Nutritional Value of Colocasia esculenta Is Related to Corm Size

Abstract

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a tropical root crop widely cultivated for its edible corms and leaves. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of taro morphometric parameters on prolificacy, yield and nutritional value under dryland production. Two sites were used to grow small, medium and large propagules generated under controlled environment conditions from a local landrace. Plant prolificacy, in terms of corms per plant, crop yield (t·ha−1) and nutrient content (macro- and micronutrients) and fibre were used to determine taro quality. The size of propagule was associated with both productivity and nutritional value. There was a positive correlation between propagule size and starch content. A decline in both Acid Detergent Fibre (13%) and Neutral Detergent Fibre (25%) occurred in larger corms. The protein and macronutrient contents improved with corm size, but the micronutrient content decreased. This study revealed that there are benefits in the utilisation of a wide range of corm sizes for upland production purposes. However, there is a need to investigate and expand knowledge of taro food components to include its potential value for specific nutritional and industrial purposes.