Constraints to production and preferred traits for taro (Colocasia esculenta) and new cocoyam (Xanthosoma mafaffa) in Togo, West Africa.

Abstract

Taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) and tannia (new cocoyam) (Xanthosoma mafaffa L. Schott) are food crops cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. In cultivation, they are always vegetatively propagated and their production faces many constraints. Their corm is an important source of carbohydrates and leaves eaten as vegetable provide important minerals and vitamins. In Togo, although these crops are among the most important food crops in some rural areas, they appear at the country level as neglected and underutilized species (NUS) and should be promoted. However, adequate information related to production, constraints, farmers' preferred traits and utilisation is lacking for the development of efficient breeding schemes and their sustainable preservation and use in Togo. In this paper, a focus group survey was conducted in all five ecological zones of the country to document farmers' perceptions regarding constraints for production of these two crops and their preferred traits for production and utilization. Collected data were analysed through descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages and means) using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS 20) and Excel spreadsheets. Rainfall irregularity (or shortage of rainy seasons) (68.4% of responses), soil infertility (61.5% of responses) and inefficient marketing (58.7% of responses) were the most common production constraints reported. Farmers preferred early-maturity (73% of responses) and high-yield (65% of responses) as crop traits. Men are more involved in production of these crops in Togo (79% of respondents). However, the constraints and preferences reported were not gender dependent. This study showed that production of taro and tania faces many challenges in Togo. Morphological and molecular characterization of grown varieties is highly recommended to help select suitable varieties for breeding programmes. Improvements in food processing and accessibility of credit should be prioritized to generate more income for farmers and encourage production in Togo.

Nutritional evaluation, microstructure, and storage stability of wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) and cocoyam ( Colocasia esculenta ) flour blends at different ratios

“…This could be due to the high cocoyam flour content in the blends. Cocoyam is well‐known for being a rich source of carbohydrates (Bammite et al, 2018). The cocoyam values obtained in this investigation differ from those found by Mongi et al (2011) for a wheat and cocoyam flour composite bread loaf.…”

Taro in West Africa: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities

“…Taro is an important crop in several cultures in Asia, the Pacific, and Africa but still lacks international recognition [3,63,72,73]. The crop is understudied compared with other staple crops such as maize, wheat, rice, cassava, and potato.…”

“…While taro is widely cultivated by resource-poor farmers in different ecological habitats of tropical and sub-tropical regions across the world, the largest area of cultivation is WA, which accounts for the majority of output [37,74]. Taro breeding in WA has not progressed beyond conventional means [18,57,58,73,75]. Some information on germplasm characterization is available, and promising genotypes have been identified for resistance to TLB disease and adaptability to the local environment.…”

Systematic Review on Farmers’ Perceptions, Preferences and Utilization Patterns of Taro [<i>Colocasia esculenta</i> (L.) Scott] for Food and Nutrition Security in Nigeria

“…Papua New Guinea Taro beetle, taro leaf blight and alomae bobone virus complex Improving taro accessions for pest and disease resistance and implementing an integrated pest management system [30] East Africa Virus diseases Virus indexing [31] Uganda Less attention, shortage of cropland, lack of planting materials, poor extension services and poor crop husbandry Improving taro for yield, pest and disease resistance, anti-nutrient content, early maturation, and drought tolerance [32] Education level, wild animals, low yield, water logging, pests and diseases, poor soil fertility [33] Togo Propagation materials, less promoted lack of information, lack of preferred traits, weak breeding strategies, poor post-harvest handling, rainfall irregularity, poor soil infertility and inefficient marketing Improving productivity through molecular breeding (marker assisted selection), food processing, and credit availability [34] Gahanna Disease and insects infestation Access to fungicides and insecticides, as well as the development of resistant or tolerant hybrids [41] Climate change, inconsistency in planting and harvesting dates, nutrient deficiency (slowed growth), high post-harvest loss, inadequate storage facilities (brans), and poor shelf life are all factors to consider Crop management research, improvement toward early maturity, access to inputs, subsidized input costs, and improved storage facilities [42] The cost of input and the time it takes to supply input Fertilizer is delivered to farmers on time and in sufficient quantities at a reasonable cost [43] High inorganic fertilizer costs, wilting, and late planting Policy options, increased productivity, access to inputs, credit, and adequate motivation of extension agents [44] 6. Roadmap for an Up-Scale Production and Increased Adoption of Taro by Both Farmers and Consumers…”