Effect of pre-harvest application of growth regulators on yield and quality of elephant- foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) during storage

The effect of pre-harvest application of growth regulators on yield and quality of elephant-foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius Dennst.) was studied during storage at Horticultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Coimbatore during 2017-18. Thirteen pre-harvest treatments with cycocel, ethrel and kinetin were used individually and in combination with ridomil at different concentrations 15 and 30 days before harvesting. The combination of cycocel @ 500 ppm + ridomil @ 0.5% sprayed 30 days before harvesting recorded highest mean corm weight (820.60 g) and yield 36.70 tonnes/ha. After harvesting, corms were stored in well-ventilated dry room with relative humidity of 60-75 %. There was a significant loss in corm weight, starch content, dry matter and oxalate content during storage. The corm weight was significantly higher in T₈ (791.60 g), followed by T₁₁ (773.30 g) and T₂ (686.10 g) after 6 months of storage. There was no significant loss in starch and dry-matter content in corms in all treatments during storage. The starch content ranged from 8.96 to 10.20% and dry-matter content from 21.50 to 25.25%. The oxalate content was significantly lower in T₈ (115.5 mg/100g), followed by T₂ (120 mg/100g) and T₉ (123 mg/100g).