INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC MANURE (FYM), TWO BIO- FERTILIZERS AND POTASSEIN FOLIAR SPRAY LEVELS ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH TRAITS, TOTAL AND MARKETABLE YIELD OF TARO (Colocasia escule ta L. Schott).

Taro ~Colocasia escu/enla L. Scholll is a monocotyiedonous plant belonging
to the family (Araceace). II is considered one of the most important vegetable grown
in Egypt due to its high nutrilional and economical values. Local cullivar (8a/ady) has
been put under investigation to study the effect of different levels of (F~rmyard
manure) (40,80 and 120 m³/Fed). two bio fertilizers. I.e (nitrobein. phosphor in) and
potasseln foliar spray during 2000 and 2001 years. on plant growth. yiel and its
components as well as chemical constituents in Corms. In general. all the studied
charactes were better in plants receiving FYM levels. Increasing the applied FYM rate
from 40 to 120m³/Fed. significantly increased most parameters. Moreover he best
results were obtained by using potassein foliar spray compared with nitrobein and
phosphorein. The application of FYM (120m3/Fed) combined with potassein foliar
spray increased total yield/Fed by 18.97 and 23.31 ton/Fed in 2000 & 2001 years.
respectively. The same combinatlon gave the highest dry weight. Fertiliz tion of
120m^l/Fed FYM with nitrobein and 80 m³/Fed with potassein were the optimum rates
10 maximize corms dry weight. The obtained data indicted that application of FYM or
potassien foliar spray caused significant increase of starch, protein and NPK in the
corms. While potassien and nitrobein treatments didn·t show a significant effect on
protein and starch percentage. Applying nltrobein gave hIgher phosphorus per enlage
and phosphoreln gave the highest potassium percentage.