Authors : Kariuki, S. T; Kinuthia, N. L; Mathooko, M. J; Mucheke, W.
Volume/Issue : Volume 5 - 2020, Issue 7 - July
Google Scholar : http://bitly.ws/9nMw
Scribd : https://bit.ly/2EkPnpr
DOI : 10.38124/IJISRT20JUL138
Triumfetta tomentosa Boj. is a n indigenous
perennial low shrub found growing naturally in moist
habitats. It is commonly found on forest margins and
along riparian zones. It is a multipurpose plant
exploited by many communities in Kenya as a source of
fodder, fiber for making baskets, ropes and hats, while
the remaining debarked wood is used for making
winnowing trays and firewood. However, as the
population increases, more land is being converted into
agricultural farms and settlement sites. These
development activities coupled with global warming
effects due to increasing green house gasses in the
atmosphere are threatening the abundance and
distribution of this species. The objective of this study
was therefore to investigate the effect of fertilizer
application on biomass of T. tomentosa, if brought
under cultivation like any other crop. Seedlings were
raised in nurseries from seeds and cuttings at Muguga(
Kenya Forest Research Institute-KEFRI). These
seedlings were transplanted to the experimental sites in
Embu and Meru on eastern slopes of Mt. Kenya.
Random Block Design was used at spacing of 30 cm × 30
cm and 45 cm × 45 cm in 3 replicates for each planting
material. All plants were harvested after 7 months and
above ground biomass was determined in terms of fresh
weight in tones/ha. Analysis of variance was used to
compare the biomass among different treatments. The
results showed significant increase in biomass (p ≤ 0.05)
of fertilizer application on T. triumfetta cultivation.
Plants raised from cuttings grew faster than those
raised from seeds and had more biomass. This study
showed that T. tomentosa can be brought under
cultivation like any other crop and its productivity can
be improved through fertilizer application. This will
help in its conservation as it is threatened in the wild
Keywords : Triumfetta tomentosa Boj. biomass, productivity, fertilizer, conservation.