Articles
Effect of wounding to improve adventitious rooting and establishment success of two tropical perennial vegetable species
Article number
1460_27
Pages
225 – 232
Language
English
Abstract
Regionally important perennial vegetable species including chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) and katuk (Sauropus androgynus) are frequently propagated using vegetative cuttings.
However, the success of using cuttings is often variable, and little is known about how to increase rooting using simple techniques and whether an increase may improve survival and regrowth in the field.
Wounding basal tissue may increase the number of adventitious roots produced, leading to higher cutting survival.
In 2025, both chaya and katuk were cut from established plants and divided into 6 treatments based on two main factors: 1) drying or not drying the cuttings for 24 h prior to planting, and 2) wounding the basal end of the cutting with a knife either once, four times, or no wounding.
By species and treatment, cuttings were randomly assigned into cells of planting trays with a total of five replications per treatment of the factorial.
Cuttings were maintained in similar greenhouse conditions.
After three to four weeks, cuttings were removed and the number and maximum length of roots were measured.
The drying or wounding factors did not result in differences for chaya cutting success or rooting behavior, but katuk cuttings showed higher number of roots produced from basal wounding.
The initial results of basal wounding show the benefits are likely species dependent.
However, the success of using cuttings is often variable, and little is known about how to increase rooting using simple techniques and whether an increase may improve survival and regrowth in the field.
Wounding basal tissue may increase the number of adventitious roots produced, leading to higher cutting survival.
In 2025, both chaya and katuk were cut from established plants and divided into 6 treatments based on two main factors: 1) drying or not drying the cuttings for 24 h prior to planting, and 2) wounding the basal end of the cutting with a knife either once, four times, or no wounding.
By species and treatment, cuttings were randomly assigned into cells of planting trays with a total of five replications per treatment of the factorial.
Cuttings were maintained in similar greenhouse conditions.
After three to four weeks, cuttings were removed and the number and maximum length of roots were measured.
The drying or wounding factors did not result in differences for chaya cutting success or rooting behavior, but katuk cuttings showed higher number of roots produced from basal wounding.
The initial results of basal wounding show the benefits are likely species dependent.
Authors
B.T. Lawrence, S.M. Swartz, T.N. Motis
Keywords
asexual propagation, underutilized, chaya, katuk, stem propagation
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