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Online ISSN : 2349-8080 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorinchiefijcrbp@gmail.com |
A study was conducted to investigate the potential of local waste materials as appropriate media for the propagation of smooth cayeenne pineapple (Ananas comosus). Nine propagation media replicated three times in a randomized block design included; soil, sawdust, compost, white wood chips, soil + sawdust, sawdust + compost, sawdust + white wood chips, compost + white wood chips and sawdust + compost + white wood chips. Defoliated stems obtained after harvest were splitted longitudinally and sown in substrates. Data on the number of suckers and microclimate show that the temperature and relative humidity within the propagators ranged between 22.30-30.70oC and 76-90%, respectively. Sucker initiation and development was faster and higher in the compost and compost-containing substrates. Compost produced the highest number of suckers (55) with 34.53%, 58.18% and 7.27% of suckers produced in the first, second and third month, respectively. Suckers produced during the first (6.33±0.33) and second months (17.00±3.78) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in the other substrates. White wood chips produced the lowest number of suckers (48) with 72.92% produced during the third month. However, the number of suckers produced three months after sowing for all the substrates showed no significant difference (P > 0.05).
