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Dec 31, 2025Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Rootstock and Scion Morphological Size Influence on Grafting Success in Garcinia kola (Heckel)
Abstract
Garcinia kola is an important medicinal and economic tree in West and Central Africa, yet its cultivation is constrained by prolonged juvenility, sexual dimorphism, and reliance on wild populations. Vegetative propagation through grafting provides a sustainable means of producing early-fruiting female trees and conserving natural stands. This study examined the effect of rootstock and scion morphological size on grafting success in G. kola. One hundred one-year-old seedlings were grafted with scions from a 33-year-old fruiting female tree and grouped into two distinct morphological size categories. Data were analyzed using pairwise ttests and principal component analysis (PCA). Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) occurred between groups in rootstock height, scion length, scion girth, and the number of leaves and branches, but grafting success did not differ significantly, with success rates of 96% and 88% (p ≥ 0.05). PCA revealed weak relationships between morphological traits and success, suggesting that outcomes depended more on the grafting method and conducive healing conditions than on plant size. The consistently high success rates demonstrate the efficiency of the side-cleft grafting technique under high-humidity propagation. These findings emphasize that technique, environment, and stock–scion compatibility outweigh morphological differences in determining grafting success in G. kola.
