ISSN 2375-1231
African Journal of Crop Science ISSN: 2375-1231 Vol. 3 (2), pp. 108-115, April, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Influence of rooting media and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) concentration on rooting and shoot formation of Warburgia ugandensis stem cuttings
Florence Akwatulira1, Samson Gwali2*, John Bosco Lamoris Okullo1, Paul Ssegawa3, Susan Balaba Tumwebaze4, John Richard Mbwambo5 and Alice Muchugi6
1Department of Forest Biology and Ecosystems Management, Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Makerere
University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
2National Forestry Resources Research Institute (NaFORRI), P. O. Box 1752, Kampala, Uganda. 3Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
4Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062,
Kampala, Uganda.
5Lushoto Forestry Research Station, Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI), P. O. Box 95, Lushoto, Tanzania. 6Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Kenyatta University, P. O. Box 43844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].
Accepted 15 September, 2014
Abstract
This study investigated the influence of different rooting media and indolebutryic acid (IBA) hormone concentration on root and shoot development in stem cuttings of Warburgia ugandensis. Stem cuttings were treated with three different levels (0.3, 0.6 and 0.8% w/w) of IBA concentration (including a control-no IBA hormone) and propagated in three rooting media (milled pine bark, top forest soil and sand) under non -misting propagators. Data on root and shoot development, callusing, number and length of roots and shoots were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi square test. Callusing, root and shoot development were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by rooting media and IBA concentration. Milled pine bark and 0.8% w/w IBA concentration gave the highest percentages of stem cuttings that callused, rooted and shooted (38, 37, 41% and 57, 41, 59%), respectively. Similarly, milled pine bark and 0.8% w/w IBA concentration gave the greatest number and longest roots and shoots per stem cutting. Vegetative propagation of W. ugandensis through stem cuttings can be appropriately achieved by treating the cuttings with 0.8% w/w IBA hormone using milled pine bark as a growth medium.
Key words: Warburgia ugandensis, indolebutryic acid (IBA), vegetative propagation, callusing, rooting, milled pine bark.