The aim of this study was to evaluate agro-economic yield of 'Comum' tannia, grown under three and four rows of plants in seedbed, without hilling, with one hilling [at 28 days after sprouting (DAB)] or with two hilling (at 28 and 56 DAB). The experimental design was randomized blocks with five replications, the treatments being arranged as a 2 x 3 factorial scheme. Cormels with an average weight of 2.97 g were planted. Harvest was done at 236 days after planting. Yield of fresh weight of leaves and fresh and dried weight of non-commercial cormels (RFNC) showed significant differences in the interaction between number of rows per plot and hilling. For fresh weight of leaves, the highest value was obtained in the treatment where plants were cultivated under three rows and two hillings, which was superior in 1.67 t ha-1 (+ 106.37%) than the treatment with three rows and without hilling, which had the lowest yield. Plants that were cultivated under four rows showed yield of fresh weight (average of 3.62 t ha-1) and dried weight (1.0 t ha-1) of RFNC similar to those under three rows (3.74 t ha-1 and 0.97 t ha-1, respectively), although the stand was 25% higher. The highest yields of fresh weight of corms were obtained from treatments without hilling and with two hillings, which were superior in 15.06 and 10.84% than those with one hilling. The highest yields of commercial cormels were from treatments with two and one hilling, which were superior in 70.54 and 61.00%, respectively, than those without hilling. Under conditions in which the research was carried out and considering the higher net income calculated, the best way to cultivate tannia is in seedbeds with four rows of plants and two hillings during the production cycle of the crop.
Xanthosoma mafaffa; hilling; productivity; income
