Abstract
Some native subsistence farmers in South Africa store maize (Zea mays L.) cobs over a fireplace and subject the seeds to smoke and heat. Taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott.) propagules are maintained in dry pits for one month, in layers separated by grass straw, and water is prevented from contacting them. These methods have been used together with others to maintain landraces for centuries, but they have largely been abandoned with no modern technology replacements. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the maize and taro storage methods on the quality of planting material. Experiments were conducted on three subsistence farms located in KwaZulu-Natal, and at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Two maize landraces, yellow and white, were subjected to the smoke-over-fire storage method for five months during the normal off-season period for maize production in the location. Control maize seeds were stored in unsealed containers away from fire and smoke. Taro propagules of different sizes (80−100 g corm− 1, 40−60 g corm− 1 and 20−30 g corm− 1) were compared for storability in dry pits, in layers separated by grass straw, for one month. Subsequently, sprouted corms were stored in dry conditions to allow shoot development. During maize seed storage, water content was determined monthly. Maize seed quality was determined by viability, germination and seedling vigour. Sprouting and rooting during taro pit storage, and main shoot development during air storage were used to determine taro propagule performance in storage. Seeds that were stored over fire and smoke showed higher germination and vigour that non-smoked seed. Sprouting and shooting of taro propagules were better in large propagules and the optimum storage depth was 35 cm to 40 cm. α-amylase activity increased during pit storage and declined to almost the pre-storage levels during shoot growth period outside the pits, in all corm sizes. It is concluded that smoke and heat storage improve maize seed quality and pit storage enhances taro propagules by inducing sprouting. Data from this study can be used to investigate the physiological and biochemical basis of seed and propagule quality enhancement, and possibly contribute to technological inventions that are based on indigenous knowledge systems.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Maize seed stored over fire and smoke had higher germination than nonsmoked seed.
- Treatment
- stored over fire and smokee0
- Outcome
- germinatione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- non-smoked seede0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds that were stored over fire and smoke showed higher germination and vigour that non-smoked seed.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize seed stored over fire and smoke had higher vigour than nonsmoked seed.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds that were stored over fire and smoke showed higher germination and vigour that non-smoked seed.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Large taro propagules had better sprouting than smaller ones.
- Taxon
- taro
_Colocasia_esculenta_-_Les_Martels%2C_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg?width=60)
Colocasia esculentae0 - Material
- large propagulese0
- Outcome
- Sproutinge0
- Direction
- bettere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Colocasia_esculenta_-_Les_Martels%2C_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Sprouting and shooting of taro propagules were better in large propagules and the optimum storage depth was 35 cm to 40 cm.”
Claim · model-written summary
Large taro propagules had better shooting than smaller ones.
- Taxon
- taroColocasia esculentae0
- Material
- large propagulese0
- Outcome
- shootinge0
- Direction
- bettere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sprouting and shooting of taro propagules were better in large propagules and the optimum storage depth was 35 cm to 40 cm.”
Claim · model-written summary
The optimum taro storage depth was 35 cm to 40 cm.
- Taxon
- taroColocasia esculentae0
- Outcome
- optimum storage depthe0
- Value
- 35 cm to 40 cme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sprouting and shooting of taro propagules were better in large propagules and the optimum storage depth was 35 cm to 40 cm.”
Claim · model-written summary
Taro α-amylase activity increased during pit storage.
- Taxon
- taroColocasia esculentat0
- Gene
- α-amylasee0
- Outcome
- α-amylase activitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- during pit storagee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“α-amylase activity increased during pit storage and declined to almost the pre-storage levels during shoot growth period outside the pits, in all corm sizes.”
t0“taro”
Claim · model-written summary
Taro α-amylase activity declined almost to prestorage levels during shoot growth outside the pits.
- Taxon
- taroColocasia esculentat0
- Gene
- α-amylasee0
- Outcome
- α-amylase activitye0
- Direction
- declinede0
- Qualifier
- almost the pre-storage levels during shoot growth period outside the pitse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“α-amylase activity increased during pit storage and declined to almost the pre-storage levels during shoot growth period outside the pits, in all corm sizes.”
t0“taro”
Claim · model-written summary
Pit storage induced taro propagule sprouting.
- Taxon
- taroColocasia esculentae0
- Treatment
- pit storagee0
- Outcome
- sproutinge0
- Direction
- enhancese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“pit storage enhances taro propagules by inducing sprouting”
The same questions in other papers
storage · quality: postharvest · Colocasia esculenta (taro)Positive and negative results
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- negative
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See all 62 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.