Vegetative propagation of twelve fodder tree species indigenous to the Sahel,West Africa

In the Sahel region, many woody species are used as fodder because of their high nitrogen content, especially during the dry season, in contrast to grasses and crop residues. Unfortunately, this resource is being threatened by regular pruning, increasing livestock browsing and impeding their natural regeneration. Therefore, there is a need to find appropriate regeneration options to sustain fodder production. Thus, a series of vegetative propagation experiments were conducted to identify the most appropriate multiplication methods of some of the species used as fodder. This series included testing the effects of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and indole butyric acid (IBA) on rooting ability of stem cuttings of 12 species: Afzelia africana, Balanites aegyptiaca, Bauhinia rufescens, Commiphora africana, Faidherbia albida, Ficus gnaphalocarpa, Guiera senegalensis, Kigelia africana, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Pterocarpus lucens, Pterocarpus santalinoides and Terminalia avicennioides. The series also evaluated the impacts of the size (C. africana) and the age (P. erinaceus) of the cuttings on their rooting success. Pterocarpus santalinoides was revealed to be an easy-to-root species, showing a high percentage of rooted cuttings (up to 88±3%), followed by P. erinaceus, P. lucens and B. aegyptiaca (up to 37±4%, 31±5% and 26±6%, respectively), in contrast to A. africana, cuttings of which did not root at all. The application of NAA and IBA enhanced the number of roots and secondary roots per rooted cutting. Large-diameter cuttings (15–20?mm) of deeply planted C. africana gave the highest percentage of rooted cuttings (78.3±4.4%). Tree pruning improved the rooting capacity of cuttings collected from P. erinaceus with one-month resprouts giving the highest percentage of rooted cuttings (50.0±6.7%). These results indicate that P. santalinoides, C. africana, P. erinaceus, P. lucens and B. aegyptiaca are amenable to vegetative propagation as an alternative to sexual propagation.     

Key roles of leaves, stockplant age, and auxin concentration in vegetative propagation of two African mahoganies: Khaya anthotheca Welw. and Khaya ivorensis A. Chev

Leaf area, IBA concentration and age of stockplants were all found to be important factors for successful rooting for vegetative propagation using single-node cuttings of the two main African mahogany species: Khaya anthotheca and K. ivorensis. Cuttings with leaf area of 30–50 cm² had the best rooting percentage and cuttings with about 30 cm² had the most number of roots per cutting in K. anthotheca. Khaya ivorensis, cuttings with 10–30 cm² leaf area had the highest rooting percentage. Cuttings collected from 1-year-old stockplants recorded the highest rooting percentage and largest number of roots per cutting. Cuttings from 3-year-old stockplant of the same seeds sources had the lowest rooting suggesting aging negatively impacted rooting ability. The effect of auxin concentration, on rootability was examined with cuttings of K. anthotheca. An IBA concentration of 0.8% was the best exogenous auxin concentration for percentage rooting, number of roots per cutting and the length of the longest root per cutting.     

Crop productivity under differently lopped canopies of multipurpose trees in Central Himalaya, India

Ficus species are multipurpose trees well known by rural populations in Sahelian and Sudanian zones of Africa. Their uses are well documented but their amenability for vegetative propagation has not been extensively studied. This paper compares the rooting ability of stem and aerial root cuttings from thirteen Ficus species found in West Africa. It highlights the differences between species belonging to the sub-genera Sycomorus and Urostigma. The former show no capacity to propagate from cuttings whereas the latter, with epiphytic development, can be propagated by cuttings, although this capacity varies among species. Thus, F. thonningii, F. leprieurii and F. ovata are easily propagated, while F. platyphylla and F. elasticoides are propagated with difficulty. The rooting capacity also varies depending on the cutting material used. It decreases in the following order: long leafless hardwood cuttings (pole) > nodal cuttings > apical cuttings. Rooting potential increases when the cuttings are harvested towards the end of the dry season(March to May). Aerial root can be used for cuttings in all species of the sub-genus Urostigma. The capacity of root cuttings to regenerate is greatest when cuttings are collected at the beginning of the dry season (November). In this case, wound-induced adventitious roots arise at the basal end of the cutting while de novo buds are developed from the cambium at the distal end. The subsequent morphological development is identical to that of a stem cutting. These results clarify and allow the optimal use of the knowledge and methods developed by the indigenous people of the Sahel and could assist and promote fig tree (Ficus sp.) domestication in the dry tropics.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Vegetative propagation of Prunus africana: effects of rooting medium, auxin concentrations and leaf area

The region of West and Central Africa is endowed with high-value fruit trees and medicinal plants, which are currently traded locally as well as on regional and international markets. Unfortunately, they are all exploited from the wild and there has been little or no focussed effort to domesticate and cultivate them. Prunus africana is one of these important medicinal plant under domestication. A series of nursery experiments were conducted to assess the effects of rooting medium (sawdust, sand and a 50:50 mixture of sand and sawdust), auxin concentration (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 μg IBA), and leaf area (0, 5, 10, 20, and 25 cm²) on rooting success of juvenile cuttings of P. africana. The percentage of cuttings rooted was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in sawdust (80%), than in sand alone (72%) or in mixture with sawdust (71%). Leaf area also significantly affected the percentage of rooting. Leafless cuttings did not root and were all dead by week 6, but in leafy cuttings rooting ability increased proportionally with leaf area up to 20 cm² (79%). Larger leaf cuttings (25 cm²) rooted at the same level as those of 20 cm². The cuttings with the largest leaves also had the greatest mean number of roots per cutting (14 roots cutting⁻¹), while those with the smallest (5 cm²) leaf area produced the fewest roots (5 roots cutting⁻¹). The application of auxin (IBA) promoted rooting (P < 0.05) up to an optimum application of 100–200 μg IBA per cutting, but 300 μg was supraoptimal. It can be concluded that P. africana is amenable to vegetative propagation. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Vegetative propagation of African Mahogany: effects of auxin, node position, leaf area and cutting length

Applied auxin, node position, leaf area and cutting length were examined to investigate the requirements for rooting stem cuttings of Khaya ivorensis. All these variables were shown to be important factors affecting rooting, confirming the hypothesis that successful rooting can be achieved if these primary variables are optimised.The best concentration of the auxin IBA was found to be 200 g per cutting, which hastened rooting, increased the percentage of cuttings rooted and increased the number of roots per cutting. One clone (8013) was unresponsive to auxins in terms of the percentage of cuttings rooted, but was the most responsive in terms of the numbers of roots per cutting. A greater percentage of cuttings from basal nodes were rooted than from apical nodes. Cuttings cut squarely at the base produced a radially-arranged root system, whereas an oblique cut resulted in a one-sided root system.Trimming the leaf area of cuttings to 10 cm² gave greater rooting percentages than trimming to 100 cm². In general, long cuttings (39 mm) rooted better than short cuttings (19 mm), however, there was an interaction between leaf area and cutting length, in which cuttings with short stems and large leaves had the lowest rooting percentage.     

Selection, propagation and cultivation of Pinus massoniana clones for pulp use

Based on the growth, wood property of the ortets, and rooting abilities of cuttings, 32 Pinus massoniana clones for pulp use were selected from forests of superior provenance, mixed families, and progeny test of seed orchard by two-step selection. The average height and DBH growth of three-year-old clones were 28.6% and 16.7%, respectively, higher than those from seedlings, and average gain of wood density reached 8.7%. Rooting rate of all these clones was over 80%, 28% higher than the clones selected by a single step. A cutting orchard of 0.33 hm² on the hillside was constructed to intensively produce cuttings according to the tests on construction methods, pruning, and fertilization. A total of 50,000 grade I, 37,500 grade II, and 62,500 grade III cuttings were collected per hectare of this cutting orchard each time, and were cut three times each year. With all the above techniques, 48 hm² of clonal forests for pulp use of those clones had been planted in five places in Fujian Province. Container stecklings are more likely to increase the planting survival rate. __________ Translated from Scientia Silvae Sinicae, 2004, 40(1): 64–69 [译自: 林业科学]     

Vegetative propagation of two endemic species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cloezia</Emphasis> Brongn. &; Gris for conservation and mining revegetation activities in New Caledonia

A study to determine the best vegetative propagation protocol was carried out for two species of the endemic genus Cloezia for conservation and mining revegetation activities in New Caledonia. Effects of clonal capacities and auxin treatments on rooting of C. buxifolia and C. aquarum semi-hardwood cuttings taken from wild populations were evaluated in four experiments. Different phenotypes varied in their capacity to root (from 0 to more than 80%) and this underlines the importance of collecting cuttings from different plants when revegetation programs are based on vegetative propagation. The experiments evaluated the effectiveness of IBA at 5, 10 and 20 g kg⁻¹, IAA at 5 and 10 g kg⁻¹ and NAA at 1 and 2 g kg⁻¹ treatments to enhance rooting of C. buxifolia tip cuttings and C. aquarum tip and stem cuttings compared to control cuttings with no applied auxin. With the exception of IAA, auxin treatments enhanced the percentage of cuttings with roots and significantly improved the number of roots per cutting and root length. In this study, the best treatment is 10 g kg⁻¹ IBA for C. buxifolia. For C. aquarum, 20 g kg⁻¹ IBA significantly enhances quantitatively and qualitatively rooting of both tip and stem cuttings.

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Résumé  Cette étude porte sur la définition d’un protocole de multiplication végétative optimale de deux espèces du genre endémique Cloezia dans un but de conservation et de revégétalisation en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Quatre essais visent à déterminer les potentialités clonales de différents individus et l’effet de divers traitements hormonaux sur l’enracinement de boutures de C. buxifolia et C. aquarum. L’enracinement des boutures dépend du pied-mère sur lesquelles elles sont récoltées et peut varier de 0 à plus de 80%, ce qui indique l’intérêt de la méthode d’échantillonnage lors de la collecte des boutures. L’effet de traitements hormonaux à base d’AIB, AIA et ANA à différentes concentrations, respectivement de 5, 10 et 20 g kg⁻¹, 5 et 10 g kg⁻¹ et 1 et 2 g kg⁻¹ est également étudié sur des boutures de tête de C. buxifolia et des boutures de tête et de tige de C. aquarum. Ces traitements améliorent le pourcentage d’enracinement et augmentent significativement le nombre de racines produites et la longueur des racines des boutures de Cloezia, à l’exception des traitements à base d’AIA. Dans cette étude, le meilleur traitement est 10 g kg⁻¹ d’AIB pour C. buxifolia et 20 g kg⁻¹ d’AIB pour C. aquarum.

     

Vegetative propagation of the threatened African wild olive [Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex DC.) Ciffieri]

A rapid vegetative propagation method is described for Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata [Wall. ex DC.) Ciffieri (syn. Olea africana Mill.)]. Leafy branch cuttings were harvested from 6 to 7-month-old stecklings (= plants derived from rooted cuttings). Cuttings 2–3 mm in basal diameter were trimmed to 70–100 mm in length, with leaf areas reduced to 15–33 cm². Indolebutyric acid (IBA) was applied at 0, 10, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 µg/cutting to each of the 70–80 replicate cuttings randomly allocated to each of the 7 treatments. Callusing and rooting occurred 3–5 and 5–7 weeks after treatment, respectively. The rooting success of cuttings treated with 20 or 40 µg IBA/cutting was 75 and 90%, respectively. Differences in rooting success, speed of rooting and root numbers between the control and the IBA treatments were significant (p < 0.01). Compared to seedlings of similar shoot height, rooted cuttings grew significantly (p < 0.01) faster and produced more biomass. It is concluded from this study that the rooting of leafy branch cuttings derived from young stockplants of wild olive is rapid, and that vegetative propagation is an effective means of regenerating this valuable, yet threatened, tree species.     

Effect of auxins (IBA and NAA) and season on rooting of juvenile and mature hardwood cuttings of Robinia pseudoacacia and Grewia optiva

Juvenile (2 year old trees) and mature hardwood (15 year old trees) cuttings of Robinia pseudoacacia and Grewia optiva were tested for their capacity to form roots. Cuttings were prepared in spring, monsoon and winter seasons and treated with different concentrations (250, 500 and 750 mg/l) of IBA and NAA. These were planted in a mist chamber maintained at 25±1°C with relative humidity >70%. Juvenile cuttings of both species rooted significantly better than mature hardwood cuttings in all three seasons, and the age effect was more pronounced in auxin treated cuttings. The highest rooting in juvenile (83.3%) and mature (66.6%) cuttings was observed with the NAA (500 mg/l) treatment in R. pseudoacacia during the spring season. In G. optiva, IBA (250 mg/l) in the monsoon season was most effective and yielding a maximum of 80% and 70% rooting in juvenile and mature cuttings, respectively. Auxin treatments also significantly enhanced the number of roots, root length, leaf number and leaf area. Statistical analysis of data revealed that interactions between age, season and treatments were significant at P <0.05 level for R. pseudoacacia and non-significant for G. optiva.     

Adventitious rhizogenesis in Bambusa nutans and Bambusa tulda: Influence of seasonal variation, IBA and cutting type

The influence of seasonal variation, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and type of cuttings was examined on induction and growth of adventitious roots in Bambusa nutans Wall. and Bambusa tulda Roxb. Singlenode culm and culm-branch cuttings from the mature culms were provided with immersion treatment for 24 h of either water (control) or 2 mM IBA in four different seasons, i.e., spring (mid February), summer (mid May), rainy (mid July), and winter (mid November) and maintained for two months in the mist chamber at the relative humidity of (70±5)% and the temperature of (30±2)°C. In B. nutans, adventitious rooting occurred in both types of cuttings in all the seasons with the best rooting in the summer season i.e., May (88% in culm cuttings) and the least in winter. On the contrary, adventitious rooting was recorded only in culm cuttings in spring and summer season in B. tulda. IBA treatment significantly enhanced rooting, root number and root length; registering 14 to 17 times improvement over control in the best rooting season. Three factor-interactions (season × cutting type × IBA treatment) were significant for rooting in B. nutans and all characteristics, except sprouting in B. tulda. Thus, single-node culm and culm-branch cuttings in B. nutans and culm cuttings in B. tulda treated with 2 mM IBA during spring (February) to summer (May) season are recommended for their clonal multiplication.     

Propagation of two miombo woodland trees by leafy stem cuttings obtained from seedlings

The rooting ability of leafy stem cuttings harvested from four to five month old seedlings of B. spiciformis Benth and P. angolensis DC was tested in low-technology non-mist propagators suitable for the rural tropics. Both species were successfully rooted; P. angolensis was a faster rooting species (86% after 61 days) compared with B. spiciformis (59% after 154 days). Regression analysis suggested that P. angolensis had more stored carbohydrates, which facilitated its rooting while B. spiciformis was more dependant on current assimilates produced during the period of propagation. The results of this study suggest that it is possible to develop clones of genetically superior trees of B. spiciformis and P. angolensis for use in agroforestry or reforestation programmes.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

银杏枝条部位和年龄对不定根形成的影响及其与非结构碳水化合物含量的关系

[目的]研究银杏枝条部位、年龄对不定根形成的影响,并探讨其相应的叶、茎段中非结构碳水化合物(NSC)含量变化与扦插生根的关系。[方法]以50年生银杏树冠上、下部枝条的1、2和3年生位置的茎段为材料截取插穗,500 mg·L-1IBA与纯水对照处理基部60 s,在全光喷雾状态下研究扦插生根情况,并利用HLPC法分析相应部位叶和茎段中NSC含量。[结果]表明:银杏扦插不定根形成过程分为4个阶段,即0～4周愈伤形成期、4～6周愈伤膨大期、6～8周不定根开始形成期、8周后不定根伸长;生根部位主要在切口处。树冠上、下部位插穗的生根率未见明显差异,但随着枝龄的增加而明显降低。NSC分析表明:下部叶片NSC组分中多糖和总糖含量明显高于上部的,但茎段NSC的所有组分在上下部均无明显差异;随着枝龄的增加,相应位置叶片NSC各组分含量没有明显差异,但相应茎段NSC组分中葡萄糖、果糖、多糖、总糖、淀粉含量却明显降低,与生根率的变化趋势一致。此外,500 mg·L-1IBA处理并未明显提高生根率,还需进一步优化处理浓度。[结论]银杏树冠上部和下部枝条对不定根形成无影响;未处理枝条的枝龄与生根率呈负相关,而茎段NSC含量与生根率呈正相关;叶片NSC含量对不定根形成影响较小;生根方式以愈伤生根类型为主。该结论将为今后银杏扦插生根及其机制研究提供参考。     

Parameters affecting shoot production and rooting of cuttings from lodgepole pine hedges

By propagating lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) cuttings in vivo, we obtained after 7 growing cycles (ca 3.5 years) in a greenhouse, sufficient number of cuttings from most families to establish clonal progeny tests. Twenty-one full-sib families with approximately 20 clones per family were studied for five years. Years when cuttings were set, families within latitude and clones within families differed significantly in rooting percentages, with the variance components 4.2%, 8.2% and 9.5%, respectively. One way to get a frequent and uniform rooting is to take cuttings from non-leading shoots since they have higher rooting percentage than leading shoots. Neither total length of the cuttings nor length of the primary needles were significantly correlated to rooting percentage. With appropriate management of the ortets and the cuttings during rooting, most clones could be included in a cutting propagation program.     

Vegetative propagation of Colutea istria Mill. from leafy stem cuttings

This study investigates the optimal conditions for the vegetative propagation of the multipurpose leguminous shrub Colutea istria from leafy stem cuttings. The conditions examined included 1) the origin of the cutting (apical, medial or basal), 2) indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) treatment (0, 50, 200 or 400 mg/l), 3) the relative humidity of the propagation environment (high or low), 4) wounding base of cutting, and 5) the season in which the cutting was taken. The rooting ability of the cuttings was significantly influenced by all these factors. Winter cuttings obtained from the middle and base of the branch showed a greater rooting capacity than those harvested from the apical area, while autumn cuttings harvested from the middle and apical areas of the branch showed a greater rooting capacity than those harvested from the base. Winter cuttings showed the best rooting capacity than autumn cuttings. IBA treatment (200 mg/l), high humidity (98-100%), and wounding increased the rooting capacity of the cuttings. The sprout of new leaves was higher in basal cuttings, while IBA and wounding also significantly enhanced the root number of rooted cuttings. A method for vegetatively propagating C. istria plants is given.     

Vegetative propagation studies of gum arabic trees. 1. Propagation of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. using lignified cuttings of small diameter with eight nodes

In order to study and monitor rates of rooting, callusing and survival, small diameter stem cuttings (less than 0.4 cm) with eight nodes (12–14 cm long) were taken from trees in the field at different times of the year in tests with small batches of cuttings. Among the four tested substrates, well drained crushed basalt powder placed on a bed of gravel was the best rooting medium. Rooting was generally poor or even non-existent with this type of cutting, but the presence of leaves both promoted rooting and significantly (using Chi square test) improved survival of the cutting. Four leaves were sufficient to assure the necessary metabolic functions. Only stem cuttings collected during the rainy season gave roots and then, only when hormonal treatments were applied to the cuttings. 8%-IBA resulted in significantly better rooting than did 2%-IBA, 0.2%-NAA and 1%-IAA. With 8%-IBA, the rate of rooting varied between 50 and 70% for leafy cuttings collected in the rainy season. Hormonal treatments had a significant effect on the survival rate of the stem cuttings during the two months observation period. Further investigations are being conducted with different types of cuttings.     

Vegetative Propagation of Leucaena Hybrids by Cuttings

Many interspecific hybrids have been produced among Leucaena species, some with great potential for high-value wood and forage production. Superior hybrids are often highly sterile, and vegetative propagation would be essential for their exploitation. Four experiments were conducted to investigate factors affecting the rooting of cuttings of Leucaena hybrids. Nine hybrids were studied that represented different ploidy levels (2x, 3x, and 4x), different levels of seedlessness, different ages (5–16 years) and varying leaflet sizes. Rooting ability basically depended on genotype, with only a few hybrids failing to root. Cuttings required leaflets to root, and half or more of a leaf led to higher frequencies of better roots. One-node cuttings had the same rooting ability as two-node cuttings. Rooting ability decreased dramatically in the cooler, low-light winter seasons of lowland Hawaii. Etiolation treatments increased rooting ability significantly for two difficult-to-root hybrids.     

A comparison of pre-planting treatments on hardwood cuttings of four hybrid poplar clones

Rooting and early growth of four hybrid poplar clones (Populus spp.) planted in a greenhouse were examined after applying 40 pre-rooting treatment combinations to dormant cuttings. Treatments included 2 cutting lengths (5 and 10 cm), 5 soaking times (0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 days), and 4 dips (chitosan, rooting hormone powder, liquid rooting hormone added to the soaking water, and none). Significant differences in both rooting percentages and growth were shown between clones after 7 weeks of growth. Ten cm cuttings had 29% greater rooting success, 28% more above-ground growth, and 12% lower root/shoot ratios than 5 cm cuttings. Cuttings planted without soaking had the lowest rooting success, at less than 45% on average. Commercial rooting hormones decreased the number of rooted cuttings but increased root/shoot ratios. For optimal rooting, we recommend using 10 cm cuttings, soaked for 2 days in water (4 days for the Jackii10 clone) without any additional dipping/hormone substance.     

A Comparison of the Utility and Agronomic Traits of Indigenous and Exotic Trees in the Mount Kenya Region

On-farm indigenous (Cordia africana) and exotic (Grevillea robusta) tree species were compared in terms of the quality of their utility and their agronomic traits in the Meru Central district of Kenya. These two species are the most common indigenous and exotic trees, respectively, among the recorded 117 trees on farms. Interviews with farmers and collected documents on tree felling and planting showed that farmers considered C. africana to be more useful than G. robusta. However, farmers wanted to plant more G. robusta than C. africana because the easily established and fast growing G. robusta has a higher short-term contribution to the household economy. The advantages of C. africana, however, should be redefined in terms of its long-term contribution to farmers; C. africana contributes to farming more effectively than does G. robusta. The lower growth performance and relative difficulty in the establishment of C. africana can be compensated for by its higher timber quality and coppicing ability.     

Mini-cuttings: an effective technique for the propagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus pinaster</Emphasis> Ait.

Pinus pinaster Ait. is one of the main forest tree species planted in Spain, Portugal and France. Due to its high economic relevance, there is considerable interest in developing techniques for vegetative breeding aimed at mass propagation. In this study we present a mini-propagation protocol in order to define an efficient method to propagate families or clones of P. pinaster. We carried out three experiments using mini-cuttings of 3–5 cm in length with the aim of evaluating the effects of temperature (4°C vs. 25°C), plant growth regulator (IBA) and shoot age on rooting ability. Percentage of rooted cuttings and morphological root variables were recorded. The percentage of rooted cuttings per treatment ranged from 68 to 97%. Treatment with IBA significantly influenced the rooting process at 25°C but not at 4°C. The number of apexes, length, area and volume of roots were all positively affected by temperature treatment. Shoot age also had a positive effect on rooting capacity of cuttings, with the cuttings from the youngest shoots (70 days after pruning) having higher rooting percentages, ranging from 84.7 to 98.3%. The use of juvenile material, good environmental conditions and IBA all benefited the rooting of clonal material, resulting in high rooting capacity. This study presents an innovative propagation protocol for P. pinaster that can be used as a tool in breeding programs.     

The effects of canopy gaps on seedling emergence and growth of two deciduous broad-leaved species (Cornus controversa andPrunus grayana) in aCryptomeria japonica plantations

The effects of canopy gaps on seedling emergence and growth ofCornus controversa andPrunus grayana were studied in a 21-year-oldCryptomeria japonica plantation. The seeds of the two species were sown in December 1995 and their fate was followed until March 2000.P. grayana germinated in 1996, butC. controversa germinated in 1997. In both species studied, more than 70% of the seedlings survived in the forest edge until the end of the experiment, although none survived in the forest understory in the first growing season. In the gap, the survival rate was higher inP. grayana than inC. controversa. In this experiment, some trees were cut to enlarge the area of the gap, in which the growth rate increased markedly forC. controversa seedlings, but not forP. grayana seedlings after the cutting. These two species showed substantial differences in the patterns of seedling emergence, survival and growth in aCr. japonica plantation which had a canopy gap.