Author
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IRIZARRY, HEBER |
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RIVERA AMADOR, EDMUNDO |
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Submitted to: Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 9/11/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: In a tropical yam production system it is a tradition to provide aerial support of the plant vine by the construction of wood-wire trellises. This agronomic practice is labor intensive and highly expensive. In an effort to reduce the cost of production, we evaluated two commercially grown yam cultivars, Diamante and Kinabayo, with and without vine support. Both cultivars were successfully grown with vine creeping on the soil without detriment in yield. However, the Diamante cultivar was the superior yielder with 40,340 kg/ha. We estimate that this agronomic practice reduces the total cost of yam production by 21%. Technical Abstract: The construction of traditional wood-wire trellises for vine support is the most costly agronomic practice in yam production. In an effort to reduce production inputs, an experiment was established to screen for cultivars with adaptability to grow without vine support. Two cultivars (Diamante and Kinabayo), were evaluated under two planting systems (trellises vs. no trellises), and using close in-row plant spacings of 0.30 and 0.46 m. The treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with six replications. Planting system and in-row plant spacing had no significant effect on number of marketable tubers per plot, mean tuber weight and total yield. This is indicative that both 'Diamante' and 'Kinabayo' can be successfully grown without vine support. Regardless of planting system and in-row plant spacing, the Diamante cultivar produced significantly heavier individual tubers and was a superior yielder with 40,340 kg/ha. These cultivars had no significant effect on number of marketable tubers per plot. |
