Effects of Various Rooting Media on Survival and Growth of Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Stem Cuttings at Jimma

Abstract

Study on the effect of different soil media types on tea stem cutting was conducted inside shade house nursery at Jimma agricultural research center with the objective to identify appropriate soil media for better survival, growth and field establishment of tea seedlings regenerated from stem cutting. Single nodal tea stem cuttings with one leaf were used from the healthy bushes 11/56 tea clone and raised in different soil media type during the 2010 and 2014 crop season. The soil media was prepared from topsoil, subsoil, sand, farm yard manure and decomposed coffee husk as solely and with various volume of soil mixture filled in polythen tube. The experiment was repeated to collect a more comprehensive data that support or confirm the former result. The subsoil (1/3 top part) + {topsoil + sand + farm yard manure (2/3 bottom part) at 2:1:1 ratio}, subsoil (1/3 top part) + topsoil (2/3 bottom part) and subsoil (1/3 top part) + {topsoil + decomposed coffee husk (2/3 bottom part) at 2:1 ratio} and subsoil alone gave higher survival rate, root length, root dry weight and shoot dry weight. Based on soil laboratory result the pH of best performing media ranged between 4.5 and 5.5. Therefore for Jimma and areas having similar conditions subsoil alone, subsoil (1/3 top part) + topsoil (2/3 bottom part), subsoil (1/3 top part) + {topsoil + sand + farm yard manure (2/3 bottom part) at 2:1:1 ratio} and subsoil (1/3 top part) + {topsoil + decomposed coffee husk (2/3 bottom part) at 2:1 ratio} are recommendable rotting media options for successful rooting survival, establishment and growth of tea seedlings.

Keywords:  rooting media, subsoil, sand, topsoil, farm yard manure, decomposed coffee husk