Shea nuts play an important role in food security for rural folks within sub-Sahara Africa, serving as the main source of income for many people living in Northern Ghana. Unfortunately, the full economic potential of ...Shea nuts play an important role in food security for rural folks within sub-Sahara Africa, serving as the main source of income for many people living in Northern Ghana. Unfortunately, the full economic potential of the Sheanut tree has not been fully realized due to the difficulty involved in its domestication. This difficulty in vegetatively propagating sheanut trees has greatly hindered its cultivation and the realization of its true economic potential. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of rooting media and varying indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) concentrations on adventitious root formation in cuttings taken from coppiced sheanut trees. Results indicated that 3000 ppm produced significantly (p 0.05) better rooting (57.5%) than 5000 ppm (30%), 7000 ppm (45.0%) and the control (7.5%). Although the levels of soluble sugars (SS) and total free phenols (TFP) in the cutting were significantly (p 0.05) higher at the end of the experiment (after IBA treatment) compared to the start (prior to IBA treatment), the SS and TFP trends observed did not clearly explain the rooting differences found between the IBA levels investigated. Callus formation was significantly (p 0.05) higher (35.0%) in the control (no IBA). Generally, callus formation decreased with increasing IBA concentration. In the rooting media experiment, rooting was significantly (p 0.05) higher in the rice husk medium (35.0%) compared to that in the palm fiber (18.3%), saw dust (14.1%) and top soil (16.7%) media.展开更多
In spite of the economic potential of the sheanut tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), its domestication still has not been achieved due to the long juvenile period of seed propagated plants and the absence of a reliable veget...In spite of the economic potential of the sheanut tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), its domestication still has not been achieved due to the long juvenile period of seed propagated plants and the absence of a reliable vegetative propagation method. Three experiments were conducted by using a modified container layering technique to investigate the effects of season (rainy and dry season), light treatments (etiolation and natural light) and indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) on root formation in juvenile and mature sheanut trees. The effect of light treatments on the internal conditions such as level of sugars (soluble, insoluble and total sugars) and total free phenols in layered sheanut shoots was also considered. Rooting was generally lower in the mature trees (27.9%) compared to that in juvenile 4 year-old plants (40.9%). Etiolation increased the levels of total sugars and phenols in shoots of 4-year-old plants and mature fruit bearing trees, but this increase did not significantly enhance rooting in both the juvenile and mature sheanut trees. The container layering technique holds promise as a method for the asexual propagation of sheanut planting material. Roots formed using this method looked healthy and were vertically orientated giving layered shoots a better chance at survival.展开更多
Seed size can influence germination, emergence and further development of plants to produce high yield. Therefore, pot trial was conducted to assess the effects of seed sizes on growth and establishment of sheanut tre...Seed size can influence germination, emergence and further development of plants to produce high yield. Therefore, pot trial was conducted to assess the effects of seed sizes on growth and establishment of sheanut tree seedlings (Vitellaria paradoxa) in tlae southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. Seedlings produced from large sized seed had higher germination (80%) than those from medium (70%) and small (65%) sized seeds. Number of days to emergence of seedling from large-sized seed planting was 30 days, 49 days for small- and medium-sized seeds. Large sized seeds had higher N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents compared with small and medium sized seeds. Generally, seedlings from large sized seeds had about 1.5 times more leaves than medium sized seeds and about 2 times more leaves than small sized seeds at 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks after planting (WAP). Seedlings from large sized seeds were taller and had larger stem girth (at 16WAP) than those from medium sized seeds. Variations in seedling growth from seed sizes could be of operational importance in nursery management as seeds can be sown according to size to improve uniformity. However, further studies to ascertain if the superior growth of seedlings from large sized seeds will lead to higher yield is recommended.展开更多
文摘Shea nuts play an important role in food security for rural folks within sub-Sahara Africa, serving as the main source of income for many people living in Northern Ghana. Unfortunately, the full economic potential of the Sheanut tree has not been fully realized due to the difficulty involved in its domestication. This difficulty in vegetatively propagating sheanut trees has greatly hindered its cultivation and the realization of its true economic potential. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of rooting media and varying indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) concentrations on adventitious root formation in cuttings taken from coppiced sheanut trees. Results indicated that 3000 ppm produced significantly (p 0.05) better rooting (57.5%) than 5000 ppm (30%), 7000 ppm (45.0%) and the control (7.5%). Although the levels of soluble sugars (SS) and total free phenols (TFP) in the cutting were significantly (p 0.05) higher at the end of the experiment (after IBA treatment) compared to the start (prior to IBA treatment), the SS and TFP trends observed did not clearly explain the rooting differences found between the IBA levels investigated. Callus formation was significantly (p 0.05) higher (35.0%) in the control (no IBA). Generally, callus formation decreased with increasing IBA concentration. In the rooting media experiment, rooting was significantly (p 0.05) higher in the rice husk medium (35.0%) compared to that in the palm fiber (18.3%), saw dust (14.1%) and top soil (16.7%) media.
文摘In spite of the economic potential of the sheanut tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), its domestication still has not been achieved due to the long juvenile period of seed propagated plants and the absence of a reliable vegetative propagation method. Three experiments were conducted by using a modified container layering technique to investigate the effects of season (rainy and dry season), light treatments (etiolation and natural light) and indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) on root formation in juvenile and mature sheanut trees. The effect of light treatments on the internal conditions such as level of sugars (soluble, insoluble and total sugars) and total free phenols in layered sheanut shoots was also considered. Rooting was generally lower in the mature trees (27.9%) compared to that in juvenile 4 year-old plants (40.9%). Etiolation increased the levels of total sugars and phenols in shoots of 4-year-old plants and mature fruit bearing trees, but this increase did not significantly enhance rooting in both the juvenile and mature sheanut trees. The container layering technique holds promise as a method for the asexual propagation of sheanut planting material. Roots formed using this method looked healthy and were vertically orientated giving layered shoots a better chance at survival.
文摘Seed size can influence germination, emergence and further development of plants to produce high yield. Therefore, pot trial was conducted to assess the effects of seed sizes on growth and establishment of sheanut tree seedlings (Vitellaria paradoxa) in tlae southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. Seedlings produced from large sized seed had higher germination (80%) than those from medium (70%) and small (65%) sized seeds. Number of days to emergence of seedling from large-sized seed planting was 30 days, 49 days for small- and medium-sized seeds. Large sized seeds had higher N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents compared with small and medium sized seeds. Generally, seedlings from large sized seeds had about 1.5 times more leaves than medium sized seeds and about 2 times more leaves than small sized seeds at 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks after planting (WAP). Seedlings from large sized seeds were taller and had larger stem girth (at 16WAP) than those from medium sized seeds. Variations in seedling growth from seed sizes could be of operational importance in nursery management as seeds can be sown according to size to improve uniformity. However, further studies to ascertain if the superior growth of seedlings from large sized seeds will lead to higher yield is recommended.