Abstract
The early responses of leafy stem cuttings of Prunus and Castanea species with differing rooting abilities were assessed in a fog system using fluorescence measurements. Different types of cuttings of each species were used: cherry Prunus (‘GiSelA 5’, Prunus cerasus × Prunus canescens—148/2) and chestnut Castanea (‘Marsol’ and ‘Maraval’, Castanea crenata × Castanea sativa). The physiological status of cuttings in the early initiation phase was compared to the rooting results. For all cuttings, fluorescence measurements revealed a close-to-optimum photochemical efficiency, indicating that physiological stress (severance, water, etc.) was minimal. In cherry, the potential photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) differed slightly between terminal and basal cherry cuttings, being lower in the basal ones at the time of severance. Later in the propagation process, the differences were smaller. The photochemical efficiency did not differ between two ‘difficult-to-root’ Castanea clones, nor was it dependent on the length of the cuttings. The high rooting capacity of long Castanea cuttings (50 cm) indicated that physiological stress could be minimized under a fogging system.
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Acknowledgments
This work is a part of the Programme Horticulture No. P4-0013-0481 granted by the Slovenian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. The authors’ thanks to Mrs. Katarina Krulc for the well-done practical part of the work, as well as for the labour analyses, and also to Dr. Anita Solar for the plant material used in the experiment. We greatly appreciate Dr. Roger Leakey for careful reading of the manuscript.
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Communicated by D. Treutter.
An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00468-007-0150-2
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Mateja, Š., Dominik, V., Franci, Š. et al. The effects of a fogging system on the physiological status and rooting capacity of leafy cuttings of woody species. Trees 21, 491–496 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-006-0121-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-006-0121-z