Green VA publicationine of NAMDEVCO Volume 7 No. 3 April 2011 Growing In this Issue Dasheen Leaves Dasheen Leaves Production Guide 2 Wholesale Prices 4 and Volumes Seafood Prices 5 Export Prices 5 Dasheen Leaves Recipe 6 Retail Prices 7 GreenVine is a monthly bulletin of the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO). It provides information to strengthen the managerial and technical capacity of our agribusiness stakeholders and market intelligence in fresh produce and seafood at whole- One of our favourite dishes here and in other Over the last ve years, there has been a sale, retail and export markets. parts of the region is Callaloo, whose main threefold increase in the volumes of this ingredient is dasheen leaves. is crop is crop as evidenced by the trade at the growing in importance for both the local and Northern Wholesale Market. Volumes export markets. increased from 263,000 bundles (129,000 kg) in 2006 to 610,000 Dasheen leaves are produced throughout the bundles (299,000 kg) in 2010. country from backyard to commercial farms, Apart from the local market, small as much as 10 acres each in places such as quantities are exported to niche Navet, Orange Grove, Macoya, Wallereld markets in Miami, New York and Carapo. and Toronto. GreenVine Monthly Bulletin. Volume 7 No. 3 April 2011 2 Dasheen Leaves Production Guide e name dasheen or taro is generally used to refer to Coloca- Planting Material sia esculenta, one of several major root crops in the Araceae e planting materials are either setts or cormels. Setts are family (aroids). Dasheen is a large perennial herbaceous prepared from mature corms. e upper 2-4 cm of the corm plant which can grow up to 2 m in height, opened leaves can should be intact having a base diameter of 5cm to 7 cm and be as large as 20–85 cm long and 20–60 cm wide, the weighing 150g to 250g. petioles (stems) rise up in whorls from the apex of the corm and can grow to 2 m in length. Varieties In Trinidad & Tobago, farmers usually select between purple stem varieties and green stem varieties. In recent years the green stem varieties have become more popular. Setts used for planting All dead leaves and outer petiole bases should be removed, trimming to a new leaf inside. It is important to ensure that the planting material is taken from diseased free parents. Larger setts are preferred as they produce larger yields. Setts should be planted within a week of harvesting. Suckers should be immersed in a solution containing 90 ml house- Purple stem Green stem hold bleach in 45 liters of water for 15 to 20 min prior to planting. Soil Type Planting When cultivating dasheen for leaf production, moist to Setts are normally pushed by semi-moist soils with a pH range of 5.5 –7.8 is recom- hand into the soil to a depth mended. In Trinidad, dasheen thrives in soils with a of 20-30 cm. tendency to water logging or which are saturated for long periods. e water level should not Field Preparation be more than 10 cm above the top of the soil and it Flat lands are ideal for dasheen cultivation. e land must must not become stagnant. Planting be cleared of all vegetation. It should be ploughed and rotavated. Well composted manure can be incorporated at Recommended spacing varies, ranging from 30 cm × 30 cm this stage. up to 120 cm × 120 cm. Typical spacing in paddy culture is usually 45–60 cm (27,000–49,000 plants/ ha). Embankments approximately 2½ feet (76 cm) high are formed around the planting area to contain irrigation water Embankment within the plot. Inlet pipes are placed approximately 2 feet 2.5 feet (61 cm) above the base of the bed and outlet or drain pipes are placed at the opposite end of the pit approximately 4 inches Inlet pipes (10 cm) above the base. is arrangement of inlet and drain 4 inches pipes facilitates the ooding and draining of the elds. Drain pipes Access to good quality irrigation water is crucial to successful dasheen leaf cultivation. Field Preparation 3 GreenVine Monthly Bulletin. Volume 7 No. 3 April 2011 Irrigation Taro Leaf Blight (Phytophthora spp.) e disease begins as For best results in the production of dasheen leaves it is purple-brown water-soaked recommended that there be water movement at all times. lesions on the leaf. ese Water enters the pit from the inlet hole and the overow exits lesions then enlarge, join the pit at the opposite end from the outlet. is water is held together and eventually in a pond and re-circulated into the pit. destroy the entire lamina in Fertilizier Requirements 10-20 days. Free water Leaf blight To ensure maximum foliage production, at three (3) months collecting on older leaves, after planting apply urea (46.0.0) at the rate of 50kg per acre as well as high temperature and high humidity are condu- and calcium nitrate at 50kg per acre. ereafter this identi- cive to onset and spread of the disease and germination of cal fertilizing regime is applied every 2 weeks. the spores. e disease can cause yield losses of 30-50% of corm. Nutrient deciencies are recognised as follows: Dasheen Mosaic Virus (DMV) Nitrogen deciency: uniform yellowing of the lamina or DMV is caused by a virus leaf blade and development of a purple colour along the that is spread by aphids. It is petiole. characterized by chlorotic Potassium deciency: Marginal chlorosis of the leaves, roots die. and feathery mosaic patterns Zinc deciency: Inter-veinal chlorosis, narrow leaves and on the leaf, distortion of cupping of the leaves. leaves, and stunted plant Pests and Diseases growth. While the disease is DMV not lethal, it reduces yields. Aphids (Aphis spp.) Control is through the use of DMV-free planting material, ese insects usually do not cause eld sanitation, and quarantine measures. Removal of rogue serious damage unless they are plants away from elds and destroying such plants is highly present in large numbers. ey recommended. damage the taro plants by sucking sap from the petioles and leaf Shot Hole Leaf Spot (Phyllostica spp.) Shot holes Aphids on underside of leaves blades. e rst symptom of Shot hole is Aphids are easily observed on the young leaves. ey are normally a small round brown/ yellowish more prevalent in the dry months. ey can be controlled spots on the second or third leaves, and as with Cypermethrin at the rate of 10 mls per 4 litres of water. the spots enlarge to about 2 cm diameter ® the centre falls out, leaving the “shot Dasheen Beetle: (Ligyrus) hole” symptom. Proper eld husbandry e adult beetles y from the breeding sites to the taro eld can help to control this problem. and tunnel into the soil just at the base of the taro corm. ey then proceed to feed on the growing corm, leaving large holes Weed Control that degrade the eventual market quality of the corm. Also e rst 3 months after planting is crucial in achieving the wounds that they create while feeding promote the attack proper weed management in dasheen leaf production. e of rot-causing organisms. e feeding activity can cause embankment surrounding the pit must be kept weed free. wilting and even death of the aected plants. Biological As the crop matures and the pit is suciently covered with controls include: Metarhizium anisopliae, Bacillus popilliae foliage weed control becomes relatively simple. and Vavraia. Harvesting Beetles feed leaving large holes on the corms Weekly harvesting of the leaves may start 3 months after planting. Unfolding or young expanded leaves are preferred. Approximately 6 months after planting the eld is fully mature and would normally yield 1,500 bundles per acre per week at 1½ lbs per bundle. Continuous harvesting is Taro beetle assured provided sucient water is available. GreenVine Monthly Bulletin. Volume 7 No. 3 April 2011 4 5 GreenVine Monthly Bulletin. Volume 7 No. 3 April 2011 REVIEW OF MARCH WHOLESALE FRESH PRODUCE PRICES AND VOLUMES Root Crops Fruits e volumes of Local Dasheen prices Item Prices % Change Volumes % Change locally produced fell by 18% as volumes Feb - 11 Mar - 11 Feb/Mar Feb - 11 Mar - 11 Feb/Mar Sweet Potato rose by 9%. e price Banana (Imported) kg Item Prices % Change Volumes % Change continue to increase of Carrot continued its 11.33 11.65 3% 67,755 88,350 30% Feb- 11 Mar -11 Feb/Mar Feb - 11 Mar -11 Feb/Mar resulting in further upward climb for the Papaya kg 7.49 7.46 0% 17,232 17,532 2% Carrot kg 9.38 12.31 31% 95,095 119,456 26% price reductions. fourth consecutive Pineapple kg 8.79 8.42 -4% 49,624 51,120 3% e price of Sweet Cassava kg month, moving from Watermelon kg 4.30 4.36 1% 49,063 55,434 13% Potato has fallen by $8.01/kg in December 6.29 4.21 -33% 82,237 102,649 25% Dasheen (Local) kg 8.17 6.73 -18% 16,134 17,598 9% 48% from January to $12.31/kg in March. Eddoes (Imported) kg 10.43 9.37 -10% 44,632 53,766 20% to March. USA TERMINAL MARKETS WHOLESALE PRICES Sweet Potato (Local) kg 7.35 6.13 -17% 84,905 92,590 9% Condiments and Spices Ginger kg 17.20 19.78 15% 32,110 29,593 -8% (US$) MARCH 2011 Yam (Common) kg 4.06 4.27 5% 4,719 3,542 -25% With the exception volumes increased by of Celery, the prices 19%.