Evaluation of indigenous Dioscorea bulbifera genotypes of Chhattisgarh for yield and yield attributing traits

Abstract

Aerial yam comes under the group of minor tuber crop but it has major importance due to ethnic and high market value as compare to other Dioscorea species and it is a stable food of tribal farmers of Chhattisgarh. Morphological characters show that the collected indigenous genotypes of D. bulbifera genotypes varied markedly. The genotypes are evaluated for growth, yield and quality attributes. The genotype IGDb-ARNL-17-17 recorded the highest plant height (9.43m), highest weight of individual aerial tuber (84.31 g), maximum aerial tuber diameter (6.06cm), maximum aerial tuber and underground tuber yield per plant, 1.019 kg and 0.140 kg respectively and highest aerial tuber yield (18.11 t/ha). The genotype IGDb-MHL-17-25 recorded the highest number of aerial tuber per plant (15.20). The genotype IGDb-MTPL-17-1 takes lowest (4.97) internode number to 1st branching. The maximum overall acceptability of aerial tuber was recorded (7.01) in genotypeIGDb-MTPL-17-1, whereas lowest was recorded (4.64) in genotypeIGDb-GDM-17-3. Underground tubers of all the collected genotypes of aerial yam were disliked by panel of judges.