EFFECT OF ROOTING MEDIA, FARMYARD MANURE AND NUMBER OF NODES ON GROWTH ANDLEAF YIELDOF CHAYA (Cnidoscolus chayamansa McVaugh) ATDIRE DAWA, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Chaya known as spinach tree, rich in vitamins and minerals, can grow under drought, low soil fertility conditions and tolerant to insect pest and could be used to tackle malnutrition problem in eastern Ethiopia. Thus the first step is to establish the propagation and field establishment method. This experiment was conducted to assess effect of rooting media, number of nodes and farm yard manure (FYM) on rooting, seedling establishment and early growth of chaya at farm at Dire Dawa in 2018/19. The nursery experiment was conducted to evaluate three rooting media (top soil, 3:2 top soil: FYM: 3:1 top soil: FYM) and cuttings with 1, 2 and 3 nodes in factorial combination in completely randomized design and the field establishment experiment included FYM (0 t ha-1 , 5 t ha-1 and 10 t ha-1 ) as 3 x 3 x 3 factorial combinations in randomized complete block designs with three replications. Rooting media (RM) significantly influenced all regrowth initiation and growth of seedlings except percentage of root initiated cuttings and number of node (NoN) on cuttings significantly influenced most of the traits. Rooting media and number of nodes interacted to influence percentage of root initiated on cuttings,number of roots,fresh and dry weight of regrowth shoot. The highest percentage (90.08%) root initiated cuttings with highest number of roots was observed in three nodes of cuttings growing on 3:2 top soils: FYM media. The rooting media containing FYM shortened days (8 or 8.5) to initiate regrowth and days (14.33 or 14.98) to produce visible leaf than cuttings grown on top soil media. In the field establishment, rooting media used at nursery, FYM placed in planting holes and the interaction of the two significantly influenced number and height of stems, days to first leaves harvest, number of leaves, fresh and dry weight of leaves produced in the first three months of seedlings transplanting. The two factors (RM and FYM) and their interaction also significantly influenced stem diameter, plant height number of branches, length of branches, canopy diameter except interaction of RM and FYM had nonsignificant effect on the first traits measured after six months of seedlings transplanting. However, number of nodes on cuttings influenced height of stems and number of leaves produced in the first three months of seedlings transplanting. Number of nodes on cuttings and FYM placed on planting holes interacted to influence days to first leaves harvest and height of stems at 30 days after transplanting (DAT). Plant height at six months of transplanting significantly influenced by the interaction of NoN with RM and FYM as well as the interaction of three factors (RM*NoN*FYM). The interaction of the three factors also significantly influenced days to first leaves harvest and height of stems at 30, 60 and 90 DAT. In most cases, the rooting media (RM) containing FYM significantly regrowth and growth seedlings at nursery though number of nodes on cuttings alone and its interaction to RM had also significant influence on most traits. Rooting media containing FYM alone, farmyard manure (FYM) placed in planning holes at higher rate and the interaction of the two factors significantly influenced the field establishment and growth of seedlings. Therefore, it could be recommended to use chaya cuttings with more than one node on 3:2 top soils: FYM media at nursery and planting seedlings at field in a hole receiving 10 t ha-1 farmyard manure