Department of Apiculture and sericulture, Mekelle Agricultural Research Center, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, P.O.Box 492, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia; Holeta Bee Research Centre, P.O. Box 22, Holeta, Oromia, Ethiopia
Gebremedhn, H., Department of Apiculture and sericulture, Mekelle Agricultural Research Center, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, P.O.Box 492, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia; Wakijira, K., Holeta Bee Research Centre, P.O. Box 22, Holeta, Oromia, Ethiopia
The study was conducted in Mekelle Agricultural Research Center, Mekelle. It was designed to identify and evaluate different propagation techniques of Becium grandiflorum, one of the best honey source plants of Ethiopia. Six propagation techniques were considered, namely plant cutting, seed sowing, seedling transplanting, splitting/dividing main branch of the mother the plant, air layering and ground layering. Each propagation technique was considered as a treatment. s The study found that there were difference among the treatments in canopy cover, height, number of flowers, branches and seeds per plant. From these investigations, it is concluded that propagation of B. grandiflorum by cuttings is the best for attaining maximum flower numbers with a mean of 12910, while sowing is the least with a mean flower numbers of 5637. The study also found that the species is easy to propagate by cuttings and transplanted seedlings.