Effect of Substrates, Planting Period, Explants Nodal Level and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Sweetpotato Vine Cutting Production in Soil and Soilless Systems

Abstract

In West Africa, little attention has been given to the rapid propagation of sweet potato with much dependence on the use of tuber part as seed. This study thus investigated the propagation and establishment of a different number of nodal segments of sweet potato vines in soil and soilless system under the influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). Cut vines (double and single nodal explants) from growing sweet potato plants were planted in the following substrates; Topsoil, Cocopeat, and Cocopeat + 5 g AMF (4 kg each fertigated with 250 g poultry manure). The experiment was conducted twice (March to July and August to December 2021). The experiment was a 2 (nodal explants) x 3 (substrates) x 2 (periods) factorial arranged in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The agronomic and yield parameters were collected and analysed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 5% level of significance. At 4 Weeks after Planting (WAP), the number of new leaves produced by the nodal explants was insignificant. At 8 WAP, the number of nodes produced differed significantly among substrates and ranged from 17.67±0.42 (cocopeat) to 20.17±0.42 (cocopeat+5g AMF). Number of tubers produced differed significantly between planting periods and ranged from 3.28±0.41 (March to July) to 5.06±0.41 (August to December). For efficient vine rooting, planting of single node vines of sweetpotato in cocopeat substrate fertigated with poultry manure and AMF between the August to December period of the year is thus recommended.