Quote:
Originally Posted by PR-Giants
Mark that is not really a fair comparison, you are comparing a golfball and a softball sized corms and then saying "see the one with the greater surface area has more roots".[/img][/url][/IMG]
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Keith, it's a completely fair comparison if you are talking about suckers when they are separated, rather than when fruit are harvested from those plants when they are full grown (as you are). When people assert that sword suckers have a larger corm and more roots, I think they are always talking about when the sucker is separated and planted. At that point, on average, sword suckers have more roots and a larger corm. Thus, they tend to establish themselves faster initially. This is why many people advise others to choose sword suckers over water suckers as material for planting.
As for whether it matters in terms of time to harvest, bunch size, etc., I haven't seen any data from a properly designed experiment that could be used to answer that question. Gabe has stated that some experiments have shown an advantage of starting with sword suckers instead of water suckers, and other studies have shown no difference. So, mixed results. Whether there is a real advantage in starting from sword versus water suckers could depend on any number of factors (e.g., climate, genome, fert and water regime, etc.). I would have no qualms about starting a mat from either type. If I had the luxury of choosing between two suckers to start a mat, I'd choose the one with the bigger corm, regardless of type. More stored energy to get growth going.