Nutrient Deficiencies and Excesses in Taro

Susan C. Miyasaka, Randall T. Hamasaki, and Ramon S. de la Pena
Departments of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, and Natural Resources and Environmental Management

Identifying and correcting plant nutrient deficiencies and toxicities are essential for good crop management and contribute to higher economic returns. Failure to correct soil problems or to apply sufficient amounts of fertilizers can result in poor yields and wasted effort. Applying too much or the wrong kind of fertilizer can have many negative consequences, including :

• nutrient toxicities or imbalances that reduce plant growth and yield

• excessive foliage growth that invites damage by plant diseases and insect pests

• environmental contamination from runoff into surface water bodies and leaching into the groundwater, and

• economic loss due to wasted fertilizer.

This publication explains the role of essential plant nutrients in taro (Colocasia esculenta) and shows the visual symptoms that occur when there is a nutrient inadequacy (deficiency) or excess (toxicity) in the taro plant.

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