Propagation of selected endangered and threatened indigenous medicinal plants using different planting media

Abstract

This study was conducted from March to May 2006 in Barangay Agsalanan, Dingle, Iloilo using the 4 x 4 factorial in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The study variables were, a) four indigenous medicinal plants namely, bulobitoon (Barringtonia asiatica (L.) Kurz), apatot (Morinda citrifolia Linn), bugnay (Antidesma bunius (L.) Spreng.), and rosal (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis); and b) the different planting media, namely, a) 1/3 sand, 1/3 garden soil, and 1/3 humus; b) 1/2 sand and 1/2 garden soil; c) 1/2 sand and 1/2 humus; and d) 1/2 garden soil and 1/2 humus. The media were planted to 6-inch softwood tip cuttings from the selected medicinal plants. Data gathered were the number of active cuttings, number of rooted cuttings, number of emerged shoots, number of roots, and longest roots. The ANOVA results showed a very high coefficient of variability (24-346%). This can be attributed to the poor nursery management in terms of watering and handling of potted stem cuttings by the caretaker aggravated by hot summer months and the natural characteristics of the tree cuttings to have a slow root differentiation and fast rate of transpiration. Only rosal, survived after eight weeks with only 3.87 active and rooted cuttings, four emerged buds, and a few, short roots when planted in 1/2 garden soil and 1/2 humus mixture. It is recommended that a similar study will be conducted under CPU condition to validate the observations gathered. Further, it will ensure close-in supervision by the researcher considering the proximity of the experimental site.