Growing Taro In Thailand

[tjeffrutherford]

Hi all,

I'm doing some (action) research on taro growing in Thailand. I've got about three rai just north of Chiang Mai, some paddy, some orchard/gardens. And I'm writing an article for Echo Asia about taro growing. So far this is what I know and have tried:

I've grown two kinds of taro, one an "upland" variety grown by some hilltribes and one the lowland variety grown on dry beds in paddy fields (not in flooded fields like Hawaii). The former grows very vigorously and is okay in shade. Big, pretty leaves; tasty corms. The other did so-so, but definitely not (unfertilized) in the former rice seedbeds. These are called by the locals "pheuak"; เผือก.

There's another variety called "toon"; ตูน. The stalks are eaten in curries (gaeng toon) and as a vegetable with nam prik. Pretty good stuff. It seems to like a bit of shade and well-drained soil.

The other is "born"; บอน. It comes up naturally along the paddy dykes and handles waterlogging.

Does anyone know if these are all Colocasia esculenta? Any ideas about common English names for these?

And any tips on growing taro in northern Thailand? I'd like to try growing in the flooded paddy like they do in the Pacific, but the locals say their variety does poorly that way.

Thanks!

[Maizefarmer]

Do a search on the farming section using "taro" as an index word - there have been some contributions in the past about it.

......... welcome to the farming section.