Vegetative Propagation of Local Fruit Trees by Air Layering in the Guinean Savannah Highlands (GSH).

Over recent decades there has been a growing interest in the attributes of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to food security, income generation, and poverty alleviation. In the Guinean Savannah Highlands (GSH) of West Africa, species producing these products are still in wild stands where they are subjected to various pressures. To conserve these species, their domestication is required. Air layering is a low-cost propagation technique easy to use by farmers. The present study aims at evaluating the effects of the wood type (hardwood, semi-hardwood, and softwood) as well as branch diameter (Φ ≤ 6.67 cm; Φ > 6.67 cm) in the rooting ability of the marcots (air-layered propagules) ofLophira lanceolataVan Tiegh. Ex Key.,Parkia biglobosa(Jacq.) Benth,Syzygium guineensevar.macrocarpumEngl.,Vitex donianaSweet.,Vitex madiensisOliv., andXimenia americanaL. The experimental design was a split-plot with three replications. The rooting percentage of the marcots varied significantly from 13.5 (X. americana) to 55.85% (Lophira lanceolata;p< .001). The diameter * wood type interaction was significant (p< .05) due to the high rooting percentage obtained in large semi-hardwood cuttings (40%).Lophira lanceolata,Syzygium guineensevar.macrocarpum, andVitex madiensiswere the easiest marcotting rooting species. Large branch diameters as well as semi-hardwood are suitable for layering. This information will help in developing appropriate domestication strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]