Evaluation of growth performance and yield potential of selected emas cotek (Ficus deltoidea) accessions on bris soils

Y. Musa

Abstract

Emas cotek (Ficus deltoidea) is one of the medicinal plants that is gaining popularity among the traditional practitioners in Malaysia. Emas cotek, an epiphyte found mainly growing on the branches of higher plants for sunlight. Preliminary evaluations, however, indicated that some accessions have good growing habit and showed potential for field planting. To evaluate the growth and yield potentials of these selected accessions under open field, a trial using seven accessions (i.e. MFD 1, MFD 2, MFD 3, MFD 4, MFD 6, MFD 7 and MFD 12) was conducted at MARDI Station, Telong in 2003. Harvestings were conducted at 20 months after planting. Results obtained showed that accession MFD 4 gave significantly highest total fresh yield of 7.3 t/ha. The highest total dry yield was obtained from MFD 6, MFD 4 and MFD 7 with a range of 1.1–1.4 t/ha. The mean of biomass yield partitioning showed that 50.8% were stems while the leaves and fruits gave 32.4% and 16.8% respectively. The leaf and fruit characteristics as well as the yield components of the seven accessions evaluated were also discussed.

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