Effects of cutting position and leaf area retention on rooting and growth of vegetatively propagated Cannabis sativa
1Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Science, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. 2 Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Döhne Agricultural Development Institute, Stutterheim, Eastern Cape, South Africa. 3 Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Science, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. 4 Department of Agriculture, Land Reform & Rural Development, Quarantine Station, Polkadraai Road, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa. Corresponding e-mail: aziledumani@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i01.13
Full text PDF The absence of standardized propagation procedures remains a significant barrier to the cultivation of high-quality medicinal cannabis, which is extensively cultivated in rural regions of South Africa. Addressing this issue is crucial for the commercialization of cannabis for therapeutic purposes and product development. This study looked into the impact of cutting position and leaf area retention on the adventitious rooting and growth of medicinal cannabis (Cannabis sativa) propagules. The trial was carried out at the Dohne Agricultural Development Institute in the Eastern Cape, utilizing a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD with three replications. The treatments were: i) herbaceous shoot cuttings with 50% leaf area clipped (HS50%LAT), ii) herbaceous shoot cuttings with 100% leaf area (HS100%LA), and iii) basal stem cuttings. Sixty 15 cm cuttings per treatment were excised at a 45° angle below the node from actively growing, vegetatively branched wild plants in Lusikisiki. The cutting bases were treated with Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), planted into a commercial peat-based rooting medium, and housed in 60-celled propagation incubators. These were maintained in propagation chambers at 15–20°C under 24-hour T8 fluorescent illumination. Moisture levels were adjusted daily using distilled water. Data was collected every two weeks until six weeks after planting (WAP). The parameters measured were rooting percentage, time to 50% rooting (T50), height, number of leaves, fresh and dry weights (shoot, root, and total), length of shoots and roots, and the ratio of roots to shoots. The findings indicated that HS100%LA, succeeded by HS50%LAT, excelled in all rooting and growth metrics. In contrast, the basal stem cutting produced unfavorable results for all measured parameters. This study shows that using herbaceous shoot cuttings with 100% leaf area retention improves vegetative propagation and successful establishment of medicinal C. sativa.
