Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2005, 22: 11-19 Evaluation of four propagation methods in field of Trichanthera gigantea and establishment costs for protein bank F. Moreno1 y A. Guerrero2 1 Decanato de Investigación, Departamento de Ingeniería Agronómica. Ingeniero Agrónomo. Universidad Nacional Experimental del Táchira. Grupo de Agroecología y Sistemas Agropecuarios Sostenible GASAS UNET 2 Abstract Yatago (Trichanthera gigantea) is a specie with wide potential for the production of forages and as conservative of basins. However, the establishment is limited for high costs. In this sense, this investigation consisted on the evaluation of the effects of four propagation methods in field of T. gigantea with the purpose of analyzing some characteristics for the propagation, establishment and costs, in MOPREVATS – UNET, San Cristóbal, Táchira state. The propagation methods were evaluated: T1: Nursery plants in plastic bags, T2: Stakes to naked root, T3: Direct propagation of a stake and T4: Direct propagation of two stakes and three repetitions and three repetitions.120 days after the sowing, the variables % of survival, number of buds, forage fresh weight and dry weight, and % of dry matter for treatment were measured. The establishment costs were analyzed. The % of survival did not present differences among the treatments (p = 0.933), while the variables number of buds, fresh weight, dry weight, and % of dry matter presented differences (p = 0.000). An economic evaluation with these results was carried out, being determined that the method of direct propagation of a stake for point reduced the costs in 22.3%. Key words: Trichanthera gigantea, vegetative propagation, protein banks. Introduction The propagation of arboreal forage species has been one of the limitations for the establishment of Agroforestry systems (1, 2) and yatago (Trichantera gigantea) has not been the exception. To this specie with wide distribution in the Andes, and with the use of the population, is attributed the uses in the conservation of growing of water, alive fence and animal feeding, besides of being considered as a promissory specie in the recovery of Received 3-25, 2003 z Accepted 5-11, 2004 2 Mail author email: fmoreno@unet.edu.ve 11 Moreno y Guerrero hydrographical basin (6, 10, 11). Despite, in Venezuela the dissemination is incipient and it is considered that expenses for the establishing in the forage production is one of the highest limitations. In the case of T. gigantea, has a limitation in sexual dissemination, therefore it multiplies naturally with bunches that have contact with the soil (6). The low production of sexual mature seed has not been determined, but different hypothesis are considered: 1The artificial vegetative dissemination can cause capacity lost of production of viable sexual seed. 2The visitors of flowers are not carrying out with their pollinators tasks and/or pollinators have not followed the same dispersion pattern. 3- Materials dissemination through stakes, have originated identical clones, and for being of cross pollination, there might exist some incompatibility that obstructs the successful fecundation, genetical characteristic that disseminates. 4- The specie could lost the capacity of sexually disseminating as a result of some unknown event. Therefore, the actual capacity of propagating in vegetative way may be an adaptation that allows it to survive and compensate the lack of sexual reproduction (10, 11). In this sense, the uses of stakes is an adequate technique to be established, in shorter periods and with reduction of expenses (1). So it is recommended to sow stakes coming from different trees much better than from different places, to avoid genetically uniform crops, that might be affected by pest and illnesses (10). This situation allows to evaluate different propagation methods of vegetative material in field, and consequently allows to know the specie response under different systems, and how can influences in expenses for the plantation. This information might serve for the plantation establishment with the purpose of doing basin conservation, or the use of forage production with high protein content for animal feeding. Materials and methods The research was done in the Production and Evaluation area of Sustainable Technology MOPREVATS at the university campus of the National Experimental University of Táchira, San Cristóbal, Táchira, Venezuela. This area, is inside the classification of life zone according to Holdrige Humid Premontane Forest (bhPr) (4), with an average annual precipitation of 2300 mm, average annual temperature of 23.2ºC and an altitude of msnm, belonging to the basin of the Orinoco river, sub-basin Torbes river, which presents unimodal rainfall from October to May. Soils are sandy clayey loamy (FAa), belonging the TYPIC TROPUDULTS group (15). The disseminated vegetative material was sowed from the proteins bank of MOPREVATS and father trees from the Botanical garden of Paramillo UNET. Stakes were cut leaving them three knots minimum, with a longitude between 20 and 35 cm, and a diameter between 1 and 3.5 cm, cuts were made from 1 to 2 cm from the extremes knots, the superior cut was made in bisel 12 Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2005, 22: 11-19 shape. The sow distance used for the establishment in field were of 1 x 1m between plants and rows. Hollows for the sow were of 20 cm of diameter and 30 cm depth, which at the sow moment was incorporated a mix on a 2:2:1:1 proportion of sand, worm humus, black land and rock phosphate, respectively, for a total of 3 kg of the component by hollow. The vegetative material sowed in direct way, was put leaving as minimum 1 knot under the soil. The sow was done initiating the raining period (April – May) 2001. It was used a completely randomized statistical design with four replications, developed with the producers experience and propagation techniques in nurseries, where Tl: Plants coming from nurseries in plastics bags of 1 kg (witness) with an average age of seven months old, T2: root stakes in plots, T3: one stake by point, T4: to stakes by point. Each treatment with three replications and 25 points by experimental unit with sun exposure. The evaluated variables were survivors percentage, brushwood number, production of green and dry matter and percentage of dry matter in 120 days, with cuts at 40 cms of height. The establishment expenses were determined considering manpower, materials and suppliers that are on each treatment. Additionally, it was established the relation between efficiency (% survive) and expenses, to infer on the viability on each case. For the data analysis was used descriptive statistics, variance analysis (ANOVA) and the corresponding comparison means test (DUNCAN) for the variables % survive, fresh weight, dry weight and % MS. Also Kruskal – Wallis analysis and comparison with the Mood median test for the brushwood number variable. Results and discussion For the % survive variable (% S), were not found differences between treatments, though it was observed that in 120 days, the higher number of plants that persist on field were the stakes treatments with bared root (T2) and a stake of direct sow (T3) which obtained 100% (table 1). Even though treatment were similar, results can be considered outstanding if are compared to those reported under controlled conditions by Gomez et al. (6) and Moreno and Guerrero (8), who report a survive of 87 and 90% respectively, while are alike to those reported by Suarez and Milera (14) when using stakes with 3 and 4 buds. This might probably be due to the environmental conditions that were submitted, because the crop was done coinciding to the beginning of the raining period (April-May), which has an influence on the establishment response of the plantation, as Gomez recommends (5). Cipagauta et al. (3) only report a survive of 32% in stakes sowed as alive fence on the Colombian amazons, while Nhan et al. (9) in Vietnam found from 75 to 85%, in vegetative material with sun exposure and under shadow of banana and leucaena, and even though the handlings conditions to which treatments were submitted are not 13 Moreno y Guerrero Table 1. Survive and average of buds by stakes of four sow systems of T. gigantea in MOPREVATS, Tachira state, Venezuela. Treatment % survive 94.7a 100a 100a 98.7a Plants of plastic bags Plants with bared root One stake x point of direct sow Two stakes x point of direct sow Average Nº of buds 3.8a ± 2.40 4.4b ± 1.52 4.7b ± 1.49 8.0c ± 2.70 DS: Standard deviation. Treatments with same letters do not have differences. Mean Mood test. Treatments with same letters do not have differences. evidenced, the results were inferior to the reported on this research. For the number of buds variable, there were difference between treatments (p= 0.0001 K-W). Plants coming from a nursery (T1) had the lower value, meanwhile, the two stakes-direct-sow treatment (T4) had the higher development of buds (table 1). In this sense, Cipagauta et al. (3), evaluated the buds number of four forages species on the establishments of alive fence, where reported 5 buds in T. gigantea, result that is similar to those presented in 120 days. Now, to the fresh weight of the forage produced in 120 days, treatments present differences (p= 0.000). It is observed the higher production of forage in treatments of stakes with bared roots (T2) and two stakes by point (T4), this contrast with the forage of plant treatment coming from a nursery, that has the lower average (table 2). This production of fresh forage is inferior to those observed by Nhan et al. (9), who 180 days after the sow reported values from 460 to 555 g/plant in superior densities than the studied on this research (25000 and 20000 plants/ha, respectively), however, the agroecological conditions are different than the presented on this research, factors that affect proficiency, because on the plant physiology the Table 2. Average of fresh weight, dry weight and percentage of dry matter of forage, in four sow methods of T. gigantea in Tachira, Venezuela. Treatments Plants of plastic bags Plants with bared root One stake x point of direct sow Tow stakes x point of direct sow Average of PF forage (g/pt) Dry weight forage (g/pt) 39.9a ± 21.6 67.5c ± 27.9 49.5b ± 23.6 63.6c ± 27.0 10.58a ± 5.1 13.92b ± 7.6 9.79a ± 4.9 12.66b ± 5.2 % MS 27.08a ± 5.53 20.39b ± 3.25 20.10b ± 4.21 20.32b ± 3.89 DS: Standard deviation. PF: Fresh weight. Treatments with same letters do not have differences. 14 Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2005, 22: 11-19 said, that the reported values by these authors are inferior to the reported, though the forage cut was done in 120 days after the sow, standing out the treatment coming from the nursery that had higher % MS (27.08%), while the other three treatments presented similar values, an average of 20.27% (table 2). This factor, as well as digestibility, are influenced by other elements as age, origin and variety (11). For this, is recommendable to make further research that evaluate how influence the leave time, the relation to the dry matter and digestibility. Evaluation of expenses in the establishment in field of Trichantera gigantea: The sow system with nursery plants has the highest cost (3.967.773 Bs/ha), due to the necessary materials for the development, besides of the necessary maintenance in the pre-sow and during the time under condition of the nursery. Expenses reduce in 17.2% sowing two stakes by point (T4), and though the expenses in the nursery reduce, are not lowered by the use of manpower on the preparation of stakes (table 3). Lower expenses were found in treatments with bared root (T2) and one stake by point (T3), to which can reduce expenses even until 22%, besides it was not incurred in the resow (table 3). To these expenses, can be done other reductions, because for the homogeneity of treatments the variable hollow expenses can reduce, when substituting this practice by direct penetration of the stake in the land in the treatment one stake by point. edaphoclimatic variables interrelate to affect synthesis (13, 7). It must be said, that on the area that took place the research the soil characteristics are Sandy Clayey Loamy (FAa) identified as Ultisoles, with high levels of Aluminium and Iron, with nutrients in layouts (15), which has an influence on the production of forage. When evaluating the dry weight of forage/plant variable, these presented differences between treatments (p = 0.000), this result has similar behaviors to the variable fresh weight, where the higher values were obtained in treatments with bared root stakes, and two stakes by point (table 2). The percentage of dry matter (% MS), had differences between the dissemination methods (p = 0.000). When comparing, it is observed that the higher value was obtained with the treatment coming from a nursery, this treatment revealed, though presented inferior results than the other dissemination systems in dry and fresh weight by plant, however, the other treatments presented very homogeneous % MS values (table 2). In this sense, the % MS behavior present on the forage of T1, is influenced by age, because these plants developed leaves before the other treatments (nursery period, 7 months). In relation to % MS Nhan et al., (9) found on the T. gigantea crop that the presence or absence of banana shadow does not affect the production of dry matter, however, it is evidenced on age in leaves sowed in 180 days (1st cut) and 90 days after (2nd cut), register a higher % MS in the 1st cut (16.4%) than in the second (14.4%) which reaffirm the effect of age on this variable. It must be 15 Table 3. Economical evaluation of four sow methods of T. Gigantea in MOPREVATS, Táchira state, Venezuela. Work Treatment Plants of plastic bags 916.4 588.0 720.0 393.8 2688.0 22875.0 2812.5 28181.1 375.7 3757481.8 100.0 94.7 5.6 29758.3 3967773.8 916.4 0.0 0.0 196.9 0.0 22875.0 2250.0 23425.7 312.3 3123431.8 83.1 100.0 0.0 23425.7 3123431.8 One stake x point of direct sow 818.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 22875.0 2250.0 23130.7 308.4 3084090.9 82.1 100.0 0.0 23130.7 3084090.9 Two stakes x point of direct sow 1636.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 22875.0 2925.0 24623.9 328.3 3283181.8 87.4 98.7 1.3 24948.2 3326425.3 Fixed expenses include: Layout and cleaning (600 Bs), Maintenance (6750 Bs), Hollow (4500 Bs), Organic manuring (1125 Bs), Fosforita (1687.5 Bs), Manpower sow (2812.5 Bs). Moreno y Guerrero 16 Stakes preparation Bags Fill of bags Nursery expenses Land Fixed expenses Manpower sow Total 75 plants Cost by plant Cost by ha (104) % Relation to the higher Survive Re-sow in % Cost 75 plants Cost / ha Plants with bared root Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2005, 22: 11-19 Finally, in base of the found results it is considered that the best method for the bank establishment of protein is the use of direct sow with one stake. It can be observed that with the evaluated methods can reduce in 22.3% expenses when sowing one stake directly (table 4), which can be improved through the reduction of some cultural practices. When comparing expenses with a research done in tropical rainy forest of Colombia, is observed that the establishment expenses for 2000 – 2001, were of 1.016.700 Colombian pesos (less of 1.000 US$) (16), which represent a low value in the establishment. In this matter, Murgueitio (Comp., pers) says that expenses in some areas of Colombia under the sow system by stakes in a density of 10.000 trees/ha, does not surpass 2000 US$. In this case, it must continue searching the way to reduce expenses, because the studied expenses are superior. Table 4. Total expenses for the establishment of a protein bank under four sow methods with T. gigantea in Táchira state, Venezuela. Treatment Plants of plastic bags (*) Two stakes x point of direct sow Plants with bared root One stake x Point of direct sow C. Bs C. US$ % 3967773 3326425 3123431 3084090 5055 4238 3978 3929 100.0 83.8 78.7 77.7 * Method mostly employed for the establishment of protein bank with this specie. The value transformation in US$ adjusts at 785 Bs / US$, value at the moment. Conclusions The survive percentage was not influenced by the different dissemination methods. The forage quantity (fresh and dry weight) in 120 are higher in treatments with bared root and two stakes sowed directly to the field. The use of materials coming from nurseries increases the establishment expenses and the biomass production can be inferior than other dissemination systems in the first cut, therefore it is not recommended. The percentage of dry matter of the forage is higher in the treatment which plants come from plastic bags from the nursery. In the forage age and % MS relation, must be made further research, as well as the effects that might have with other variables as digestibility. The lowest expense is the direct sow of a stake by point and stakes with bared root, which represent alternatives for the establishment of this specie. However, there must be made more research for the reduction of expenses. 17 Moreno y Guerrero Acknowledgement This project was developed with the financial support of Fundacite – Tachira. Thanks to Luisa Diaz, Carlos Eduardo Moreno, Alexandra Marquez and Clemente Linares by the examination of the document. Literature cited 1. Benavides, J. 1999. Árboles y arbustos forrajeros: una alternativas agroforestal para la ganadería. En: Agroforesteria para la producción animal. FAO Roma. 449 – 477 pp. 8. Moreno, F. and A. Guerrero. 2003. Evaluación de la brotación de Trichantera gigantea (Bonpl.) Nees, como estrategia para su propagación vegetativa. Rev. Forestal Venezolana. 47 (1) (en Prensa). 2. Burley, J., and A. Speedy. 1999. Investigación agroforestal: perspectivas globales. En: Agroforesteria para la producción animal. FAO Roma. 37 – 50 pp. 9. Nhan, N.T.H., N. Van Hon, T.R. Preston and F. Dolberg. 1996. Effect of shade biomass production and composition of the forage tree Trichanthera gigante. Livestock Research for Rural Development 8 (2): http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/ lrrd8/2/nahn.htm. 3. Cipagauta, M., J.E. Velásquez and J.E. Gómez. 1999. Estrategias de Implementación y Experiencias Agrosilvopastoriles con Pequeños Productores en el Piedemonte Amazónico Colombiano. En: Primer Congreso Latinoamericano de Agroforesteria para la Producción Animal Sostenible. http:// www.cipav.org.co/redagrofor/memorias99/Cipagaut.htm. 10. Rios, C. 2002. Uso, manejo y producción de Nacedero, Trichanthera gigantea (H & B) Nees. 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Árboles y arbustos forrajeros utilizados en alimentación animal como fuente proteica. CIPAV. (Colombia). pp 67 - 88. 13. Salisbury, F.B., Ross, C.W. and V. González Velásquez. 1994. Fisiología vegetal. Iberoamérica, México, MEXICO. 759 p. 14. Suarez J. and M. Milera. 1996. Nacedero (Trichanthera gigantea). Pastos y forrajes 19: 201 – 115. 7. Johnston, M. and G. Fernandez. 1986. Fisiología vegetal experimental. Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la agricultura, San José, COSTA RICA. 410 p. 15. Useche R. and J. Méndez. 1986. Planillas de análisis de laboratorio. Mi- 18 Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2005, 22: 11-19 propósito campesino del bosque lluvioso tropical. En: Tres especies vegetales promisorias: nacedero, Botón de Oro y Bore. CIPAV Valle del Cauca Colombia. pp169 – 182. nisterio de Agricultura y Cría. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuaria. 157 p. 16. Vargas J.E., J.F. Arroyeve and B. Rivera. 2002. Evaluación participativa de bancos de proteína Trichathera gigantea (H & B) Nees y su efecto sobre la producción lechera en sistemas de doble 19 View publication stats