Evaluation of the Domestication Potential of Wild Plant (Desmodium adscenden) by Vegetative and Seeds Propagation Under Controlled Conditions

Abstract

Desmodium adscendens is a plant in the Fabaceae family. This plant is very important to humans for both agricultural and medical purposes. However, its availability is becoming increasingly rare and its collection in forests is contributing to the degradation of biodiversity due to the lack of control over its domestication. The aim of this study is to contribute to the domestication of Desmodium adscendens by controlling vegetative propagation by cuttings and seed sowing. Cuttings of Desmodium adscendens aged 3 months and three types of seed were tested, namely seeds wrapped in pods, seeds without pods and scarified seeds without pods. The seedlings were sown in trays containing sterilised soil under a shade canopy with 40% light. Emergence, recovery and morphological parameters were assessed. The reproductive cycle of Desmodium adscendens was also determined. The results showed that cuttings had the highest recovery rate, at 96%. Plants grown from cuttings had the best height and branching. In terms of the reproductive cycle, seedlings from cuttings had a shorter crop cycle of 66 days, compared with 140 days for other seeds. These results suggest that the best way to propagate this species quickly is by taking cuttings.