Vegetative Propagation of Bombax costatum Pellegr. Vuillet (Malvaceae) by Root Segment Cutting: Effect of Substrate and Length of Cuttings in the Guinean Savannas Highlands (Adamawa Cameroon)

Bombax costatum is a native species of significant socioeconomic importance in the Guinean savannah highlands of Cameroon. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of substrate type and root cutting length on the regenerative capacity of root segments, specifically their ability to produce new leafy shoots and adventitious roots. Root systems were excavated from adult mother plants, and fragments of lateral roots were collected, transported in a cooler and processed in a nursery. The root segments were cut into cuttings of 10, 15, and 20cm in length. These root segment cuttings were then inserted in three substrate mixtures: sand/sawdust, topsoil/sawdust, and pure fine sand. The experimental design was a split-plot with three replications. 270 root segment cuttings were used. Results indicated that the substrate type significantly (p