Abstract
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 μg 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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Campinos, E.J. and Ikemori, Y.K. 1983. Mass production of Eucalyptus species by rooting cuttings. Silvicultura. 8: 770–775.
Delwaulle, J.C., Laplace, Y. and Quillet, G. 1983. Production massive de boutures d'Eucalyptus en Republique Populaire du Congo. Silvicultura. 8: 779–781.
Hawthorne, W. 1990. Field Guide to the Forest Trees of Ghana, Natural Resources Institute, Chatham, England. Ghana Forestry Series 1: 278 p.
Hoad, S.P. and Leakey, R.R.B. 1993. Morphological and physiological factors induced by light quality and affecting rooting in Eucalyptus grandis. pp. 51–58. In: Mass Production Technology for Genetically Improved Fast Growing Forest Tree Species Vol. 1. AFO-CEL/IUFRO Conference, 14–18 September 1992, Bordeaux, France.
Howard, F.W., Verdace, S.D. and de Filippis, J.D. 1988. Propagation of West Indies, Honduran and hybrid Mahoganies by cuttings, compared with seed propagation. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 101: 296–298.
Howland, P. and Bowen, M.R. 1977. Triplochiton scleroxylon (K. Schum) and other West African tropical hardwoods. West African Hardwoods Improvement Project. Research Report 1971–1977, Forest Research Institute of Nigeria, PMB 5059, Ibadan, Nigeria: 154 p.
Kwesiga, F.R. and Grace, J. 1986. The role of red:far red ratio in the response of tropical tree seedlings to shade. Ann. Bot. 57: 283–290.
Ladipo, D.O., Leakey, R.R.B. and Grace, J. 1992. Bud activity of decapitated, nursery-grown plants of Triplochiton scleroxylon in Nigeria: effects of light, temperature and humidity. For. Ecol. Manage. 50: 287–298.
Leakey, R.R.B. 1983. Stockplant factors affecting root initiation in cuttings of Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum., an indigenous hardwood of West Africa. J. Hort. Sci. 58: 277–290.
Leakey, R.R.B. 1985. The capacity for vegetative propagation in trees, pp. 110–133. In: Cannell, M.G.R. and Jackson, J.E. (Eds.) Attributes of Trees as Crop Plants. Proc. IUFRO Meeting, Edinburgh, July 1984. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Monks Wood, England.
Leakey, R.R.B. 1987. Clonal forestry in the tropics — a review of developments, strategies and opportunities. Commonw. For. Rev. 66: 61–75.
Leakey, R.R.B. and Coutts, M.P. 1989. The dynamics of rooting in Triplochiton scleroxylon cuttings: their relation to leaf area, node position, dry weight accumulation, leaf water potential and carbohydrate composition. Tree Physiology. 5: 135–146.
Leakey, R.R.B. and Mohammed, H.R.S. 1985. Effects of stem length on root initiation in sequential single-node cuttings of Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum., J. Hort. Sci. 60: 431–437.
Leakey, R.R.B. and Storeton-West, R. 1992. The rooting ability of Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum. cuttings: the interactions between stockplant irradiance, light quality and nutrients, For. Ecol. Manage. 49: 133–150.
Leakey, R.R.B., Chapman, V.R. and Longman, K.A. 1982a. Physiological studies for tropical tree improvement and conservation. Some factors affecting root initiation in cuttings of Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum., For. Ecol. Manage. 4: 53–66.
Leakey, R.R.B., Last, F.T. and Longman, K.A. 1982b. Domestication of forest trees: a process to secure the productivity and future diversity of tropical ecosystems. Commonw. For. Rev. 61: 33–42.
Leakey, R.R.B., Dick, J.McP. and Newton, A.C. 1993. Stockplant-derived variation in rooting ability: the source of physiological youth. pp. 171–178. In: Mass Production Technology for Genetically Improved Fast Growing Forest Tree Species, Vol. 1, AFOCEL/IUFRO Conference, 14–18 Sept. 1992, Bordeaux, France.
Leakey, R.R.B., Newton, A.C. and Dick, J.McP. 1994. Capture of genetic variation by vegetative propagation: processes determining success. pp. 72–83. In: Leakey, R.R.B. and Newton, A.C. (Eds.) Tropical Trees: Potential for Domestication, Rebuilding Genetic Resources. HMSO, London.
Libby, W.J. and Rauter, R.M. 1984. Advantages of clonal forestry. The Forestry Chronicle (Can) 60 (3): 145–149.
Mathias, P.J. 1988. Micropropagation of the tropical hardwoods Khaya ivorensis A. Chev. and Nauclea diderrichii (De Wild and Th. Dur.) Merril. Ph.D Thesis. University of Nottingham, 312 pp.
Newton, A.C. 1990. Seleccion por resistencia al perforador de las Meliaceas. Noticiero (5), Mejoramiento Genetico y Semillas Forestales para America Central. CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica. pp. 4–7.
Newton, A.C., Baker, P., Mesen, J.F. and Leakey, R.R.B. 1993a. The mahogany shoot-borer: prospects for control, For. Ecol. Manage. 57: 301–328.
Newton, A.C., Leakey, R.R.B. and Mesen, J.F. 1993b. Genetic variation in mahoganies: its importance, capture and utilization. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2: 114–116.
Newton, A.C., Leakey, R.R.B., Powell, W., Chalmers, K., Tchoundjeu, Z., Mathias, P.J., Alderson, P.G., Mesen, J.F., Baker, P. and Ramnavine, S. 1994. Domestication of Mahoganies, 256–266. In: Leakey, R.R.B. and Newton, A.C. (Eds.) Tropical Trees: Potential for Domestication. Rebuilding Forest Resources. HMSO, London.
Newton, A.C., Mesen, J.F., Dick, J.McP. and Leakey, R.R.B. 1993. Low-technology propagation of tropical trees: rooting physiology and its practical implications. pp. 417–424. In: Mass Production Technology for Genetically Improved Fast Growing Tree Species Vol. 2. AFOCEL/IUFRO Conference, 14–18 September 1992, Bordeaux, France.
Okali, D.U.U. and Ola-Adams, B.A. 1987. Tree population changes in treated rain forest at Omo Forest Reserve, South-western Nigeria. J. Trop. Ecol. 3: 291–313.
Snedecor, G.W. and Cochran, W.G. 1989. Statistical Methods, 7th Edition. The Iowa State University Press, Iowa, USA, 503 pp.
Tchoundjeu, Z. 1989. Vegetative propagation of the tropical hardwoods Khaya ivorensis A. Chev. and Lovoa trichilioides Harms. Ph.D Thesis. University of Edinburgh. 270 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tchoundjeu, Z., Leakey, R.R.B. Vegetative propagation of African Mahogany: effects of auxin, node position, leaf area and cutting length. New Forest 11, 125–136 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00033408
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00033408