Session 3.

1 Method for nursery production: theory

Lecture handout for Allanblackia Tree Domestication Course, 23rd to 27th
October 2006.

Moses Munjuga ICRAF, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya

Learning Objectives
The participants will be able to:

 Relate basic principles and criteria for evaluating seedling quality.

 Define the composition and mixing of suitable soil media for potting up seedlings and
cuttings.
 Know how to transplant seedlings, wildings and cuttings into tubes correctly.
 Understand the significance and importance of tending and checking seedlings in the
nursery.
 Scale up nursery supply of Allanblackia planting material.

Summary
Seedling production is one of the key steps in domestication of any species, where each step
has to be properly planned and implemented. The way seedlings are handled and managed in
a nursery determines their survival after planting. Improving seedling quality means they will
give superior survival, growth and productivity. Seedling quality is governed by the genetic
make-up of the parent trees, and the physical growth of the seedlings. Several types of
nurseries exist: individual or private, community or group, central, commercial and training
nursery.

Nursery practices must be consistent and the various techniques closely integrated. If one
element in the chain is missing there will be a negative impact on seedling quality. Good
quality seedlings cannot be produced without care and tending. Nursery plants need to be
protected from extreme environmental influences until they are strong enough to withstand
them.

To ensure high quality of seedlings and to provide more opportunities (income, technology
transfer) for local people, we encourage villagers to establish small-scale community nurseries
in the Allanblackia range. The seeds of AB are seasonal and difficult to raise and therefore
several methods have been tried to raise the seedlings on the on-farm and central nurseries in
all the countries.

This session highlights steps in setting-up of nurseries, soil mixture and mixing, pot filling and
placing, sowing and transplanting seedlings, watering, weeding, shading, nutrient and pest
management and protection of seedlings from mechanical damage. It also provides technical
methods for checking and evaluating the quality of seedlings.

Instruction strategy
The topic will be introduced in a 45 minutes presentation, this includes the discussion

Instructional materials
‘Lecture’ note, copy of PowerPoint presentation and community nursery manuals

Further reading
Wightman KE. 1999. Good tree nursery practices. Practical guidelines for community
nurseries. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya. 95 pp.
1. Introduction
This module is meant to give the participants a practical example on Allanblackia seedling
production, management and to identify possible needs or interventions. There are several
approaches that have been used to produce seedlings in all the countries where domestication
has taken off. Various techniques have been employed by local communities and experts in the
production of the Allanblackia. It has been shown that raising Allanblackia seedlings from seeds
takes a long time but in Cameroon the use of vegetative techniques in seedling production has
proved to be a better method in seedling production. Vegetative techniques have been
disseminated to individuals and farmers in other countries to boost the production of seedlings.
Interest in planting field-grown nursery stock is increasingly in use in Allanblackia domestication
in recent time as farmers have considered new sources of propagules. Although farmers may be
familiar with field production of certain other species, they may have less experience with nursery
stock. This is to explore if this could be an area where more research is needed. Since the
amount of data is too limited to start drawing firm conclusions on what method of production is
more suitable for this species.

2. Nursery facilities
A nursery is a place where plants are raised with special care until they are ready or large enough
for transplanting into the field. It is the starting point for successful tree planting. In the nursery,
you can carry out the following activities:
 sow and take care of seedlings
 raise rootstock
 multiply improved varieties and rare tree types
 grafting and budding
 generate income on sale of seedlings

The purpose of a nursery is to produce good quality trees seedlings which are healthy uniform
and will be able to establish in field quickly. It is often better to produce a few trees of high quality
than many trees of poor quality.
Quality seedlings
In the design of a nursery, all the necessary - adapted to the condition of the planting site
structures and other facilities are arranged to - start growing quickly after transplanting
ensure a constant flow of activities. - developed at least 4 nodes (>20 cm)

2.1 Preparing the nursery site Seedling quality depends on:

 Level the site or eventually terrace it.  Ability to produce new roots quickly
 Properly weed and clear the plot.  Establishment of adequate mycorrhizal
 Ensure good drainage and avoid areas infection
prone to waterlogging.  Green and healthy looking with a well
 Fence the plot to protect against balanced root/shoot ratio.
damage from animals.
 Prepare sticks to mark your footpaths and seedbeds.

There are two types of beds:

 Raised beds – most commonly used in majority of nurseries in all countries. These beds
are constructed with timber or log put on sides making sure that it is about 1m wide and
then filled with the desired substrate.
 Sunken beds- used in central nursery East Usambara, Tanzania but the success of this
method is yet to be verified. This is to imitate the natural environment of the species
where the place is always damp. The beds are trenched about 1m wide and 6 inches
down.

A seedbed, container bed or propagation bed should have

o the length you want
 o a width of about 1 m, so that you can reach all plants easily

3. Types of Allanblackia Nurseries established

They’re several types of nurseries: individual or private, community or group, central,
commercial and training nursery. All these are differentiated by their function and size. We
commonly categorize Allanblackia tree nurseries as follows:

3.1 Private or individual nurseries run by a family or individual for their own needs or for sale. It
can easily be established and managed by the farmer with the help of his family. The number of
seedlings raised can vary from very few to as many as may be needed on the farm or can be sold
in the area. Seeds are sown in beds and covered with soil and firm lightly after sowing. Seedbeds
are covered with leaves or grass to conserve moisture. Seedlings are raised in containers.
Ordinary farm tools are normally sufficient for managing such a nursery, e.g. a jembe, a panga
and a tin with punched holes for watering. On the other hand, many short-rotation species are
very easy to raise in a backyard nursery, and farmers can save money by producing these
species within their own farm and to their own requirements

Case report 1: Establishment of individual nursery

Mr Michael Chamungwana, the chairman of the Kwezitu village is one of the few first
motivated persons to establish Allanblackia stuhlmannii nursery in Kwezitu village, East
Usambara, Tanzania at the start of Novella Africa project. He had worked with other
companies dealing with buying Allanblackia nuts during 1970s and after his retirement
and in recognition of its importance to the society, he started his first nursery from which
people came to borrow technology. He used the approach of burying the Allanblackia
fruit to mimic the forest conditions. The seedlings are now 32 months old and have been
planted to the field. Formerly, he had no polythene tubes so many seedlings died.

3.2 Group or community nurseries are owned by a group and usually managed by a
chairperson or community representatives with the help of other group members. Usually,
members have developed duty rotas (rosters) for weeding, watering, sowing etc. This has been
extensively documented in Tanzania and Cameroon. In most cases, community nurseries are
self-help activities which produce seedlings for the members of the group, but sometimes surplus
is sold.

Case report 2: Methods used to raise seedlings in Tanzania

In the East Usambara (Kwezitu and Anatakae), villagers adopted three methods when stocking
their community nurseries. First, they collected seed from buried rat caches that they located in
the neighbouring forest. In this procedure, villagers searched for emergents and then dug
around these to find further un-germinated seed. The seed collected in this way showed faster
germination than that collected at the same time from fruit; it is likely that this is because seed
had already been buried for a considerable period. This procedure, then, effectively transfers
the seedbed stage of germination from the nursery to the forest. Secondly, villagers collected
and then buried (at nursery sites) whole fruit with the seed inside. Communities related that
seed treated in this way germinated more quickly than when the normal procedure of extraction
(seed removed from fruit within a week or two of collection) was applied. Thirdly, villagers collect
fruit, extract seeds and sow them in seedbeds. The seeds were placed in a position that they lay
with the end suspected to emerge radical facing down.
3.3 A central nursery is an experimental station and extension centre where new or less well-
known species are tried out and propagation techniques can be demonstrated to farmers. Usually
these nurseries are managed and belongs to a public body, such as a Forest Department,
National research stations, NGO or a research organisation The production is primarily geared
towards a wide variety of species, with priority on those species that people cannot easily raise
themselves like AB. Fruit trees that require budding and grafting and species where aspects of
seedling health, difficult to raise, have long nursery cycles, or require specialised equipment and
selection of propagation material are raised here.

3.4 Commercial nursery belongs to a private individuals or company. This is a commercial

enterprise and market forces control their production. This is a case of Global Green in Ghana
where they have sowed more than 600,000 seeds for mass production of seedlings.

3.5 Training nursery is an extension centre where propagation techniques can be demonstrated
to farmers. These are classified under central nursery in the case of AB.

3.6 Problems facing Allanblackia nurseries

 Seasonal fruiting of the trees therefore inadequate supply of seeds
 Inadequate supply of nursery equipment
 Lack of technical know-how in propagation and nursery management
 Lack of information on market opportunities for seed/seedlings

4. Nursery management
Quality planting material requires quality nursery management. Quality seedling production is
necessary for quality tree production. Planting material produced under poor conditions will never
perform too well when they are established in the field.

4.1. Pots
The most commonly used containers are plastic bags. These are available in various sizes with
or without holes. If they do not have holes, eight holes extending to the base of the bag should be
punched before filling with potting mixture. Usually people buy polythene roll of tubes and cut
tube length desired sizes as it’s cheaper. AB which normally remain in the nursery for a long time,
plastic bags of 10 x 18 cm (breadth x height, measure flat) are used. If seedlings need to be in
the nursery for longer period, then the bag has to be changed to a bigger size.

Compost: How to make

Compost is a natural fertilizer produced by mixing together decayed leaves, residues, tree
bark, saw dust, live or dead grass, cattle or chicken manure and other organic matter that is
easy to rot. The use of compost results in loose soil, good crop and plant quality, and is better
than chemical fertilizer. To produce good compost larger waste needs to be cut into smaller
pieces that can quickly decay. Waste has to be put into the damping place every day until it is
full, and then covered with old sacks or ripe banana leaves and crushed soil from the mound.
In the dry season, water needs to be poured into the store frequently so that the waste rots
quickly. The waste inside the store will become compost within 4 to 6 months depending on
the raw materials mixed, and whether they are quick to rot or not.

4.2. Potting Mixture (substrate)

The potting mixture depends on the quality of the soil available in the site. A mixture consisting of
2 parts forest soil, 1 part organic matter and 1 part sand or decomposed sawdust by volume is
generally adequate. Examples of organic matter that can be used as good potting medium are
compost or manure. Mix thoroughly to ensure uniformity of components. Appropriate potting
media are still being actively researched for this species.

Determine the quantity of media you need according to the number of seedlings you want to
raise. To fill about 700 1-kg (about 10 x 18 cm) containers, you will need 10 to 12 wheelbarrows
or 40 to 50 buckets of readymade soil mixture. To prepare 1 square metre of seedbed with a
depth of 25 cm, you will need 15 to 16 buckets of soil media. You can use the soil either to
prepare a seedbed or to fill polytube containers.

Box 1: Impact of germination medium

From the trials in Cameroon (on A. floribunda) and Ghana (on A. parviflora), the medium in which
seed is placed does have some impact on the overall level of Allanblackia seed germination;
nursery and greenhouse experiments appear to indicate that a mixture of sand and soil is more
effective than soil alone, possibly because of the increased aeration provided by the inclusion of
sand. While in Tanzania, sand was used in preference to soil as a medium in the nursery beds.

4.3. Filling Pots (containers)

The pots can be filled by hand using a slightly dampen soil. When filling the pots, the lower third
should be compacted firmly to prevent the mixture from falling out. The upper two-thirds of the
mixture should be only compacted a little so that roots can develop easily.

4.4. Transplanting to Pots (pricking out)

Pricking out involves moving seedlings from a seedbed or containers where they have
germinated in large numbers. The purpose of this operation is to have seedlings grow singly per
container. This helps to produce healthy seedlings that grow vigorously because of the removal of
competition.

Timing of Allanblackia seedling transplanting is best done when the root emerges from the seed
before it grows longer, unlike many other species which are potted when they have developed a
first pair of true leaves. Seeds should be lifted with a small trowel or a flat piece of wood (dibble).
Great care is needed during transplanting otherwise high casualty rates may occur. Before
picking, seedbeds and pots should be well watered. To prevent them from drying out, work
should be done in the late afternoon or early in the morning. Emerging seedlings should be kept
under a moist cover.

Make the holes deep enough and wide enough to accommodate the roots. The roots should not
be bent or point upwards. The hole is closed gently by pressing the soil around the plant with a
finger. Do not leave air space around the roots. Water the plants and shade them immediately
after transplanting. Labeling and documentation is necessary at this stage. Newly pricked
seedlings are sensitive for the first few days and need careful watering and shade.

Note:
 Mark the row that has already been planted to avoid repetition;
 Record the transplanting date;
 Attach labels describing the number of the plastic bag, the species name and date of
transplanting from the seedbed.

4. 5.1 Shading
The seedlings of most species including Allanblackia should be in about 50% shade. Erecting a
75 cm high shade does this but in large central nursery a 250 cm high roof is ideal. They should
be gradually exposed to higher and finally full sunlight 1 month prior to planting.
Asexual seedling production (Vegetative propagation)
Is the reproduction of plant material from vegetative organs (i.e. leaf, stem, root, bud) so that the
offspring will contain the exact characteristics of the parent plant with regards to genotypes and
health status. These methods have been extensively been practiced in Cameroon and taught in
all the three countries (Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania) for mass production of the seedling
(achieving the 100,000 seedlings per year). The production is enhanced by use of non-mist
propagators. Three methods are commonly used: cuttings, grafting and marcotting (air layering).

Main method used in seedlings production and is described here is:

1. Production by means of cuttings - Inducing the rooting of a node cut from a selected
tree usually in a controlled environment (non-mist propagator). The cuttings usually start
rooting after 8 weeks. To assess the rooting use a dibble to dig out the cutting while
holding it with the left hand. If it has rooted transfer them to potted media.

4.7. Routine nursery care and Tending

4.7.1 Watering
 Watering should be done in the morning and evening. A fine spray should always be
used, particularly when the seedlings are small.
 To induce hardening off, watering should be gradually reduced one month before out-
planting. Hardening off prepares the plants for the shock of transplanting and more
difficult conditions in the field.

4.7.2 Weeding
 General weeding around nursery compound and seedbeds area is necessary. Weeds in
the containers should be regularly removed to ensure that the seedling grows without
competition for nutrients. Weed carefully with your hands.
 To avoid damage to the roots of the seedlings in the bags, before weeding the seedlings
need to be well watered and watered again after weeding.

4.7.3 Root Pruning

Root pruning is the removal of roots that have grown out of the pot and into the ground. This is
done to avoid seedlings establishing themselves permanently in the nursery since they still have
to be planted out in the field.

As AB has rootstock with strong roots, secateur is used to prune roots that are outside the
container. However, if seedlings are raised on raised beds, it is not necessary to prune the roots,
as they are air pruned. This method of raising seedlings is recommended in this species. Root
pruning can take place when seedlings are graded.

Pruning is repeated once a month. As the roots will be soft and tender, you will not need to
handle each container separately. If potted seedlings are placed on plastic sheets, root pruning
should not be necessary.
 Box 2: Root pruning methods

Lifting: - Pots or containers are lifted and put back in their original position. This is called
shocking.

Cutting / shearing: -This can be done using secateurs, sharp knife or a pair of scissors.
Pots are lifted and protruding roots are cut off using one of the above listed tools.
.
Wire method: - Where there are large numbers of seedlings properly arranged in
standard beds a wire can be used especially in central nurseries. The wire is passed
under the pots and moved along the whole arrangement, pulling it like a saw from one
side to the other by two people.

Suspended or raised beds nursery: - The containers are placed on a suspended

platform. In this case roots that grow out of the pot and are suspended in the air will
automatically die off because of lack of a growing medium.

4.7.4 Grading Beds

 To prevent larger seedlings from shading smaller ones, the beds should be graded.
Larger seedlings should be placed at one end, or in different beds, and the smaller
seedlings at the other end.
 Depending on how long the seedlings remain in the nursery, grading might have to be
repeated.

4.7.5 Pest and disease control

Several diseases and pests attack seedlings in nurseries. Pests harm plants by eating away parts
of the plant or sucking seedling juices. This can weaken and sometimes kills the plants.

Common nursery pests are; termites, cutworms, locusts and aphids. In Allanblackia, no pest or
diseases problem have yet been reported. Good cultural practices can prevent damage by
insects. Many of these pests are sometimes soil-borne.

In other species, damping off and root rot are common diseases in the nursery caused by fungi.
This can be prevented by:
 changing the soil in the seedbeds every 2-3 years and in non-mist propagator after 3
months
 removing plants immediately if they are infected by fungi or attacked by pests
 avoiding excessive watering and allow good drainage
 ensuring good air circulation by thinning the seedlings or weeding in the beds
In case of pest or disease attack, appropriate chemicals can be used to spray seedling.

5. Preparation for Out-Planting

5.1 Hardening off
To help seedlings to survive after out-planting in harsher field conditions, they must be hardened
in advance. The following techniques are useful:
 remove from shaded area 1 month prior to out-planting
 prune roots
 reduce the amount of watering gradually until out-planting time

5.2 Culling or grading

When preparing for planting out it is important to select healthy. Seedlings of AB with more than 3
leaf nodes are sufficiently large for planting in the field. When planting into existing vegetation
larger planting stock should be used whenever possible (around 50 cm), these larger plants being
more easily seen and better able to withstand weed growth. Plants should be sorted according to
their suitability for out-planting. Only good seedlings should be selected.

5.3. Packing and Transportation

 The seedlings should be well watered before transportation. They should be packed in
wooden or plastic trays/crates.
 The seedlings should never be handled by the stem or foliage; they should always be
carried by the bags.
 To be sure that the seedlings are not damaged during transportation, they should not be
packed loosely.
 Wind damage during transportation can be avoided by erecting appropriate screens on
the truck.
 Once at the planting site, seedlings should be placed in a protected, shaded area until
planting. They should be watered thoroughly each day. The practice of immediate
planting is better.

5.4 Keeping Records

The following details should be recorded for all seedling batches:
 Number of seeds sown on germination bed
 Date of sowing seeds
 Note any pretreatments applied to seeds
 Note any extreme environmental changes observed (rainfall, temperature, humidity..)
 Note date of first germination
 Note total number of germinated seeds

5.5 Tree planting activities

Farmers were given preferences to choose the areas to plant the seedlings but this has to be
evaluated by extension agent to avoid overcrowding and planting in the wrong places. This is
usually done by responsible institution with input from ICRAF. The planting was done in two
areas: genebank and on-farm. In Tanzania for example, planting for the genebank was done in
two area each with 20 trees per plot. The espacement was varied in each (3 by 3 m and 5 by 3
metres). On-farm planting was done mostly along the border in case of community land.

Site preparation for tree planting provides appropriate conditions for the seedlings to grow well.
The preparation was done by informing farmers and making arrangement on the place (village)
and time when the planting will take place. This was coordinated by the extension agents in the
ground.

6.0. Seedlings production approaches undertaken across countries

Allanblackia seedlings production methods through seed propagation have not been conclusive in
any country where domestication activities are taken off. This has been hindered by the fact that
the species is a difficult to raise from the seeds. Various techniques of methods have been tested
in central nurseries and community nurseries in three countries where domestication activities
have taken off. Within each country, various indigenous knowledge techniques have been
developed by farmers or adopted in the central nursery to overcome difficulties in raising
seedling. Except for vegetative propagation where a larger number of cuttings are transplanted to
the polytubes after 8 weeks, seedling production from seeds seems difficult.

6.1 Cameroon
In Cameroon, much of the work on Allanblackia domestication is undertaken on vegetative
propagation, with grafting, marcotting and cuttings being the most widely methods practiced here.
For the seed propagation, research has been conducted on station with different GA3 treatment
but the quantity of seeds used was small. After treatment with GA3, the seeds did not improve its
germination nor did it fasten the speed at which the seed germinated.

One method that seems promising is from vegetative propagation where non-mist propagators
are used to root the cuttings especially for mass production. Unlike the other species where
rooting starts after two weeks, AB starts rooting after 8 weeks. Much of the work in seedling
production through vegetative propagation is discussed in details under module 2.4.

6.2 Tanzania

Initially the establishment and running of nurseries was as a result of Allanblackia nut supply
chain driving force for seedling production for on-farm planting. Farmers joined together to form
groups with assistance of the Faida MaLi which further came up with community nurseries with
technical assistance of TFCG. These group nurseries used indigenous knowledge to raise
seedlings.

In Tanzania, much of the materials produced are from seeds and wildings. Several methods have
been tried in both central and community nurseries for the best practices in germinating seeds.
These includes: burying the whole fruit, sowing freshly extracted seeds in seedbeds, removing
germinating seeds from the wild environment, and using wilding to raise the seeds.

6.2.1 Seed propagation

Seeds were either sown directly into the seedbeds, which were prepared, or directly into the
polythene tubes. This was practiced in the central nursery. In community nurseries seeds were
first sown in the seedbeds and later transferred into the polytubes. The germination was reported
to be very low in all cases.

Storing or burying Allanblackia seeds in sand

 Place sand at the location where you want to store the seeds;
 Lay or pile the seeds on the sand (2-3 seed height);
 Continue layering for 2-3 layers finishing with a sand layer.

6.2.2 Using wildings

Initially the nurseries used wildings from the neighbouring and village forests. They were carefully
digging up as they have a long root, and where possible they were keeping a firm root ball that
will protect the root system. Those wildings with loose soil, and recently germinated seeds, were
handled with great care, avoiding breaking the roots. Most of those that were transplanted had
started germinating, and this method seemed very successful in raising this species in the area
especially in Kwezitu.

Disadvantages of using wildings

 Wildings may be difficult to find, or only a few may be collected;
 They may not be available at the appropriate time;
 One might be growing young trees without choosing which parent trees to use
 If they are collected far from the nursery, they might suffer more damage and stress in
transit than seeds germinated in the nursery.

Management of wilding in the nursery

Those that had long shoots were later cut back to resprout new shoots. This was successful in
Kwezitu and Central nursery in Amani. The advantages and the success of using AB wildings
could have been contributed by the fact that they may have already been forming close
associations with local micro-organisms and inocula will come with them in the soil around their
root systems. Immediately the leaves start drying up, the shoots were then cut back to facilitate
sprouting. This gives a good sprout if it during the rainy season and after 3 months the resprouts
looks exactly like seedlings. Normal nursery procedures can be practiced to take care of
seedlings.

6.2.3 Using rats’ caches

Here the locals adopted two interesting methods when stocking their community nurseries.
Initially, they collected seed from buried rat caches from the neighbouring forest where they
searched for locations with fresh germinants and then dug around these to find further un-
germinated seed. They germinating seeds were then transplanted into the pots in the nursery.
The seed collected in this way showed faster germination than that collected at the same time
from fruit; it is likely that this is because seed had already been buried for a considerable period.
This procedure, then, effectively transfers the seedbed stage of germination from the nursery to
the forest. Their success is probably because the natural agencies could have broken the seed
dormancy, overcoming the problems of slow germination. One of the major problems with
collection of germinating seeds from the forest is because you are not sure how long they have
been buried. Also this method disrupts regeneration of the species naturally.

6.2.4 Using whole fruit

The locals also were collecting and burying (at nursery sites) whole fruit with the seed inside;
after a few months, fruit were dug up and seed extracted and planted. Communities related that
seed treated in this way germinated more quickly than when the normal procedure of extraction
(seed removed from fruit within a week or two of collection) was applied.

6.2.5. Vegetative propagation

Work on vegetative propagation is new to Tanzanian programme as this concept was taught last
September due to demand from farmers and nursery operators. This work will be covered under
module 2.4.

6.3 Ghana
Most of the work undertaken here is through seed germination but vegetative propagation
seedling production is coming up. The nursery establishment covers all the categories mentioned
under section 3.

ITSC in 2005 planted 600,000 seed in nursery beds at their central facility at Offinso in Ghana;
this material was planted with a view to raising seedlings for distribution to smallholder farmers in
the cocoa growing region in the southwest of the country. Seeds were collected through ‘random’
sampling by local communities and delivered fruit to local focal persons, from whom fruit was
collected by ITSC, who extracted seed at their central nursery site. Low conversion rate of seed
to potted seedlings in this nursery was reported.

FORIG also collected seed using a ‘targeted’ approach to establish their central nursery in
Kumasi; seedlings produced here, however, are destined for research purposes (controlled field
trials) rather than for distribution to farmers. Also low conversion rate of ~ 0.25 % was observed
from > 60,000 seed of A. parviflora that were sowed.

7.0 Challenges
 Long germination period even after treating the seeds with GA3
 The production of cuttings is constraint by the coppices which takes about two years
rather than the expected one year.
 Substrate problem as in case of Usambaras where clean sand is not available and the
ones available has too much limestone (cement like material)
 Institutional priorities and interferences in implementation of activities
 Information exchange and flow between the partners who are involved in seedling
production.
8.0 Way forward
 More research is needed in the areas of using mycorrhiza or innocula for optimum
production.
 Develop vegetative propagation methods in order to achieve the target required for
planting to scale-up the production of seedlings
 Precise pretreatment methods should be developed to facilitate seedling production
 Timing of seedling growth is necessary to facilitate planting of materials to the field.

9.0 Summary
 The best method for seedling production is through cuttings to be able to achieve the
targeted seedlings by 2006/2007.
 For healthy seedlings and successful planting material good care should be taken to the
seedlings while they are in the nursery.
 The best practice for raising the seedlings from seeds by covering seeds for sometime
with banana leaves (3 months) before transferring them the pots.
 Forest soils should be added to the substrate to add the micro-organism which effect the
growth the seedlings
 Wildings should not be used in seedling production as this will affect the regeneration in
natural environment.
 Planting of seedlings should be within 18 months unlike other species which takes 6 to 12
months in the nursery.

Nursery practical
 Describe how composite is prepared.
 Prepare a soil mixture.
 Fill some containers.
 Pricking out of Ab seedling
 Root prunning

References
Jaenicke H. Good tree nursery practices. Practical guidelines for research nurseries. World
Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya. 90 pp.

Jaenicke HE and Beniest J. 2002. Vegetative tree propagation in agroforestry. Training guidelines
and references. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya. 95 pp

Munjuga M, Mwaura L and Mutua Benson. 2006. Allanblackia seed and vegetative propagation
protocols and training materials. ICRAF, 4 pp.

Wightman KE. 1999. Good tree nursery practices. Practical guidelines for community nurseries.
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya. 95 pp.

Z. Tchoundjeu, E.K. Asaah, P. Anegbeh, A. Degrande, P. Mbile, C. Facheux A. Tsobeng, A.R.

Atangana, M.L. Ngo-Mpeck and A.J. Simons. 2006. Putting participatory domestication into
practice in west and central Africa. Forests, Trees and Livelihood. Vol 16; pp 53-69