Appropriate plant growth regulators and genotypes for propagation of jojoba (simmondsia chinensis l.) cuttings in semi-arid areas of voi, kenya

Jojoba is a dioecious desert shrub which produces high quality oil used in cosmetics and lubrication. An experiment was conducted to identify the most appropriate plant growth regulators and genotypes for Jojoba propagation. A 4x4 factorial arrangement laid down in a randomized complete block design was used with 16 treatments replicated 3 times. Treatments comprised of 4 factors of growth regulators and 4 types of genotypes. The experiment was carried out for 5 months in 2013. The variables sampled included roots, leaves and shoot. ANOVA was carried out using SAS statistical package and means were separated using Duncan,s Multiple Range Test at p ≤ 0.05. Results showed that Anatone growth regulator gave significantly superior rooting of 24.2% for cuttings compared with the control (11.5%). The male genotypes showed significantly higher rooting of 24.2-37.6% compared with the females (2.2-7.6%). Anatone is recommended for propagation of cuttings in a polythene sheet tunnel since it is also cheap and readily available from agri-veterinary shops. Further research is recommended on screening of a wide range of genotypes especially the females and plant growth regulators for future propagation of Jojoba.