Author(s)

Jonas Patrick Dao^1,2*, Kouakou Laurent Kouakou^1,3, Camille Kouakou¹, Mamadou Cherif², Mahamadi Hamed Ouedraogo⁴, Kouame Kevin Koffi³, Irié Arsène Zoro Bi³

¹Training and Research Unit of Sciences of Nature, Laboratory of Biology and Improvement of Plant Production, Nangui Abrogoua University, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
²Training and Research Unit of Biosciences, Plant Physiology Laboratory, Felix Houphouët Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
³Phytotechnical Unit and Genetic Improvement, Training and Research Unit of Sciences of Nature, Nangui Abrogoua University, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
⁴Training and Research Unit of Life and Earth Sciences, Biosciences Laboratory; Genetics and Plant Breeding, Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Garcinia kola Heckel, called “petit cola” in Côte d’Ivoire and “bitter kola” in Nigeria, is a Non-Timber Forest Product of great socioeconomic importance. Unfortunately, this species is threatened due to overexploitation and deforestation. This study tested the effect of leaf area on stem cuttings to regenerate vegetatively in a non-mist poly-propagator without using exogenous hormones. Three stem cuttings types: greenwood, softwood and hardwood (12 - 15 cm in length) were collected from 24-month years old seedlings. The two top leaves of each cutting type were conserved at different leaf area: 0 cm², 28.25 cm², 56.5 cm², 84.75 cm² and 113 cm² (entire leaf area). Observations were made on rooting, sprouting and leafing abilities of cuttings depending to treatments applied. Results showed that all cutting types have presented good ability to shooting and rooting. Cuttings with 113 cm² leaf areas presented the best rooting (94.44% ± 2.42%) and shouting (95.55% ± 2.42%) percentage and longest primary root length (12.03 ± 0.50 cm). Hardwood, softwood and greenwood cuttings with 113 cm² leaf area had the best rooting percentage (96.66% ± 3.33%, 96.66% ± 5.77% and 90.00% ± 5.77% respectively). The longest primary root length (13.50 ± 0.97 cm) was observed to greenwood cuttings with 113 cm² leaf area. Regenerated plants in the forest presented well survival percentage (96.66%). This study shows that it is possible to regenerate entire plants by cuttings without using external hormones in non-mist poly-propagator.

Garcinia kola Heckel, Leaf Area, Non-Mist Poly-Propagator, Stem Cuttings, Vegetative Propagation

Dao, J. , Kouakou, K. , Kouakou, C. , Cherif, M. , Ouedraogo, M. , Koffi, K. and Bi, I. (2020) Effect of Leafy and Leafless Greenwood, Softwood and Hardwood Cuttings Success of Garcinia kola (Heckel). Agricultural Sciences, 11, 897-911. doi: 10.4236/as.2020.1110058.