Clonal propagation in cashew (Anacardium occidentale): effect of rooting media on the rootability and sprouting of air-layers

An evaluation of three different rooting media (topsoil, sawdust and river sand) mixed in different proportions for the rooting of cashew layers was carried out at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria at Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria. Data were collected on percentage take, number of days to rooting, number of roots, root length and percentage sprouting, and were statistically analysed. Significant differences were recorded for the effects of medium, mixture proportion, genotype and medium × mixture proportion interaction, showing the strong influence of the rooting medium (and thus its composition – texture, nutrient status and water-holding capacity) and the variation in genotypic response to rooting in cashew layers. Topsoil ranked best among the three media tested, and its combination with either sawdust or river sand in the ratio 1 : 1 (v/v) gave the best rooting and sprouting, thus suggesting its use as an effective rooting medium for cashew layering. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd