Variation of mineral composition in different parts of taro (Colocasia esculenta) corms

• Contents of eleven crucial minerals were studied in four main parts of taro corms.
• The upper part contained high levels of P, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu and Cd.
• The central part was characterised by high contents of K, P, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu and Cd.
• Ca was concentrated in the lower and the marginal parts.
• The differences amongst genotypes (cultivars) were significant.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is an important root crop in the humid tropics and a valuable source of essential mineral nutrients. In the presented study, we compared the mineral compositions of four main parts of taro corm: the upper, marginal, central and lower (basal) parts. The freeze-dried taro samples were analysed for eleven minerals (K, P, Mg, Ca, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Cd, Pb and Cr). The upper part, which plays a critical role in vegetative propagation based on headsets, contained high levels of P, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu and Cd. The central part, which is essential for human nutrition, was characterised by higher concentrations of K, P, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu and Cd. Ca was concentrated in the lower and marginal parts. The effect of the genotype was significant for more than half of the analysed minerals (i.e., Mg, Ca, Zn, Fe, Mn).