0125-B4
Yolina A. Tarranco-Castañeto 1
The rapid growth of science and technology have brought inventions and discovery in the field of biotechnology which includes the manufacture of biofertilizers. These help in improving the growth of forest trees. Among the list of biofertilizers are Mykovam and Biocore. A preliminary study was conducted to assess the response of mahogany cuttings to applied biofertilizers.
Mahogany is one of the economically important hardwood in the Philippines. It is considered as one of the promising species for reforestation and agro-forestry. It is usually propagated by seeds and informations using cuttings are wanting. Thus, the study was conducted to determine the response of the species to biofertilizers.
Mahogany cuttings were allowed to grow for two months and then applied with biofertilizers such as Mykovam, Biocore and combination of Mykovam + Biocore. Assessment of the response of the species were done using height, diameter, length of root, root, shoot and total biomass. The results of the study was found to be very significant. Treatments applied enhanced better seedlings growth and vigor. Treated seedlings were found to be superior over that of the control seedlings in height, diameter, length of root, root biomass, shoot biomass and total biomass. Among the treatments applied application of combined Biocore + Mykovam gave significant advantage over the rest of the treatments and therefore recommended for planting mahogany seedlings from nodal cuttings given the specific conditions used in the experiment.
Growth and yield of promising species for reforestation and plantation establishment can be enhanced by utilizing products of biotechnology. Among such products are biological fertilizers which can be a good substitute for inorganic fertilizers. Utilizing the forces of microorganisms would be a very sound and safe way of fertilizing the plants and at the same time preventing hazards to the environment. Among the list of biofertilizers are Mykovam and Biocore.
Biocore is a biofertilizer which comprise the scientific formulation produced from carefully decomposed agricultural wastes, biochemically processed to provide a balance of elements needed by a variety of crops. These organic formulations have been amended with nitrogen-fixing bacteria isolated from talahib roots. It provides a buffering capacity because it has a pH of more than 7.0. It also acts as a slow release fertilizer. It contains partially decomposed organic materials which provides energy for beneficial microorganisms in the soil. It also conditions the soil by improving its physical and chemical microbial properties through time (Garcia, 1989 and Garcia, 1990)
It is a promising biofertilizers that can be used for plants. It proves to be very effective in enhancing better growth of crops and forest trees and minor forest products as well.
Mykovam, on the other hand, is a soil inoculant containing spores and mycorrhizal propagules commonly used to inoculate nursery-grown seedlings (BIOTECH, 1995; Lapitan and Garcia, 1994). The inoculant is produced by inoculating the roots of host plant with pure culture of a VAM fungus. The fungus proliferates in the roots of the trap plant and in a few months, the spores, roots and infected soil can be used as inoculants (Dela Cruz, et al., 1991).
With proper utilization of these biofertilizers, it is expected that it will give better effects to species like mahogany which is a potential tree crop for reforestation in the entire archipelago.
Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King.) is one of the important species in the country. It is a large tree with height ranging from 30 to 40 m with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 m (RISE, 1994). It is a potential reforestation and agro-forestry species. Its' straight-boled characteristics is an advantage over other hardwood species. Moreover, it is found to be an excellent raw material for veneer and plywood manufacture. It is used in multi-storey agrofoerstry systems in the Philippines, boat and ship-building and pattern making. It is also used as shade for coffee and cacao (RISE, 1994 and RISE, 1995). It can also be used as antipyretic, tonic and as an astringent (RISE, 1994 ).
Propagation of the species is generally using seeds through sexual reproduction. Reproduction through cuttings is wanting and has not been tried in the country. Asexual propagation need to be undertaken as an alternative means of propagation and at the same time for species conservation. Vegetative propagation ensure the capture of resulting gains or improved productivity in terms of increased uniformity and improve stem straightness of the species. Moreover, it can also be an effective technique in safeguarding the species genetic variation. In other countries propagation of mahogany cuttings in mist propagation chamber has been previously tried and found to be very successful (Bevu, 1999).
It is therefore the aim of this study to determine the response of mahogany stem cuttings to application of various biofertilizers.
Eight-months old mahogany seedlings were the source of planting stock used in the study. Mahogany cuttings were maintained in the nursery for two months after which different biofertilizers were applied. The experiment was set-up in a simple Completely Randomized Design (CRD) replicated five times. Randomization was done to assign the different treatments.
The following were the treatments used in the study:
Treated seedlings were maintained in the nursery for eight months after the application of treatments. Data on height, diameter, length of root, shoot biomass, root biomass and total biomass were collected to evaluate the response of the seedlings response to applied biofertilizers.
Preliminary investigation on the response of vegetatively propagated mahogany was done in the nursery. There were four treatments used in the study. Results of the Analysis of Variance yielded significant results as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Summary of the mean height, diameter, length of tap root, root biomass, shoot biomass and total biomass of mahogany cuttings subjected to different treatments.
Treatments |
Height (mm) |
Diameter (mm) |
Length of tap root (mm) |
Root Biomass (gram) |
Shoot Biomass (gram) |
Total Biomass (g) |
Control (T1) |
15.3.2a |
4.12a |
10.766a |
1.34a |
2.89a |
4.37a |
Mykovam (T2) |
18.4.4b |
4.82ab |
16.43b |
1.33a |
3.75a |
5.14a |
Biocore (T3) |
20.22bc |
5.32bc |
11.53a |
2.12b |
5.99b |
8.22b |
Myko + Bio (T4) |
21.61c |
6.13c |
14.18b |
2.56b |
7.24b |
9.86b |
Variations in seedling height of mahogany were found highly significant among treatments. The tallest seedlings were obtained from those applied with Mykovam + Biocore (21.61 cms) over the rest of the treatments (Fig. 1). The control seedlings has the shortest (15.32 cms). It was very evident that application of Mykovam, Biocore and combined Mykovam + Biocore gave an edge in terms of height as compared to untreated molave seedlings. Biocore treated seedlings, on the other hand, was comparable to the growth of the seedlings applied with combination of Biocore + Mykovam. Mykovam treated seedlings growth was not significantly different to those treated with Biocore.
Highly significant differences in seedlings diameter were obtained due to application of different treatments. The added Biocore, Mykovam and combination of Biocore + Mykovam gave good diameter growth over that of the control seedlings. The highest diameter was obtained from seedlings (6.13 mm) treated with combined Mykovam + Biocore, while the lowest are the untreated seedlings (4.12 mm). The Mykovam and Biocore treated seedlings has 4.82 mm and 5.32 mm, respectively higher than the untreated seedlings.
Evaluation of seedling length of root, revealed that additions of biofertilizers showed highly significant differences among treatment means. Production and growth of root were found affected by the application of biofertilizers. The untreated seedlings had the shortest (10.16 cm), while the Mykovam treated had the longest (16.43 cm) as shown in Fig. 3. Likewise, the Mykovam and combined Mykovam + Biocore treated seedlings were not significantly different from each other, 16.43 and 14.18 cm, respectively.
Production of mahogany seedling biomass were assessed and found to be significantly affected by different treatments applied to seedlings. Root, shoot and total accumulated biomass were different among treatments. Root biomass production of control (1.34) seedlings was lower but not significantly different to Mykovam (1.33) treated seedlings as compared to those treated with Biocore (2.12) and combination of Mykovam + Biocore which yielded the highest root biomass of mahogany cuttings. Shoot biomass was also significantly affected by the addition of biofertilizers as revealed in the result of the analysis of the variance. Without treatment the average production of seedling biomass is 2.89 g, application of biofertilizers had increased the shoot biomass by 29.76% (3.75 g) for Mykovam, 107.27% for Biocore and 150.52% (7.24 g) for combined Mykovam + Biocore (Figure 3). Cuttings treated with combined Mykovam + Biocore gave the highest biomass and showed over-all superiority and vigor among the treatments. This treatment, however is not significantly different with those seedlings applied with Biocore. Total biomass were also assessed and found to be highly affected by the treatment applications. Control seedlings had lower total biomass than those treated seedlings. The same trend of increase was observed similar that of the shoot biomass. It was very evident that there was a difference in biomass production between control and those applied with Biocore (8.22 g) and combined Mykovam + Biocore. (9.86 g). The % increase was 88.10%, 125,63% for Biocore and combined Mykovam + Biocore, respectively. The two treatments however, were not significantly different from each other (Figure 3).
Mahogany cuttings responded well to applied biofertilizers. Growth and vigor of treated cuttings are superior over that of the control cuttings. Statistical analysis of height, diameter, length of root, root, shoot and total biomass gave highly significant results.
Among the treated seedlings the over-all superiority of seedlings applied with combined Mykovam + Biocore produced the tallest seedlings had biggest diameter and the heaviest biomass over that of the Biocore and Mykovam alone. With the amazing effect of application of biofertilizers on the growth and survival of mahogany cuttings over that of the untreated cuttings, it is therefore recommended that Mahogany cuttings should be applied with a combination of Mykovam + Biocore gave the same set of edaphic factors used in the study. However, is highly suggested that a follow-up study should be conducted for longer period in the field to verify results.
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1 Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology
Bayombong, 3700 Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines
E-mail: [email protected]
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