Vol. 14 No. 2
Effect of corm sett size on whole seed corm production of elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius Dennst.) in the Gangetic plains of West Bengal
Author(s): P. K. PATHAK, U. ROY, A. TALEB, S. PATRA, A. ROY, P. S. ROY, A. MAJI AND S. CHATTERJEE
Abstract: The elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius Dennst.) is one of the most popular tropical tuber crops grown particularly in eastern India. Considering the importance of the crop a study was undertaken to standardize optimum seed corm sett size suitable for whole seed corm production of elephant foot yam in Gangetic alluvial zone of West Bengal. Five sett sizes viz. S1: 100g; S2: 200g; S3: 300g; S4: 400g and S5: 500g were considered as different treatments and were planted at a distance of 50 cm both ways. Among the treatments, the maximum height of primary pseudostem (75.5cm), basal girth (9.93cm) of primary pseudostem, corm weight (1196.25g) and seed corm yield (478.50q ha-1) was recorded with 500 g sett size of corm. But the maximum seed: corm ratio (4.53) and cost: benefit ratio (1.84) was obtained with the smallest sett size (100g). For whole seed corm production of 500- 600g size, planting of 100 to 200g mini-corm sett was found suitable and economically beneficial in the Gangetic plains of West Bengal.