Taro (Colocasia esculenta) variety release recommendations for Papua New Guinea based on multi‐location trials

摘要

Abstract Multi‐location trials were conducted on six elite lines originating from the third cycle of the Papua New Guinea taro (Colocasia esculenta) breeding programme based on modified recurrent selection. The trials identified the multi‐trait superiority of line C3‐E10 over other five elite lines on the basis of high yield, taro leaf blight resistance, yield stability over a range of environments, and good eating quality. Line C3‐E10 also showed an added advantage of rare flowering, which is helpful in restoring conn shape and better suckering ability. Based on this superiority, line C3‐E10 has been released to farmers of Papua New Guinea (under the name NT 04) and for regional multi‐location trials for the South Pacific region.