Arbi (Colocasia/Taro) Cultivation in Wetland India

Colocasia (arbi) is cultivated in the waterlogged lowlands of Kerala (chembu), West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha. Plants grow in flooded or wet soil, harvested 6–8 months after planting by uprooting the corm. Kerala's Chembu varieties — Muktakeshi, Sree Pallavi — are certified high-yield. Corms boil to a sticky starchy texture rich in potassium and oxalate compounds (reduced by boiling). Leaves are cooked as saag or wrapped around rice in North India (patra). Traditional terrace cultivation in Konkan uses rainwater alone. SHG processing units make dried arbi chips for urban health food markets.