Root Development Does Not Antagonize Regeneration of Double Node Vegetatively Propagated Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Cultivar Propagation
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Date
2021
Authors
Mwangi, Simon M
Korir, Nicholas K
Mose, Richard
Osei-Kwarteng, Mildred
Akujaturkana, Thomas E
Gweyi-Onyango, Joseph P
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Abstract
Gaps in tea farms and plantations resulting from poor planting material, storms, accidental
mechanical operations and pests lead to monumental yield losses. Conventionally, single
node cuttings have been used for infilling of such gaps in the past; however they take very
long to regenerate and to eventually cover the gaps and are also expensive compared to
normal seedlings. Therefore, double node cuttings can offer a faster and robust alternative
for production of the infilling material. However, the fear has been that it poses greater
demand for photosynthates for recovery and regeneration of shoots from more nodes and
this may lead to competition between roots and shoots for assimilates and hence premature
death instead. The current work was set to test the hypothesis that more nodes/ plus leaves
lead to more demand of substrates from source to the nodes with little going to the roots,
hence low chance of root initiation and thus not suitable for production of tea seedlings. A
study to evaluate potential of different types of tea node cuttings (Single Node cutting SNC
– and Two Node cutting TNC) as planting material was therefore conducted at Kangaita
farm at the Kenya Tea Development Agency in Kirinyaga, Kenya. The experiment was laid
as Complete Block Design with split plot arrangement in net shades. The regeneration of
single node and double node cuttings from three popular commercial tea clones (TRFK
31/8, TRFK 6/8 and AHP S15/10) was assessed in relation to their root and shoot
development in the nursery until transplanting at 8 months in screen house with polythene
papers. Variables such as root length, root biomass, leaf size, shoot count, shoot length and
survival were evaluated as a measure of root and shoot development. The results revealed
that double node cuttings were more vigorous in generation of new shoots, which triggered
early root development, with clear variation observable among the test clones. Clone TRFK
31/8 was more superior in root development while clone AHP S15/10 showed superior
ability to produce two shoots. There results also revealed lack in difference in seedling
survival from two types of regenerations. The study confirms that indeed there was no
adverse competition between root and shoots for assimilates and demonstrates the potential
of that double node tea cuttings to be used to generate robust planting material both for
new fields and infilling. It is therefore recommended that this technique be adopted and
more studies be done using cuttings with more nodes to optimize rooting and growth
conditions during propagation.
Description
Article
Keywords
Nodal cutting, propagule survival, infilling, nutrient competition, root to shoot ratio
Citation
Mwangi, S. M., Korir, N. K., Mose, R., Osei-Kwarteng, M., Akuja, T. E., & Gweyi-Onyango, J. P. (2021). Root development does not antagonize regeneration of double node vegetatively propagated tea (camellia sinensis) cultivar propagation. African Journal of Horticultural Science, 18(2), 21-30.