Research - Posters Poster - Effect of Wounding to Improve Adventitious Rooting & Establishment Success of Two Tropical Perennial Vegetable Species

Brian T. Lawrence1, Stacy M. Swartz2, and Timothy N. Motis2

1 School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Horticulture Section, Cornell University, Geneva, NY, USA
2 ECHO North America Regional Impact Center, 17391 Durrance Rd., North Fort Myers, FL, USA

Introduction

Perennial vegetables can provide sustenance continuously in some agroecosystem contexts or add resilience. Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius), has been shown to strengthen the climate resilience, nutritional security, and incomes in Guatemala (Amaya et al., 2020). Katuk (Sauropus androgynus) is an additional perennial vegetable species used as food and for medicinal purposes (Agesti et al., 2023; Anju, et al., 2022; Husodo et al., 2018). Both chaya and katuk are frequently propagated using cuttings, but wounding the base of the cuttings to increase rooting and later survival in the field has not been well documented. The purpose of this study is to identify if mechanically wounding cuttings at the basal end will lead to more adventitious roots and later improve plant survival.