dry biomass (LDB) by the equation LA = 223 LDB (r 2 =0.91). Dry biomass was linearly related to cumulative monthly mean leaf area index until cumulative monthly mean leaf area index reached 10 (r 2 =0.80 to 0.97). These relationships could be useful for predicting taro biomass production, both as a research tool and as a guide for scheduling commercial harvest.