Agricultural Horizons: Research, Technology and Sustainable Development Vol. 7

Aims: To present an integrated conceptual framework linking rainfall variables, soil fertility characteristics, and crop traits for predicting taro yield and nutritional quality under dryland production systems.

Study Design: A narrative review chapter supported by previously published experimental studies and soil analytical data from South African dryland taro production systems.

Place and Duration of Study: The review used published data sources that focused on South African dryland agroecosystems, including field studies conducted on taro production systems.

Methodology: Literature was identified through searches of Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and AGRICOLA databases between January and June 2026. Search terms included combinations of 'taro', 'Colocasia esculenta', 'rainfall', 'dryland agriculture', 'soil fertility', 'crop modelling', 'yield prediction', 'climate-smart agriculture', and 'nutritional quality'. Additional references were identified through citation tracking of key publications. Emphasis was placed on peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025.

Results: Soil acidity (pH 4.00-4.08), organic carbon (4.2-4.6%), phosphorus (12-15 mg L⁻¹), potassium (100-106 mg L⁻¹), clay content (51-55%), and propagule size were important determinants of taro establishment, growth, yield, and nutrient composition. Larger propagules produced greater yields and higher potassium and protein concentrations. Rainfall distribution emerged as a more important predictor than total seasonal rainfall. A conceptual climate-soil-crop framework was developed and expressed mathematically for future predictive applications.

Conclusion: Integrating rainfall, soil fertility indicators, and crop characteristics provides a promising foundation for developing climate-smart taro yield prediction systems that can improve productivity, nutritional quality, and resilience under dryland conditions.