Sodium Chloride Affects Growth in Taro

Authors

Inny Mareko
Ian Gurr, MS, American Samoa Community College

Keywords

Electrical Conductivity; [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott; cv. Samoa 2]; Hydroponic System

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Community College Leadership | Higher Education | Immune System Diseases | Medicine and Health Sciences | Public Health | Translational Medical Research | Virus Diseases

Abstract

Salt-water intrusion due to rising sea levels may negatively affect wetland taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] production in low-lying Pacific islands. Measurements of water electrical conductivity (EC) values in taro producing wetlands on Aunu’u Island, American Samoa, ranged from 0.34 – 6.60 mS/cm.

In the lab, the growth of taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, cv. Samoa 2] at different concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) was evaluated in a hydroponic system. Taro was grown at seven NaCl concentrations: 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mM, representing EC values of 0.34, 0.63, 0.95, 1.53, 2.71, 4.82, 8.99 mS/cm, respectively. Fresh weight of planting material was weighed before and after harvest at 40 days.

The NaCl tolerance threshold (maximum NaCl concentration without significant effect on growth when compared to a control) for taro variety Samoa 2 was found to be at x mM NaCl solution, equivalent to an EC value of x mS/cm. Some areas in the Aunu’u wetland that were once utilized for taro production now have salinity levels that are too high for growing taro. There is a need to investigate the cause of this rise in salinity and to identify salt tolerant taro varieties.

Recommended Citation

Mareko, Inny and Gurr, MS, Ian (2016) "Sodium Chloride Affects Growth in Taro," Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice: Vol. 9: Iss. 5, Article 46.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/vol9/iss5/46