Sucker regeneration rate and early biomass production of cultivated enset (Ensete ventricosum) varies with substrate combinations and clone types

Despite the important role of enset in food system resilience, the in-situ propagation of enset in established farms is contributing to the transmission of disease and insect pests. Thus, ex-situ macro-propagation may produce healthy planting materials. However, there is a lack of ex-situ prepared substrate mix for optimal sucker regeneration and growth in enset. To address this issue, we set up experiment using different substrates: sole forest soil (FS), first mix (FS, sand (S), and farmyard manure (FYM)), and second mix (FS, S, and poultry manure (PM)) in a 2:1:3 ratio, along with three enset landraces/clones (Gena, Maze, and Phello). These were laid out in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design and replicated three times to evaluate early growth performance. Data on shoot emergence, growth, biomass yield, and fluorescence-based photosynthetic performance measures were analyzed. The interaction between substrates and clones significantly influenced shoot height, pseudostem girth and height, as well as shoot fresh and dry weight. Substrates influenced volumetric water content, maximum quantum yield, and performance index. The highest maximum quantum yield of PSII and performance index were observed in the first mix. However, the addition of PM had an adverse effect on shoot regeneration and early growth, likely due to high salt content. Furthermore, the results showed that the processing type of clones (Maze and Gena) performed better than the cooking type (Phello). Therefore, we recommend a combination of first mix (FS, S, and FYM) for optimal enset sucker regeneration and early growth. This method of propagation may help to reduce disease and pest spread in enset farms.