PRESENCE OF AXILLARY BUD AND APPLICATION OF PLANT GROWTH HORMONES ON ROOTING AND TUBERIZATION OF YAM (DIOSCOREA SP.) VINE CUTTINGS

Abstract

Young cuttings of yam varieties Obiaoturugo (Dioscorea rotundata) and Um 680 (D. alata)- were grown in pots in the greenhouse. Half the cuttings bore axillary buds and half had none. The cuttings were sprayed with a factorial combination of indole acetic acid (IAA), benzyladenine (BA) and giberellic acid (GA3). Cuttings of Obiaturugo survived better than those of Um 680 and cuttings with lateral buds performed better than those without. IAA had no effect but GA3 depressed rooting (p=0.05) and tuberization (p-0.01) of the cuttings. The results showed that in the presence of axillary bud in young cuttings, clean yam tubers can be raised in the greenhouse without recourse to use of mist chambers.


Key Words: Axillary buds, growth hormones, rooting and tuberization, yam vine cutting.


Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.2(2) 2003: 128-130