ABSTRACT:

Sprout bud culture experiments for economic and rapid multiplication on elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius [Dennst.] Nicolson) were conducted from 2009 to 2010 at Regional Centre of Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Dumuduma, Bhubaneswar, India. Sprout buds 2.5–3.0 cm diameter with root initials on the buds along with 0.5–1.0 cm length mother corm below the sprout buds could be successfully used as planting material. Such sprouts were initially planted in plastic cups filled with pot mixture. After shoot and root development within 15 days of planting, they could be transplanted into the main field. Maximum sprout induction and sprout harvesting (.2.5 cm diameter) could be achieved by soaking the corms in 400 ppm thiourea solution for 30 min at 15 days interval and could be kept under white polyethylene sheet cover. From a corm size of 500 6 25 g, maximum 19 sprouts each of more than 2.5 cm diameter could be harvested within 16 weeks time. The remaining portion of the corm can also be used as planting material. Thus, propagation ratio of elephant foot yam could be increased 19 timeswithin 16weeks. The transplanted sprout buds (10–12 g) produced 320 g corms with the best agronomic management practices.