Production of Anonidium mannii plants by vegetative propagation

Abstract

Anonidium mannii is a local species, belonging to the family Annonaceae, whose fruit is appreciated by the population of the tropical rainforests such as Kisangani, is obtained until now by collecting it in the forest. In the face of increasing deforestation, its domestication should be encouraged for the safeguarding of its genetic heritage. This study focuses on its propagation by cuttings and layering. Marcotting was evaluated in stem positions (orthotropic and plagiotropic) while cuttings were tested with factors of leaf area, stem length, and auxin applications. The results showed that orthotropic marcots root better (36 % against 29 %), although there was no statistically significant differences. Individual trees showed significant variations (0 to 100 %). Leaf area and auxin applications (4 to 13 %) significantly affected rooting, unlike cuttings lengths (8 to 9 %). The best rooting rate (27 %) was obtained by the combination of 37.5 cm² leaf area x 7 cm stem length x auxin. A. mannii species could be propagated by cuttings and marcotting. Future research should focus on opportunities to improve the rate of rooting which remains low (< 50 %).

Keywords

• Anonidium mannii
• Cuttings
• Layering
• Orthotropic
• Plagiotropic
• Rooting
• Kisangani