An on –farm experiment was conducted in 2008 and repeated in 2009 cropping season at the Linkage Farm of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to evaluate the growth and yield responses of five cultivars of taro (Colocasia esculenta) to different levels of NPK 15:15:15: fertilizer on plains of Nsukka with the objectives of identifying best performing cultivars and optimum NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer rate. The experiment was laid out in a 5×6 factorial in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in which factor A is taro cultivars consisting of Nkpong, Odogolo, Nworoko, Ugwuta and Nachi while factor B is NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer rates with six levels which is included 0, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300kg/ha. Fisher’s least significant difference was applied to detect significant difference between two means at 5% probability level. The results showed that the mean rainfall for 2009 planting season was higher than that of 2008. The soil was texturally clayey and moderately acidic with a pH of 5.0 cultivars differed significantly on total yield with Nkpong and Nachi producing 33.25 (t/ha) and 31.08 (t/ha) in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Application of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer at 200kg/ha significantly produced a total yield of 42.76 (t/ha) and 25.58 (t/ha) in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Keywords: Cultivars, Growth, NPK Fertilizer, Taro, Yield
