Número de fileiras no canteiro na produção e rentabilidade de quatro clones de taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott)

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate yield and profitability of Cascudo, Japonês, Chinês and Macaquinho taro clones which were cultivated under two and three rows of plants per plot in a Distroferric Red Latossol in environment conditions in Dourados-MS, from September, 2007, to March, 2008. Treatments were arranged in 4x2 factorial scheme in a randomized block experimental design, with four replications. Planting was done with cuttings that were compound of whole cormerls. From 30 days after planting and at every 30 days measures of plant heights were done. In harvest, which was done on 180 days after planting-DAP, fresh and dried mass of leaves (limb + petiole), of corms-RM, of commercial cormels-RFC and of non-commercial cormels-RFNC, and diameters and lengths of commercial cormels-RFC were evaluated. Economic analysis of treatments were done using the relation of obtained yield with studied factors and the probable income. Growth curves of plant heights of taro were not influenced by clones and number of rows per plot interaction, but they were influenced by clones and dates of evaluation interaction, with maximum calculated height of 79.77 cm, which was reached on 143 DAP in plants of Cascudo clone. Fresh and dried masses of studied morphological compounds were not influenced by clones and number of rows of plants per plot interaction, but they were influenced by factors in isolated way. Fresh mass of plants that were cultivated under three rows per plot was superior in 8.52; 2.88; 5.38; and 4.97 t ha-1 of leaves, RM, RFC and RFNC, respectively than those under two rows. Dried mass of plants that were cultivated under three rows was superior in 0.69; 0.65; 1.13 and 1.01 t ha-1 of leaves, RM, RFC and RFNC, respectively that those under two rows. Macaquinho clone showed the highest fresh 18.25 t ha-1 and dried 2.96 t ha-1 mass, which were superior in 12.26 t ha-1 and 1.52 t ha-1, respectively, than the Cascudo, which had the smallest masses. Estimated cost for producing 1.0 ha of taro had variation of 42.50% (R$ 2,514.97) between the smallest cost of production, which was R$ 5,917.05 for Cascudo under two rows of plants and the highest cost, which was R$ 8,432.05 for Chines under three rows of plants, respectively. In the conditions that the experiment was carried out, the greatest net income was obtained with Macaquinho clone that was cultivated under two rows of plants per plot (R$ 14,535.31).