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Effect of handling and water stress on water status and rooting of loblolly pine stem cuttings

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Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine theeffect of handling, short-term storage, andinitial water stress on cutting water potential (ΨW) and rooting of loblolly pine(Pinus taeda L.) stem cuttings. First,stock plants and cuttings were measured forΨW at predawn (04:00 a.m.) and earlymorning (09:00 a.m.). Cuttings were thensevered, wrapped in wet paper towels, andplaced in insulated containers for 2 or 7 h atapproximately 30 °C or for 21 h in coldstorage (4 °C). Water potentials ofcuttings were measured at the end of eachstorage period. Second, effects of initialwater stress on rooting performance of cuttingswere tested by withholding water from dormant(winter) and succulent (summer) cuttings forvarying periods of time. After each dryingtreatment, ΨW was measured on asample of cuttings and the remainder of thecuttings were transferred to a greenhouse withintermittent mist for 12 weeks.

Storage of cuttings for long periods (7 to 21h) of time under low vapor pressure deficitconditions resulted in less negative waterpotentials of the cuttings. Dormant cuttingsrooted at higher percentages, even after beingexposed to lower values of ΨW Thelower values of ΨW in dormantcuttings could be attributed to higher ambientvapor pressure deficit during the drying phase. Results suggest that subjecting cuttings tomoderate water stress for a short period oftime does not adversely affect the rooting ofcuttings. Cutting water potentials below −1.7MPa appeared to reduce rooting of succulentcuttings and water potentials below −2.0 MPaaffected rooting in dormant cuttings.

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Author notes

  1. Ramesh Murthy

    Present address: Columbia University, P.O. Box 689, Biosphere 2 Center, Oracle, AZ

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry, North Carolina State University, Box 8002, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8002

    Ramesh Murthy & Barry Goldfarb

Authors
  1. Ramesh Murthy
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  2. Barry Goldfarb
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Murthy, R., Goldfarb, B. Effect of handling and water stress on water status and rooting of loblolly pine stem cuttings. New Forests 21, 217–230 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012222207530

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012222207530

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