Abstract
The effect of different seed corm regions used as planting materials on the growth of elephant foot yam [Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson] plants was studied. Corms were prepared as follows: whole corms, upper corm halves with intact apical buds, lower corm halves without apical buds, vertical 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 sections of corms, and corm sections around apical buds. The fresh mass of each corm or corm section was adjusted to 100 g. Seed corms with intact apical buds sprouted earlier and produced larger plants than either corms with dissected buds or corms without apical buds. Dissection of the apical bud promoted the development of lateral buds, which resulted in sprouting delay. Whole corms and upper corm halves with intact apical buds produced larger daughter corms than corms with damaged buds. Corm sections around the apical bud produced only one leaf, while whole corms and other corm sections produced two leaves. The low yield obtained from the use of corm sections with dissected apical buds might be ascribed to the fact that corm sectioning reduced the size of the leaves developed during the growth season.
