GS 385 Taro (NSIC G 9): Yield, Maturity and Characteristics
GS 385 is a registered taro variety, also sold or known as NSIC G 9 or NSIC Gb 09. It was registered with the National Seed Industry Council in 2004 as NSIC 2004 Gb 09. It takes about 8 months from planting to harvest, with 8.85 tonnes per hectare on average in the trials.
The average and top yields in tonnes per hectare come from the trials each variety went through to be registered with the NSIC, and from what the seed companies say about their own seed.
What farmers harvest today can be different. Newer harvest records, the season, the place, the soil, the water and the care all move these numbers over time.
So use them to compare varieties, not as a promise for your field. Ask your seller or your agriculturist how the variety did on farms near you in the last few seasons.
If you came here looking for NSIC G 9 or NSIC Gb 09, this is the same taro. Its seller and farm sources add notes, listed at the end. Compare it with the others in our taro variety finder, or see every crop variety we list. For the crop itself, read our guide: Land preparation for root crops.
- Days to harvest: about 8 months from planting to harvest.
- Yield: 8.85 tonnes per hectare on average in the trials.
- Recommended for: anywhere in the country.
Key facts about GS 385 taro
| Trait | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Registration | NSIC 2004 Gb 09 |
| Year approved | 2004 |
| Also known as | NSIC G 9, NSIC Gb 09, gabi G 9 |
| Months to harvest | about 8 months |
| Average yield | 8.85 t/ha |
| Recommended area | Anywhere in the country |
| Dry matter content | 44.07 |
| Tuber cortex color | Purple |
| Tuber skin color | Dark Purple |
| Tuber flesh color | White with dominant streaks of purple fibers |
| Foliage color | Dark green leaves, dark purple petiole |
| Growth habit | Tall, erect, produces rhizomes |
How long does it take, and how much does it yield?
GS 385 taro takes about 8 months from planting to harvest. That is about the average of the 10 taro varieties with a day count, 8 months. Count the months from planting, and plan the harvest for a dry stretch when you can.
Its average yield of 8.85 t/ha matches the average of its group, 8.82. Trial yields come from well managed plots, so your own will depend on water, fertilizer, pests and timing.
Once you know the day count, anee.io dates every task from each lot's own planting day, with the growth stages and weather beside it.
Is it resistant to pests and diseases?
| Pest or disease | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Bacterial blight | Resistant | Held up well |
It showed no weak spot in the ratings on record. Still, a resistant variety can break down when a new strain or pest population comes, so keep scouting.
The pests and diseases that hit taro fields most often: cutworm. Our pest finder and disease finder help you name what you see.
What the root is like
Its roots have white with dominant streaks of purple fibers flesh and dark purple skin. Dry matter is 44.07 percent. A higher dry matter cooks mealy and gives processors more flour or starch from each tonne. It is recommended for food.
What its seller and farm sources say
- Harvest: Matures in about 8 months.
- Yield: 8.85 t/ha in registry trials.
- Fruit: Dark purple skin, white flesh with strong purple fibre streaks, dry matter about 44 percent.
- Where: All regions of the Philippines.
- Uses: Food.
- Dark purple petioles.
- Registry lists it blight resistant, but PhilRootcrops later rated it worse for Phytophthora leaf blight than newer lines.
Why farmers know it: a dark purple gabi from PhilRootcrops with high dry matter. Check these against what farmers near you have seen, because the same variety can do differently from one town to the next.
Where and when to plant GS 385 taro
It is recommended for anywhere in the country. Gabi grows in wet lowland or on upland beds. Pick a variety for the land you have, and for the corm, the leaves or both.
Before you buy seed
- Buy sealed packs or tagged sacks from an accredited dealer, and check the packing date and germination rate.
- Ask your municipal agriculturist or nearby farmers how it did in your area last season.
- Try it on a small area first, beside the variety you usually plant, before you switch the whole farm.
- Write down the planting day, inputs and harvest, so you can compare varieties on your own ground. anee.io keeps these records for you.
Set the planting day of each lot and anee.io dates every task to harvest, with the weather beside it. Free on the Libre plan.
Start freeTaro varieties like this one
These are the closest matches among the taro varieties we list. So if seed of this one is hard to find, compare these first.
- GC 472: about 8 months, 9.28 t/ha, 2006
- GC 396: about 8 months, 11.74 t/ha, 2001
- GS 377: about 8 months, 10.83 t/ha, 2001
- GS 382: about 8 months, 11.62 t/ha, 2001
Is NSIC G 9 the same as GS 385?
How long does it take to harvest?
What is its yield?
Where does it grow best?
Where can I buy seed of GS 385?
See how GS 385 will do on your farm
With Libre + Anee, see its full record: how it yields, its strengths and weaknesses against pests, diseases and the weather, and whether it fits your farm, your season and your soil.
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