Influence of Selected Artificial and Natural Growth Hormones on Nursery Performance of Selected Tree Species Cuttings · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author

Kagumbate, Tafadzwa

Title

Influence of Selected Artificial and Natural Growth Hormones on Nursery Performance of Selected Tree Species Cuttings

Abstract

The study compared the effects of three common natural stimulants namely honey, aloe vera gel, and banana peel as well as a commercial rooting hormone (Dynaroot No. 1) and a control (no treatment) on shoot development, survival rate and root development of Persea americana (avocado), Mangifera indica(mango),Citrus sinensis(orange),Cassia abbreviata(muremberembe), Bobgunnia madagascariensis (mucherekesi), Erythrina abyssinica (mutiti) cuttings. Experiment was laid out in a (3 x 3) completely randomized design with two replications. Analysis variance of (ANOVA) were conducted for the analysis of data using SPSS.Cuttings were treated with the different stimulants at the time of propagation. Shoot growth, survival rate, root number, and root length were assessed at 8 weeks. Results showed poor development attributed to inappropriate timing of seasonality. Aloe vera gel hormone had the highest mean of (4,00±1,00) overall shoot development in all cuttings planted, followed by dynaroot which had a competitive value of (3,00±1,00) while honey , banana peel and the control had least shoot development rate (2,50±.0,50). This therefore means natural Aloe vera root hormone can be recommended for raising cuttings in the nursery considered for growth of cuttings. In terms of survival performance, cuttings in aloe vera gel, had the the highest value of 60% followed by dynaroot 40%, hence banana peel, honey and the control treatment recorded the least survival rate of 20%. Cuttings treated with Aloe vera gel exhibited the highest overall growth outcomes. Shoot growth was greatest for C. abbreviata cuttings (4,00 ±1,00) while C. sinensis, E. abyssinica and B.madagascariensis fail to develop shoot. No root develop in any hormones maybe it could be due to inappropriate timing of seasonality and environmental factors of the area. These findings demonstrate the potential of using aloe vera gel natural stimulants as inexpensive alternatives to commercial growth hormones for plant propagation by cuttings. The natural options used viz honey, aloe vera gel, and banana peel are readily available and can stimulate survival and shoot growth. However, effectiveness depends on the plant species and good timing of the right season to propagate. Future research should explore concentrations and combinations of these natural stimulants to optimize results.

Date

2022

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Selected Artificial and Natural Growth Hormones

Nursery Performance

Supervisor

Mr. Kundhlande