VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF VITEX DONIANA (BLACK PLUM) USING ROOTING HORMONES

ABSTRACT Vegetative propagation is an important method for conserving and multiplying valuable plant species whose propagation is often constrained by low seed germination and limited availability of planting materials. The effect of different rooting hormones (Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), and coconut water) on the vegetative propagation of Vitex doniana using stem cuttings, was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replicates, over a period of 11 weeks. Parameters assessed included the number of cuttings producing shoots and the number of shoots per cutting. The results revealed that rooting hormone application had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the number of cuttings producing shoots and the number of shoots throughout the study period. The control consistently produced the highest number of cuttings with shoots (2.67) and the highest number of shoots (3.33) across the weeks of assessment. Overall, untreated cuttings performed better than those treated with either synthetic or natural hormones. It is recommended that farmers and researchers can adopt the use of hormone-free cuttings for the vegetative propagation of Vitex doniana.