Evaluation of the Grafting Aptitude of <i>Cola cordifolia</i> Rootstock with Five Kola Tree Clones (<i>Cola nitida</i>)

Improving the yield of ivorian kola orchards involves creating high-performing plant material. The use of seed nuts faces challenges due to slow germination and late fruiting of the resulting plants. Therefore, the production of grafted plants with high-yielding clones is being considered. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the clone on the success rate of plants grafted with <i>Cola cordifolia</i> and, by extension, to determine the effectiveness of the rootstock type <i>Cola cordifolia</i>. Five clones are involved: AMA, BOGO, DIDI, MOUSS, and SELI. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with one factor studied (Clone) and three replications. Cleft grafting was performed in a nursery under a tunnel. The experimental unit consists of 10 plants. The success rate of the plants was measured after two months of experimentation. Results showed an average success rate of 55.33%. The genotype had a significant effect on the number of successful grafts. The success rate varied depending on the clones, ranging from 36.67% to 63.33%. The DIDI clone had the lowest success rate, while the SELI clone had the highest success rate and produced the largest number of new leaves, followed by the AMA clone. These SELI and AMA clones show good grafting aptitude and rapid recovery after grafting. Thus, cleft grafting applied to <i>Cola cordifolia</i> as a rootstock is advantageous for the multiplication of <i>C. nitida</i>. <i>Cola cordifolia</i> could therefore be proposed in the future to kola producers as an alternative rootstock to <i>Cola nitida</i> for grafted plant production. However, the grafting aptitude of clones proposed for distribution should be systematically evaluated. Grafted plants with <i>Cola cordifolia</i> should also be tested in the field.