Cocoyam is most commonly grown for its starchy edible roots. Colocasia is grown for its corm which is consumed after boiling, frying or roasting. The corms can be dried and used to make flour or sliced and fried to make chips. The leaves of the plant are also edible and are usually consumed as a vegetable after cooking in dishes such as stews. Xanthosoma species produce tubers much like potato and are boiled, baked, steamed or fried prior to consumption. The corm of some varieties is also consumed. Young leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Basic requirements Cocoyam grows best in fertile, well-draining, sandy loam soil with a pH between 4.2–7.5.It can be grown in a wide variety of conditions including paddies in wetland areas using a system similar to that of rice. Xanthosoma species require temperatures above 21°C (69.8°F) to grow properly. Unlike Colocasia spp, they will not tolerate waterlogging and grow best in deep, well-draining loams with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 in partial shade. Cocoyam will thrive when planted in full sunlight or partial shade. The plants can survive for short periods at temperatures of 10°C (50°F) but will be damaged or killed by lower temperatures. Propagation Cocoyam is vegetatively propagated from headsetts (“tops”) or suckers which establish quickly and give the highest rate of survival. Larger headsetts and suckers tend to produce larger corms and bigger yeilds but the size of the planting material may be determined by the particular cultivar being grown e.g. some varieties will produce two heads from the same corm if the sucker that is planted is too big and therefore medium sized suckers are selected when growing tubers for export. Headsetts and suckers should only be taken from healthy plants in order to protect yields and prevent the spread of diseases. Planting Cocoyam is planted in such a way as to encourage sucker growth e.g. the use of larger plant spacing and shallow planting depths. The planting material (sucker or headsett) is set in furrows or ridges and plant spacing can be anywhere between 30 to 100 cm (11.8–39.4 in) between plants depending on the prevailing soil and climatic conditions. A narrow spacing helps to control weeds whereas a wider spacing is preferred for good growth.

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