Effect of cutting position on rooting and shoot growth of two poplar clones

✍ Scribed by W. R. Schroeder; D. S. Walker

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 482 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0169-4286
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00119207

✦ Synopsis

One-year-old shoots from stooling beds of Populus X deltoides 'Walker' and Populus jackii 'Northwest' were collected in late fall to determine the effect of cutting position on rooting and growth of hardwood poplar cuttings. Cuttings with a minimum diameter of 9.0 mm were obtained from basal, middle and distal locations on the poplar shoot. Rooting and shoot growth were assessed in the greenhouse and under field conditions. 'Walker' poplar cuttings collected from basal portions of the shoot and planted in the field had 87.6% rooting and 103.8 cm growth compared to 78.8% and 103.4 cm and 67.6% and 88.8 cm for middle and distal locations respectively. For 'Northwest' rooting and growth under field conditions was 84.4% and 94.7 cm for basal, 78.4% and 90.5 cm for mid and 64.4% and 84.3 cm for distal locations. Rooting in the greenhouse was superior to the field. 'Walker' cuttings had fewer roots and buds per cutting than 'Northwest', however, growth of 'Walker' in the field was superior.

Application.

For optimum rooting of poplars only the highest quality cuttings should be used. Cutting quality and rootability are dependent on a number of factors including position of cutting on the parent shoot. Using cuttings from basal and mid shoot locations would significantly increase the rooted cutting production of some poplar clones.