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Vegetative propagation of African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon Guill. & Perr.): effects of age of donor plant, IBA treatment and cutting position on rooting ability of stem cuttings

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Abstract

A study to determine the best vegetative propagation protocol was carried out for Dalbergia melanoxylon. Natural regeneration of D. melanoxylon is limited due to poor seed viability and germination. The effects of age of donor plant, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) treatment and cutting position on rooting of stem cuttings were investigated. The effect of age of donor plant was significant (P < 0.001) only for percent rooting, position effect was significant for all studied parameters, and IBA treatment at 300 ppm was insignificant only for percent callusing. Interactive effects of cutting position × age of donor and cutting position × IBA treatment were significant for percent rooting and root number per cuttings while interactive effect of age × IBA was significant only for percent rooting. Observed difference in rooting performance could be due to uneven distribution of root promoting and inhibiting substances with respect to age of donor plant and IBA which intensified root formation. Cuttings from juvenile donor plant performed better in all rooting parameters than mature donor plant. The highest percentages in rooting were (71.11%) and (24.42%) for cuttings from juvenile and mature donor plants, respectively. IBA treated cuttings produced higher percentage rooting, number of roots and root length than untreated cuttings which revealed a strong IBA influence on rooting ability of stem cuttings in D. melanoxylon. It was concluded that stem cuttings should be taken from juvenile donor plants and basal cutting position should be used to produce high quality planting stock material for the afforestation and conservation programme of D. melanoxylon.

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Acknowledgments

One of the authors, Ezekiel Amri thanks the International Foundation for Science (IFS) for the financial support to conduct the research project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Dar es Salaam, P. O. Box 35060, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    E. Amri, H. V. M. Lyaruu, A. S. Nyomora & Z. L. Kanyeka

  2. Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology, P. O. Box 2958, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    E. Amri

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  1. E. Amri
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  2. H. V. M. Lyaruu
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  3. A. S. Nyomora
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  4. Z. L. Kanyeka
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Correspondence to E. Amri.

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Amri, E., Lyaruu, H.V.M., Nyomora, A.S. et al. Vegetative propagation of African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon Guill. & Perr.): effects of age of donor plant, IBA treatment and cutting position on rooting ability of stem cuttings. New Forests 39, 183–194 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-009-9163-6

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