Clonal propagation through air layering in four endemic trees of Western Ghats

Abstract

The endemic plants of the Western Ghats of Peninsular India are facing severe threat of endangerment due to various physical and biological reasons. Many of these plants especially the trees are lacking any kind of propagation and multiplication strategies and are under brink of depletion even without keeping an alternate genetic stock. In this context, as part of the study on the development of propagation profiles and restoration of economically important endemic plants of the Western Ghats, four economically important endemic trees, viz., Antidesma montanum Blume, Humboldtia vahliana Wt., Lagerstroemia macrocarpa Wt. and Syzygium mundagom (Bourd.) Chithra, were investigated for their clonal rooting ability. Ring air layering on the lateral branches of the young stands of 3-5 year age was achieved with 50-60% success for the first time on NAA and IBA applications at 1000-1500 ppm, during the months of August-September. The success of air layering thus is recommended as a low cost and viable propagation method for multiplication and subsequent restoration and conservation, which in turn ensure the availability of materials for resource base utilization without affecting natural populations of the species in the long run.