MSc

An investigation entitled “Agronomic package for container grown elephant
foot yam” was undertaken at College of Agriculture, Vellayani to standardize
growth medium and nutrient and irrigation schedule for elephant foot yam grown
in containers, to study tuberisation pattern in elephant foot yam and to study nutrient
release pattern in different growth media in order to formulate a cost effective
agronomic package for elephant foot yam grown in containers. The investigation
comprised of two separate experiments: (1) Standardization of growth medium and
nutrient and irrigation schedule for container grown elephant foot yam and (2)
Incubation study – Nutrient (N P K) release pattern in different growth media. The
experiments were conducted during April to November 2016.
The first experiment was done in the Instructional Farm, Vellayani by
raising elephant foot yam var. Gajendra in plastic sacks of uniform size with 12
treatment combinations involving three growth media (M1 - soil : sand : FYM 1:1:1,
M2 - soil : coir pith : FYM 1:1:1 and M3 - soil : coir pith : FYM 0.75:1.25:1), two
nutrient schedule ( N1 – N and K in three splits and N2 – N and K in six splits ) and
two irrigation schedule (I1 - irrigation once in three days and I2 - irrigation once in
six days ) with four replications in completely randomized design . The second
experiment was conducted in plastic pots with three growth media and five
replications in completely randomized design to study the nutrient release pattern
in different growth media. The pots were kept in the laboratory of the Department
of Agronomy. Lime @ 10g and neem cake @ 100g sack-1 (1.33 g lime and 13.33 g
neem cake pot-1) were applied initially in all growth media. The recommended dose
of 100:50:150 kg NPK ha-1 for elephant foot yam was applied to each sack and pot
through organic manures like groundnut cake, bone meal and wood ash.
Observations on growth characters were recorded at bimonthly interval
from two months after planting (MAP) upto harvest. The growth medium M2 was
found superior with respect to growth characters at all growth stages. Application
of N and K in six splits produced significantly taller plants from 6 MAP and higher
An investigation entitled “Agronomic package for container grown elephant
foot yam” was undertaken at College of Agriculture, Vellayani to standardize
growth medium and nutrient and irrigation schedule for elephant foot yam grown
in containers, to study tuberisation pattern in elephant foot yam and to study nutrient
release pattern in different growth media in order to formulate a cost effective
agronomic package for elephant foot yam grown in containers. The investigation
comprised of two separate experiments: (1) Standardization of growth medium and
nutrient and irrigation schedule for container grown elephant foot yam and (2)
Incubation study – Nutrient (N P K) release pattern in different growth media. The
experiments were conducted during April to November 2016.
The first experiment was done in the Instructional Farm, Vellayani by
raising elephant foot yam var. Gajendra in plastic sacks of uniform size with 12
treatment combinations involving three growth media (M1 - soil : sand : FYM 1:1:1,
M2 - soil : coir pith : FYM 1:1:1 and M3 - soil : coir pith : FYM 0.75:1.25:1), two
nutrient schedule ( N1 – N and K in three splits and N2 – N and K in six splits ) and
two irrigation schedule (I1 - irrigation once in three days and I2 - irrigation once in
six days ) with four replications in completely randomized design . The second
experiment was conducted in plastic pots with three growth media and five
replications in completely randomized design to study the nutrient release pattern
in different growth media. The pots were kept in the laboratory of the Department
of Agronomy. Lime @ 10g and neem cake @ 100g sack-1 (1.33 g lime and 13.33 g
neem cake pot-1) were applied initially in all growth media. The recommended dose
of 100:50:150 kg NPK ha-1 for elephant foot yam was applied to each sack and pot
through organic manures like groundnut cake, bone meal and wood ash.
Observations on growth characters were recorded at bimonthly interval
from two months after planting (MAP) upto harvest. The growth medium M2 was
found superior with respect to growth characters at all growth stages. Application
of N and K in six splits produced significantly taller plants from 6 MAP and higher
An investigation entitled “Agronomic package for container grown elephant
foot yam” was undertaken at College of Agriculture, Vellayani to standardize
growth medium and nutrient and irrigation schedule for elephant foot yam grown
in containers, to study tuberisation pattern in elephant foot yam and to study nutrient
release pattern in different growth media in order to formulate a cost effective
agronomic package for elephant foot yam grown in containers. The investigation
comprised of two separate experiments: (1) Standardization of growth medium and
nutrient and irrigation schedule for container grown elephant foot yam and (2)
Incubation study – Nutrient (N P K) release pattern in different growth media. The
experiments were conducted during April to November 2016.
The first experiment was done in the Instructional Farm, Vellayani by
raising elephant foot yam var. Gajendra in plastic sacks of uniform size with 12
treatment combinations involving three growth media (M1 - soil : sand : FYM 1:1:1,
M2 - soil : coir pith : FYM 1:1:1 and M3 - soil : coir pith : FYM 0.75:1.25:1), two
nutrient schedule ( N1 – N and K in three splits and N2 – N and K in six splits ) and
two irrigation schedule (I1 - irrigation once in three days and I2 - irrigation once in
six days ) with four replications in completely randomized design . The second
experiment was conducted in plastic pots with three growth media and five
replications in completely randomized design to study the nutrient release pattern
in different growth media. The pots were kept in the laboratory of the Department
of Agronomy. Lime @ 10g and neem cake @ 100g sack-1 (1.33 g lime and 13.33 g
neem cake pot-1) were applied initially in all growth media. The recommended dose
of 100:50:150 kg NPK ha-1 for elephant foot yam was applied to each sack and pot
through organic manures like groundnut cake, bone meal and wood ash.
Observations on growth characters were recorded at bimonthly interval
from two months after planting (MAP) upto harvest. The growth medium M2 was
found superior with respect to growth characters at all growth stages. Application
of N and K in six splits produced significantly taller plants from 6 MAP and higher
leaf area index from 4 MAP. Irrigation once in three days registered higher leaf area
index at 6 MAP and harvest.
Corm initiation had occurred between 1 MAP and 2 MAP irrespective of
the treatments. When observed monthly, higher root number and weight plant -1,
corm weight plant -1 and bulking rate of corm were recorded in the growth medium
M2. Application of N and K in six splits and irrigation once in three days produced
higher values of these parameters. Bulking rate of corm was observed to be higher
between 4 MAP and 5 MAP in all the treatments.
Higher corm yield plant-1 (1760.42 g), utilization index (4.01) and total dry
matter production plant-1 (321.31 g) could be produced by the growth medium M2
followed by M1, application of N and K in six splits and irrigation once in three
days .The treatment combination m2n2i1 registered the highest corm yield plant -1.
No significant variation in quality attributes of corm like starch and crude
protein contents was noticed due to growth medium and nutrient schedule. Higher
starch content could be obtained due to irrigation once in three days.
The highest uptake of N and P was noticed with the growth medium M2,
application of N and K in six splits and irrigation once in three days. Corm yield
and total dry matter production plant -1 were positively and significantly correlated
with LAI at 4 MAP and 6 MAP and N, P and K uptake plant -1.
After the experiment, no marked variation in pH and the status of organic
carbon and available N, P and K was observed due to different composition of the
growth medium. But the growth media M2 and M3 registered higher EC and
dehydrogenase activity. Application of N and K in six splits recorded higher pH,
EC and available K status in the growth medium than three splits. Irrigation once
in three days registered higher dehydrogenase activity in the growth medium.
Higher net income and benefit cost ratio could be obtained with the growth
medium M2, application of N and K in six splits and irrigation once in three days.
The treatment combination m2n2i1 recorded higher net income (₹ 38.47sack-1) and
benefit cost ratio (1.89).
The incubation study with three growth media for a period of seven months
revealed higher pH and lower EC in the growth medium M1 than M2 and M3
throughout the period of incubation. Dehydrogenase activity was found to be higher
in the growth medium M1 upto four months of incubation and was on a par with M2
from five months onwards. But M2 was found superior at end of seven months.
Higher contents of organic carbon and available N, P and K were registered in the
growth media M2 and M3 throughout the period of incubation.
The results of the study revealed that the best growth medium for container
cultivation of elephant foot yam is soil, coir pith and FYM in 1:1:1 ratio by volume
(9 kg soil + 3 kg coir pith + 3 kg FYM). The recommended dose of 100: 50:150 kg
NPK ha-1 for elephant foot yam was supplied through groundnut cake, bone meal
and wood ash. Basal application of P (10 g bone meal sack-1) and application of N
(50 g groundnut cake sack-1) and K (100 g wood ash sack-1) in six splits at monthly
interval starting from 1 MAP and irrigation once in three days during non – rainy
period resulted in higher corm yield sack-1, net income sack-1 and benefit cost ratio.