Cultivation

Taro is a plant that is found in the humid tropics, where its starch-rich tuber is a staple food. Taro is cultivated for local consumption in many tropical regions such as Hawaii.

Main producing countries are Nigeria and Ghana. Some countries, such as Egypt, Brazil and India cultivate taro also for export. Approximately five million tonnes of taro are produced per year.

Utilisation

All parts of the taro plant contain calcium oxalate, which is poisonous in high concentrations. For this reason, taro is consumed only in cooked form and the water used in its cooking is refreshed several times.

The plant is used in a variety of ways:

• its leaves are served as a cooked vegetable similar to spinach
• its cooked tubers as a starchy side dish
• in Hawaii, the tuber is made into a dish known as poi by being cooked and puréed. Poi, which may have a consistency similar to milk or to porridge, is regarded as a main dietary staple. When fresh, poi has a sweet taste which becomes sourer after a few days. Sour poi is eaten with fish or is used in the preparation of bread and rolls.

Gene technology: aims of research and development

Agronomic traits

Resistance to pathogens

• Fungal resistance through the transfer of genes from wine and wheat

Field trials with GM taro

To date, no field trials with GM taro have taken place. At the University of Hawaii, research is underway on taro that is resistant to fungi. Research is conducted exclusively in the laboratory and is scheduled for three years.

In Hawaii, the taro plant commonly is regarded as an incarnation of holy forebears. For this reason, the application of gene technology to the native Hawaiian taro, also known locally as kalo, has met with resistance. Consequently, research currently is conducted on a Chinese variant of taro. For the taro type that is native to Hawaii, an approval moratorium is in effect until 2013.