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Euphorbia abyssinica latex promotes rooting of Boswellia cuttings

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Abstract

Traditional knowledge in northern Ethiopia points towards the root-stimulating properties of the latex found in Euphorbia abyssinica (EAG). Stem cuttings of EAG as well as cuttings of other species treated with EAG latex reportedly root easily in dry soil. This could be attributable to endogenous auxins contained in the latex. We screened EAG latex for auxins and precursor molecules using analytical LC-MS/MS, and tested the effect of EAG latex on the rooting of woody cuttings of Boswellia papyrifera, a threatened multipurpose tree. The EAG latex contained indole acetic acid (IAA) (0.06 μg/g latex), an auxin controlling apical dominance and lateral rooting, as well as IAA metabolites and conjugates. Boswellia cuttings treated with EAG latex rooted significantly sooner and showed higher survival ratios than untreated controls. EAG is widely available and its latex easy to obtain. Therefore it is a promising source of a natural plant growth regulator which may be used for improving low technology vegetative propagation of woody species in East and Northeast Africa, including the threatened Boswellia tree.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the K. U. Leuven Research Fund and the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR). The authors wish to thank Sevgi Öden for her skilful technical assistance and the Botanical Garden of Leuven (Hortus Botanicus Lovaniensis) for providing Olea europaea cuttings for additional EAG experiments. Informal interviews held by Aklilu Negussie with the Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Maechew and the farmers of Jijike form the basis of this research. The authors explicitly acknowledge the intellectual property rights regarding traditional knowledge of local communities relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as recommended in Article 8(j) of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), which aims at protecting these rights and encourages the conservation and wider application of such knowledge.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection Department, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia

    Aklilu Negussie & Kindeya Gebrehiwot

  2. Division Forest, Nature and Landscape, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E-2411, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Raf Aerts & Bart Muys

  3. Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Els Prinsen

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  1. Aklilu Negussie
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  2. Raf Aerts
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  3. Kindeya Gebrehiwot
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  4. Els Prinsen
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  5. Bart Muys
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Correspondence to Raf Aerts.

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Negussie, A., Aerts, R., Gebrehiwot, K. et al. Euphorbia abyssinica latex promotes rooting of Boswellia cuttings. New Forests 37, 35–42 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-008-9106-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-008-9106-7

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