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Four multipurpose species of Vitex (Lamiaceae) from D.R. Congo show different responses to propagation techniques for nursery production

par NUMBI MUJIKE, Désiré.;Meerts, Pierre Jacques ;Mbinga Lokoto, Boniface;Ngoy Shutcha, Mylor
Référence Bois et forêts des tropiques, 357, page (43-56)
Publication Publié, 2023-01-01

Article révisé par les pairs

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Résumé :

Woody medicinal plants are one of themain ecosystem products found in the drywoodlands of the province of Haut˗Katanga(Democratic Republic of the Congo), whererapid deforestation coupled with increasingdemand for traditional medicine are jeopardisingsupplies. In this context, domesticationand cultivation may be a sustainablesolution. The species of the genus Vitex(Lamiaceae) are well known for their usesin traditional medicine. This study aims tooptimise propagation techniques for fourspecies of the genus Vitex (V. doniana,V. madiensis subsp. milanjiensis, V. fischeri,V. mombassae) that coexist in the dry woodlandsof Haut-Katanga. Four techniques,i.e., sowing, root cuttings, stem cuttings andair layering, were tested experimentally.The four species show strikingly contrastingresponses. Sowing was ill-suited toV. madiensis (0% germination rate), butscarified ripe seeds produced high germinationrates in V. doniana (90%) as did scarifiedseeds harvested from unripe (green)seeds of V. mombassae (75%). Root cuttingswere most suitable for V. doniana (87%),V. madiensis (80%) and V. mombassae(77%), but not for V. fischeri (0%). Air layeringwas well suited for V. fischeri (83%) andV. madiensis (77%), but not for V. mombassae(0%) in the conditions of our study. Stemcuttings were not efficient for any of thefour species in the conditions of our study.Effective and specific propagation protocolswould be a first step towards domesticationof these species