Catherine Ky-Dembele, Mulualem Tigabu, Jules Bayala, Patrice Savadogo, Issaka Joseph Boussim, Per Christer Odén. (2010). Clonal propagation of Detarium microcarpum from root cuttings. Silva Fennica vol. 44 no. 5 article id 452. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.452

Keywords: Burkina Faso; sprouting efficiency; rootling; vegetative propagation

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Detarium microcarpum is a valuable tree species for fuelwood, timber, food and medicine in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its population is dwindling due to overexploitation, its seedlings’ low survival rate and slow growth. Vegetative propagation might enhance both survival and growth, but to date a successful clonal method does not exist for D. microcarpum. We conducted four experiments to examine the effects of propagation environment (high versus low humidity), cutting length and diameter, alignment of root segments (horizontal versus vertical) and distance from the root collar of donors on the regeneration ability of root segments collected from field-grown D. microcarpum trees in Burkina Faso. The size of root segments significantly affected their regeneration ability, while alignment had no effect. Sprouting was possible from 10 and 20-cm long segments of 15–60 mm diameter with 7–43% sprouting efficiency and multiple shoots while 5 cm long segments were unsuitable with 0–3% sprouting efficiency. Cuttings maintained at low humidity produced larger diameter sprouts than those in greenhouse. All cuttings showed strong polarity with most of the shoots developing at the proximal end. Rootlings from 20 cm root segments produced more new roots (0.62 ± 0.08 g) than those from 10 cm segments (0.34 ± 0.09 g), but they were similar for sprout and leaf growth. We conclude that lateral roots of field-grown mature trees can be used to produce rootlings in a nursery. Since this study is the first attempt to propagate D. microcarpum from root cuttings, further investigations are required to optimize the technique.

Ky-Dembele, Département Productions Forestières, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles, 03 BP 7047 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso & Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 101, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden (catherine.dembele@ess.slu.se) E-mail: kydembele@hotmail.com
Tigabu, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 101, SE-230 53, Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: mt@nn.se
Bayala, World Agroforestry Centre, West Africa and Centre Regional Office, Sahel Node, BP E5118 Bamako, Mali E-mail: jb@nn.ml
Savadogo, Département Productions Forestières, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles, 03 BP 7047 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso & Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 101, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: ps@nn.bf
Boussim, Université de Ouagadougou, Unité de Formation et Recherche en Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, 03 BP 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso E-mail: ijb@nn.bf
Odén, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 101, SE-230 53, Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: pco@nn.se

article id 121, category Research article

Catherine Ky-Dembele, Jules Bayala, Patrice Savadogo, Mulualem Tigabu, Per Christer Odén, Issaka Joseph Boussim. (2010). Comparison of growth responses of Khaya senegalensis seedlings and stecklings to four irrigation regimes. Silva Fennica vol. 44 no. 5 article id 121. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.121

Keywords: rooted cuttings; water stress; Senegal mahogany

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Khaya senegalensis is an important tree species for timber production, native to West Africa, but mahogany shoot borer attacks prevent successful plantations. This research was aimed at comparing the growth of two propagule types, seedlings and stecklings, of Khaya senegalensis subjected to four irrigation regimes, 25, 50, 75 and 100% field capacity in Burkina Faso. The relative growth rate, biomass allocation and intrinsic water use efficiency of the propagules were assessed in a full-factorial pot experiment in block design. Except the relative growth rate of stem basal diameter and specific leaf area, for which mean values were significantly higher for seedlings than stecklings, the two propagule types had similar growth patterns regarding relative growth rates of stem length, leaf, stem, root and the total plant biomass. There was no significant difference between propagule types concerning biomass fraction to total plant biomass of leaf, stem and root, root to stem ratio, leaf area productivity and carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C). However, the irrigation regimes significantly affected all parameters. In contrast to 75 and 100% field capacity irrigation regimes, the low water supply of 25 and 50% field capacity resulted in plant stress, which was evident from the significant reduction in plant growth and biomass production and an increase in the root biomass to total plant biomass ratio and δ¹³C. It can be concluded that seedlings and stecklings have comparable growth patterns, while water stress is a major growth-limiting factor highlighting the need for selecting drought and borer resistant genotypes for successful plantations.

Ky-Dembele, Département Productions Forestières, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles, 03 BP 7047 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso & Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 101, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden (catherine.dembele@slu.se) E-mail: kydembele@hotmail.com
Bayala, World Agroforestry Centre, West Africa and Centre Regional Office, Sahel Node, BP E5118 Bamako, Mali E-mail: jb@nn.ml
Savadogo, Département Productions Forestières, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles, 03 BP 7047 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso & Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 101, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: ps@nn.bf
Tigabu, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 101, SE-230 53, Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: mt@nn.se
Odén, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 101, SE-230 53, Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: pco@nn.se
Boussim, Université de Ouagadougou, Unité de Formation et Recherche en Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, 03 BP 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso E-mail: ijb@nn.bf

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.

If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.

Contents alert

Your selected articles

Follow @SilvaFennica