DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2021.v09i11.006

Pages: 361-372

In southwestern Central African Republic, natural stands of K. anthotheca are difficult to regenerate due to numerous pressures related to industrial exploitation and ethnobotanical uses. In order to identify the best approach for artificial regeneration of this species, two reproduction methods (seed sowing and cuttings) were evaluated. In particular, the effects of seed pre-treatment on germination and seedling growth as well as the effect of the type of cuttings on bud recovery and seedling growth of K. anthotheca were tested. Repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANNOVA) was performed using XLSAT 2008 software. From the results obtained, the control seeds of K. anthotheca were significantly more successful (64.44±7.33%) compared to the pre-treated seeds (F= 2.261 and p= 0.001). Seedlings from control seeds grew faster than from pre-treated seeds with a highly significant difference (F=10.690 and p=0.000). The wild type cuttings were more successful (55.33±7.39%) than the cuttings from the seeds (11.92±0.75%) with a highly significant difference (p=0.0001). All seedlings from basal cuttings died after budding. Overall, the control seeds of K. anthotheca had the highest success rate (64.44±7.33%) followed by the wild type cuttings (55.33±7.39%). Artificial regeneration of K. anthotheca could be done by sowing the seeds without pre-treatment and cutting the wildings. However, further investigations on the survival of seedlings in the field is needed to determine the most viable option for planting.