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Cloning by cuttings in Nordmann fir, Abies nordmanniana: hormonal characteristics in relation crown position, rooting competence, and orthotropism as ramets

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Abstract

Conifer tree species belonging to Abies are notoriously difficult to propagate vegetatively due to aging of material, slow rooting, and persistent plagiotropism in rooted cuttings. We produced orthotropic shoots by reiteration from strongly pruned trees (5–6 years and 12–14 years, respectively), and harvested cuttings in summer. By HPLC–MS we analyzed the stem base of each cutting for initial hormonal status, and used state-of-the art techniques for a lengthy rooting procedure. Rooting efficiency and orthotropism of the resulting ramets were recorded. Hormonal content varied significantly among cuttings types with differing positional origins on the mother tree. High rooting percentages were obtained in all types; a low original position on the main stem gave slightly better rooting but orthotropism in the ramets was slightly less frequent. Striking differences were found in cytokinin profiles between cuttings from young and mature trees. This might explain a generally lower rooting success in the latter; neither auxin levels nor the auxin: active cytokinin ratio showed any correlation with rooting capacity. Cuttings from mature trees were also less likely to remain orthotropic after rooting. Cuttings that eventually developed into orthotropic ramets were characterized by low ABA, and high levels in a range of cytokinins. The study suggests that active: conjugated cytokinins may be related to the maturation process in trees and that cytokinin content may also relate to shoot dimorphism. These results contribute to a protocol for propagation of orthotropic ramets in a Massart model tree species with strong plagiotropism.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

IAA:

Indoleacetic acid

DHZ:

Dihydrozeatin

DHZR:

Dihydrozeatin riboside

DHZRP:

Dihydrozeatin riboside 5′ monophosphate

GA:

Gibberellic acid

IP:

Isopentenyladenine

IPR:

Isopentenyladenosine

IPRP:

Isopentenyladenosine 5′ monophosphate

LC–MS/MS:

Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Z:

Trans-zeatin

Z7G:

Zeatin-N7-glucoside

Z9G:

Zeatin-N9-glucoside

ZOG:

Trans-zeatin-O-glucoside

ZR:

Trans-zeatin-riboside

ZROG:

Trans-zeatin-riboside-O-glucoside

ZRP:

Trans-zeatin-riboside 5′ monophosphate

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by a donation from the Danish Production Fee Foundation for Christmas Trees and Greenery. The careful attendance to cuttings and young trees by Elin Marianne Rosenstrøm is greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences and Nature Resource Management, Section for Forest Nature and Biomass, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Hanne N. Rasmussen & Ulrik Bräuner Nielsen

  2. Department of Food Science, Differentiated and Biofunctional Foods, University of Aarhus, Århus, Denmark

    Martin Jensen

  3. Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8008, USA

    John Frampton

  4. Cheminova, FMC Site Rønland, Harboøre, Denmark

    Jens Hansen-Møller

Authors
  1. Hanne N. Rasmussen
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  2. Martin Jensen
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  3. John Frampton
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  4. Jens Hansen-Møller
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  5. Ulrik Bräuner Nielsen
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Contributions

HNR: Contribution to experimental design; contribution to run of experiments; contribution to data analysis and interpretation; major part of litterature work; project administration; writing of manuscript. UBN: Experimental design, contribution to run of experiments; main data analysis and interpretation, contribution to manuscript. MJ: Contribution to experimental design; practical responsibility for rooting cuttings; contribution to data interpretation, contribution to manuscript. JF: Consultant during the production of cutting material, contribution to data analysis and interpretation, contribution to manuscript. JH-M: Run of plant hormone analytical laboratory, contribution to manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hanne N. Rasmussen.

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Rasmussen, H.N., Jensen, M., Frampton, J. et al. Cloning by cuttings in Nordmann fir, Abies nordmanniana: hormonal characteristics in relation crown position, rooting competence, and orthotropism as ramets. New Forests 51, 781–800 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-019-09759-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-019-09759-0

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