Growth of enset (Ensete ventricosum) suckers under different horticultural practices

The influence of three propagation practices and three corm types of enset on the production of suckers was investigated. After removal of apical buds, mother corms were uprooted and immediately replanted, not uprooted from original positions and uprooted and transferred to new planting holes three months later. Three corm types: whole, halved and quartered corms were used. Suckers were harvested one year after removal of apical buds. After harvest, the suckers were sorted into three size groups: undersized, small and medium to large. The number of suckers produced per plot, from four planting holes, ranged from 40 to 141 depending on the treatments,. Halved and quartered mother corms, when transferred to new planting holes three months after removal of apical buds, produced fewer suckers. On the other hand, the halved corms, when uprooted and replanted immediately after removal of apical buds or not uprooted from their original growing sites, gave earlier differentiation of buds and produced more suckers. The halved corms also gave more medium to large suckers than whole and quartered corms when evaluated across all the propagation methods. An increase in the number of vigorous suckers from halved corms is possible because of elimination of the strong apical dominance while leaving reasonable portions of the mother corm to sustain initiation, growth and development of suckers. Therefore, halved corms uprooted and immediately replanted or left in situ can be used to produce more suckers with better growth.