Publication Frequency Adjustment
2025-07-08
Comparative Study of Cannabis Sativa Ecotypes Found in Three Villages at Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors
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Azile Dumani
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Science, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa
Department of Agriculture, Döhne Agricultural Development Institute, Stutterheim 4930, South Africa
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Tembakazi Theodora Silwana
Department of Agriculture, Döhne Agricultural Development Institute, Stutterheim 4930, South Africa
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Ifeanyi Egbichi
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Science, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa
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Adebola Omowunmi Oyedeji
Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Science, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa
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Babalwa Mpambani
Department of Agriculture, Döhne Agricultural Development Institute, Stutterheim 4930, South Africa
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Buyisile Mayekiso
Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5701, South Africa
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Hlabana Alfred Seepe
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform & Rural Development, Quarantine Station, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v7i5.12235Abstract
This study comparatively assesses variation in growth, development, and yield of Cannabis sativa ecotypes from three villages (V1, V2, and V3) in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study was conducted on physiologically mature plants. Six plants per village were selected, and the morphological features, namely, plant height, number of branches, nodes, flowers, plant fresh and dry weights, and flower fresh and dry weights, were determined. One thousand seeds per village were collected, and their weights and moisture levels were determined using a digital scale and a moisture meter. Seeds, leaves, and flowers from each village were fixed and prepared for the determination of anatomical traits, including sizes of the seed, micropyle, and hilum. Trichome types and density on leaves and flowers were determined using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). It was observed that morpho-anatomical traits enable differentiation among ecotypes, influenced by the locally specific environment. Thus, revealing significant variations in vegetative traits (plant height, number of branches, plant fresh and dry weights). V1 recorded the highest vegetative traits, whilst V3 had the highest reproductive and anatomical traits (number of flowers, flower fresh and dry weights, cannabinoid content, trichome density, and seed germinability, aiding features such as the sizes of seed and micropyle). Flowers recorded a higher density of glandular type trichomes than leaves across the villages, although the highest were recorded in V2, followed by V3. In situ conservation of these naturalized cannabis populations through area zoning to ensure genetic preservation for sustainable product supply and economic growth is recommended.
Keywords:
Cannabis; Ecotype; Variation; Morphological Traits; Anatomy; Preservation; EcologyReferences
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Dumani, A., Silwana, T. T., Egbichi, I., Oyedeji, A. O., Mpambani, B., Mayekiso, B., & Seepe, H. A. (2025). Comparative Study of Cannabis Sativa Ecotypes Found in Three Villages at Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Research in Ecology, 7(5), 336–356. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v7i5.12235
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Copyright © 2025 Azile Dumani, Tembakazi Theodora Silwana, Ifeanyi Egbichi, Adebola Omowunmi Oyedeji, Babalwa Mpambani, Buyisile Mayekiso, Hlabana Alfred Seepe
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