Seedling Characteristics of Three Oily Species before and after Root Pruning and Transplant

Abstract

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringa), Jatropha curcas L. (Jatropha), and Ricinus communis L. (Ricinus) are oily species known by their capability to grow in tropical and subtropical lands. However, there are no studies comparing their growth and recovery capabilities after root pruning and transplant. The purpose of this research was to compare and analyze propagation, growth, and recovery performance of these species after root pruning and transplant. We sowed 100 seeds per species and monitored their survival and growth during a 63-day period; after this, we uprooted the plants and pruned their roots 4.0 cm from their base and transplanted them. We monitored their recovery over 83 days, and then uprooted plants and measured above- and belowground data, digitized their roots in three dimensions, and calculated biomass fractions. With this information, we established allometric equations to estimate biomass fractions and root distribution models. Results indicated that Ricinus had the highest propagation capabilities. Jatropha and Ricinus had similar recovery after root pruning and transplant. Moringa had the lowest propagation and recovery from transplant. Concerning belowground data, root pruning increased root density more than three times in Moringa, four times in Ricinus, and six times in Jatropha. Nevertheless, the three species maintained natural root trays. Ricinus had the longest and thinnest roots and the highest number of branches, followed by Jatropha, and finally Moringa, with the smallest quantity and the shortest and thickest roots. We concluded that the three species recovered well from root pruning and transplant, with improved root structure upon applying these practices.

Keywords: Jatropha curcas; Moringa oleifera; Ricinus communis; root systems.

Figure 1

Roots of 63-day-old Jatropha curcas, Moringa oleifera, and Ricinus communis before and after pruning.

Figure 2

Average growth curves of Jatropha curcas, Moringa oleifera, and Ricinus communis seedlings. (a) Stem height; (b) the total leaf area represents the area of the youngest mature leaf by the number of leaves; (c) diameter at the base of the stem; and (d) branch production. None of the species registered branches before transplant; thus, the dashed vertical line representing the day of transplant was not drawn for this variable at (d). Error bars represent the standard error of the mean.

Figure 3

Root measurements taken at tap and main lateral roots indicated in Table 4.

Figure 4

Roots of Jatropha, Moringa, and Ricinus digitized 83 days after their root pruning and transplant. (A) Vertical projection; (B) Horizontal projection.

Figure 5

Root volume distribution of Jatropha, Moringa, and Ricinus 83 days after root pruning and transplanting. Vertical error bars represent the standard error of the mean. The dashed lines represent the estimated models.