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Root Performance of Air-Layered Lemon Tree
- 1. Root Performance of Air-Layered Lemon (Citrus limon L.) Using Various Rooting Media Minajoy B. Wigan
- 2. ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the impact of different organic amendments on the root development of air-layered lemon plants. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments was employed. The treatments included: T1 - Garden Soil, T2 - Coconut Coir, T3 - Vermicompost, and T4 - Biocompost. Results indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) among treatments in terms of the number, length, and diameter of primary roots. Vermicompost (T3) consistently outperformed the other treatments, demonstrating the highest values for all root parameters. Garden soil (T1) exhibited the lowest performance. The superior performance of vermicompost can be attributed to its beneficial physical, chemical, and biological properties, such as high nutrient content, favorable microbial activity, and the presence of plant growth-promoting substances. These findings suggest that vermicompost can be an effective rooting medium for air-layered lemon plants, leading to improved root development and potentially enhanced plant growth and productivity. Keywords: air layering, lemon, organic amendments, root development, vermicompost
- 3. INTRODUCTION Citrus is a group of fruit trees that produce juicy fruits with a slightly sour taste (Camut et al, 2022). Common species that belong to this group include lemons, mandarins, pummelos, oranges, limes, and many more. Citrus limon or lemon is one of the widely cultivated citrus species in warm countries like the Philippines. These trees can either be propagated through seeds (sexual) or vegetative (asexual) means. Vegetative or asexual propagation is done either to preserve the desirable characteristics of a particular plant; to propagate plants that do not produce viable seeds; to propagate plants that produce seeds that are difficult to germinate, and to shorten the juvenile stage of plants. The major methods of asexual propagation are cuttings, layering, division, budding, and grafting. But for lemon, air-layering is one of the most popular means of asexual propagation. Air-layering, also known as marcotting, is a method that involves propagating a new plant from a branch still attached to the parent plant, by getting roots to form on the branch. Air layering is usually done by wrapping an exposed branch with rooting media until it forms roots (Leakey 2017). According to Khoon (2021), different organic rooting materials can be used as a rooting medium. Some popular choices include garden soil, potting mix, peat moss, and sphagnum moss. The result of study of Mishra (2014) shows that using just plain garden soil isn't the best option because it doesn't help the plant survive well as it dries out quickly. To encourage root growth, it's important to keep the environment around the layer moist, well-aerated, and at a comfortable temperature (Verma and Sahu, 2022). Using a loose rooting media with good water-holding capacity can help create these ideal conditions (Bareja 2022). The success of air layering in lemon can be achieved by using appropriate media that will enhance rooting. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the effect of organic amendments as rooting media for lemon. Further, it will observe the root performance of lemon (C. limon) in terms of number of primary roots, average length of primary roots (cm), and diameter of primary roots (mm).
- 4. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of organic amendments (vermicompost, biocompost, and cocopeat) as rooting media in air-layering. Specifically, to assess the root performance of lemon (Citrus limon) in terms of number, length (cm), and diameter (mm) of primary roots.
- 5. LEMON TREES ROOTING MEDIA (GARDEN SOIL, COCOPEAT, VERMICOMPOST, BIOCOMPOST) TOOLS (KNIFE, PRUNING SHEARS, PLASTIC, STRAW, VERNIER CALIPER) LABOR SELECTION OF SUITABLE BRANCHES AIR LAYERING TECHNIQUE MONITORING & MAINTENANCE DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS AIR-LAYERED LEMON PLANTS DATA ON ROOT DEVELOPMENT (NUMBER, LENGTH & DIAMETER) IDENTIFICATION OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE ROOTING MEDIUM FOR LEMON AIR LAYERING IMPROVED PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES FOR LEMON INCREASED AVAILABILITY OF QUALITY LEMON PLANTING MATERIALS INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT OUTCOME Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
- 6. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimental Design This study was conducted at the Quirino State University lemon orchard in Diffun, Quirino Province. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used to evaluate the effects of four different treatments on lemon air layering. Twelve lemon trees were selected for the experiment.
- 7. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collection of Rooting Media The different rooting media were collected from various university projects. Coconut coir and biocompost were obtained from the Diverse Ecological Waste Solutions (DEWS) Enterprise, while vermicompost was sourced from the Vermitechnology Research and Development Center.
- 8. MATERIALS AND METHODS Air-Layering Procedure Mature branches with a uniform girth of 2-3 cm and a length of 12-15 inches were selected from lemon trees. A ring of bark was removed from the branch, exposing the cambium layer. The exposed area was wrapped in a plastic bag filled with a specific rooting medium (garden soil, coconut coir, vermicompost, or rice hulls). After 47 days, the air layers were harvested, and the roots were evaluated for number, length, and diameter. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the most effective rooting medium.
- 9. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Table 1. Chemical Properties of the Different Rooting Media Particulars pH % OM/Avail N Avail P, ppm Avail K, ppm T1 - Garden Soil 7.25 1.57 31.76 262.17 T2 - Cocopeat 6.99 3.03 37.62 528.68 T3 - Vermicompost 6.76 5.93 229.86 1512.98 T4 - Biocompost 6.69 3.32 151.54 1264.91 All treatments exhibited near-neutral pH, which is generally optimal for plant growth. Vermicompost demonstrated the highest levels of available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, suggesting its potential to promote root development and plant vigor. In contrast, garden soil had the lowest nutrient content, which may limit root growth.
- 10. Table 2. Average Number of Primary Roots Treatments Mean T1 Garden Soil 10.00b T2 Cocopeat 15.67ab T3 Vermicompost 22.33a T4 Biocompost 20.00a ANOVA Result * CV (%) 14.63 The greatest number of primary roots is due to the elevated amount of NPK in Vermicompost (Karmegam et al. 2009), especially the Phosphorus content. In addition, Phosphorus is needed to promote early root formation and growth (Mullins 2009).
- 11. Table 3. Average Length of Primary Roots (cm) Treatments Mean T1 Garden Soil 2.39c T2 Cocopeat 3.54b T3 -Vermicompost 4.79a T4 - Biocompost 3.62b ANOVA Result ** CV (%) 14.89 The enhanced growth of primary roots in air-layered lemon can be attributed to vermicompost's potential as a plant growth promoter (Coria-Cayupaan et al., 2009). Its readily available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients, facilitated by microbial activity (Goutam et al., 2011; Yatoo et al., 2020), contribute significantly to root development.
- 12. Table 4. Average Diameter of Primary Roots (mm) Treatments Mean T1 Garden Soil 1.10c T2 Cocopeat 1.28bc T3 -Vermicompost 1.63a T4 - Biocompost 1.40ab ANOVA Result * CV (%) 9.19 Vermicompost consistently outperformed other treatments, producing the thickest primary roots. This superior performance can be attributed to the higher phosphorus content in vermicompost, which is crucial for root development (Karmegam et al. 2009; Mullins 2009). This indicates that the choice of rooting medium has a significant impact on root thickness in air-layered lemon plants.
- 13. CONCLUSION The results of the study revealed that vermicompost (T3) significantly outperformed other treatments in terms of root development parameters. Air-layered lemon plants using vermicompost exhibited significantly greater primary root length, number, and diameter compared to the control group (T1 - Garden Soil). These results are attributed to vermicompost's physical, chemical, and biological properties. Its high nutrient content, particularly phosphorus, and the presence of a diverse microbial population, including nitrogen-fixing and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, create a conducive environment for root growth and development in air-layers.
- 14. FUTURE WORKS Conduct a long-term study to assess the growth, yield, and fruit quality of lemon plants propagated using different rooting media which can provide valuable insights into the sustainability of the propagation method. Continuation of this research endeavor will lead to the development of more efficient and sustainable propagation techniques for lemon, resulting in the increased availability of high- quality planting materials.