1. ON-FARM EVALUATION AND FARMER PARTICIPATORY VARIETAL SELECTION OF TARO (COLOCASIA ESCULENTA) IN GHANA
L. M. Aboagye, D. Nyadanu, E. L. Omenyo and N. G. Badger

2. OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION CONCLUSION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

3. INTRODUCTION
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is one of the underutilized edible aroids in Ghana but has great potential as a food security crop. It is highly adaptable to diverse environmental conditions.

4. INTRODUCTION
Taro can contribute significantly nutrition, agricultural diversification, income generation and a key commodity to resource poor farmers

5. INTRODUCTION
A participatory approach to crop improvement, involving researchers, farmers and extension staff, has several advantages including:
Scientists learn more about farmers’ needs of crop varieties;
Involving farmers in the technology development process, thus building their capacities

6. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study were to assess the needs of farmers, distribute, evaluate and select desirable traits of taro in a participatory manner involving farmers, agricultural extensions agents, scientists and marketers

7. MATERIALS AND METHODS Needs assessment:
A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) was conducted in the Ejusu-Juaben Municipality in the Ashanti Region and the Atiwa District in the Eastern Region. A questionnaire was developed to solicit information on factors affecting taro on history, agronomy, taro cultivation constraints, diversity, utilization, preference and future needs.

8. On-farm evaluation
Twenty-two promising accessions were selected based on yield and other traits, were multiplied and distributed to farmers.
Forty farmers were involved. Each farmer received five varieties consist (one local and 4 exotic) and were planted in the farmers fields AEAs of MoFA).
Data were taken on the following: plant height, plant spread, number of suckers, degree Taro leaf blight of infection and yield at harvest.

10. ESTABLISHMENT

11. Participatory selection
Fifty participants including farmers, agricultural extension agents, scientists and market women were involved in the exercise

12. Agro-morphological evaluation:
The following traits were evaluated:
Number of leaves (few leaves/many leaves);
Plant height (tall/short);
Suckers (many/few/none);
Diseases (taro leaf blight (TLB); pests (free);
Colour of plant (green/black petiole);
Maturity (early/medium/late).

13. Yield and corm characteristics
Yield (high);
Size of corms (big/small);
Shape of corms (oval/cylindrical/ ovate);
Colour of skin and flesh (pink/white/yellow).

14. Sensory evaluation
Colour, taste and aroma were scored as acceptable or not acceptable and the cumulative effect rated as excellent (3); very good (4); good (5) and poor (6).

15. RESULTS & DISCUSSION

16. Key constraints in Taro production identified areas
Needs
Ejisu-Juaben
(23 needs)
Atiwa
(16 needs)
Cumulative
Ranking
Planting material
36.0(1st)
24.9(2nd) 3
Disease resistance
12.6(4th)
9.8(4th) 8
High yielding
9.7(5th)
11.1(3rd)
Information on taro production
15.9(3rd)
7.4(6th) 9
Drought tolerance
4.97 (6th)
8.5(5th) 11
Total
48.3 53

17. Distribution of Taro germplasm
Town
Total number of farmers
Gender of Beneficiaries
Number of Varieties
Suckers distributed
Men
Women
Local*
Exotic*
Total
Anyinam 9 7 2 6 13 19
225
Akim Akropong 5 3 11 14
175
Tumfa 12 17
Abomosu 4 10 16
Abekoase 1 15
150
Tafo
100 40 30
1000

18. ON FARM EVALUATION

19. Colour and Number of Suckers
KA/035
BL/SM/158
BL/SM/80
KA/019

20. COLOUR OF CORMS
Purple
Pink
white
Yellowish

21. PLANT HEIGHT

22. SHAPE/LENGTH OF CORMS BL/SM/16 (DUMP-BELL) BL/SM/10 (ELLIPTICAL)
ELO/002 (CONICAL)

23. FIELD EVALUATION

24. EVALUATION Statisti c Plant height (cm) No. of leaves
Plant Spread (cm)
No. Suckers
% leaf infection
Corm weight (g)
Min
20.5
2.2
25.7
0.3
130
Max
103.4
6.9
134.3
23.9
100
1033
Mean
62.8
4.2
69.8
6.4
0.2
414.1 SD
1.2
23.6
5.6
191.8
CV (%)
32.6
28.6
33.8
87.6
150
46.3

25. SENSORY EVALUATION

26. Grouping of accessions
Score
Description
Accessions 3
Excellent
Ex Bunso 1; BLSM 10; Ex Bunso 2; KA 19; CEMAL 32; KA 22; BLSM 116; KA 21; BLSM 158 4
Very good
BLSM 132; BLSM 152; BLHW 37; BLSM 135; Tumfa local 5
Good
BLSM 151; CEIND 12; KA 35 6
Poor
Ex Bunso 3; BLSM 80; CEMAL 14; KA 24; BLSM115

27. Agronomic character
Traits selected
Reasons
Leaves
Many (60)/Few (40)
Many leaves help for high yielding/Many leaves enable big corms
It produces bigger suckers/It helps in corms development and control weed./ Discourage weed spread, but few leaves encourages corm formation
Height
Tall(80)/Short (20)
It is high yielding/Taller ones big corms/The yield is better than the short ones/Makes farm work easy and control weeds/Working in it is easy
Suckers
Many (80)/ (few20)
For more multiplication and expansion/To enable them multiply/Extension of the work will be faster/For multiplication and can sell for money/Many for expansion, Few for corm formation
Colour of plant
Green(40)/Black (60)
Good for fufu and starch/Green ones give bigger corms and are healthy & tolerant/It produces many suckers/Green for Marketing,/Black for identification
Maturity
Early (80)
Late(20)
Good security and quick money/It fell into harmattan and when cooked its texture was good (Late)/It will eradicate hunger and also help us get more income/To get more income per year. It wii also provide food for the family/Early for marketting, Medium for pricing

28. Character
Trait selected
Reasons
Yield
High
To reduce hunger/For good marketing and food as well/For income and prevention of hunger
Financial
Size of corm
Big (80)/Small (20)
Very attractive to buyers/Big corms promotes good marketing/It will help us get more yield and income/For income and prevention of hunger/Eye appeal
Shape of corms
Cylindrical (80)/Oval (20)
Easy to peel and selling/Can withstand rotting and easy to peel/It will attract the buyers more/ than the oval shapes/For the market and customer attraction/Eye appealing at market
Colour of skin
Yellow
It is big/Very attractive and form big corms
Pink
It is sticky when pounded and also tastes better/Taste better/Resemblance to local Taro/Taste better
Colour of flesh
The food is attractive and have good texture
Pink/white
It produces better and marketing is easy/Taste better/Resemblance to local Taro

29. CONCLUSION
Needs assessment and participatory varietal selection are important tools in any crop development for the ultimate acceptability of the resultant materials.
An in-depth analyses of reasons assigned to the preferred traits when incorporated through hybridization will result in the desired varieties of this underutilized, orphan and neglected aroid.

30. THANK YOU ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK ON EDIBLE AROIDS
CSIR-PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES RESEARCH INSTITUTE
THE MINISTRY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (ATIWA DISTRICT)
THANK YOU