Abstract
Macropropagation using cutting for larger multiplying seedlings is cheaper and efficient instead of clonal seeds for uniform plant material seedling production. However, information on root growth of Eucalyptus pellita at early development from seed and stem cutting of E. pellita seedlings is still lacking. With such information, it is useful for forest plantation company management in enhancing the understanding of strategies to optimize yield production with the appropriate agronomic or silvicultural approach in the field of planting. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to compare the root development of two different types of propagation seedlings of E. pellita and to study the effect of various nitrogen concentration levels on two different types of propagation of E. pellita seedlings. The study was conducted using E. pellita seedlings from two different types of propagation, namely, seed and stem cuttings, along with three different nitrogen concentrations (0, 50, and 200 kg N ha−1). Shoot biomass, root intensity (RI), total root intensity (TRI), root biomass, root length density (RLD), and specific root length (SRL) were recorded. Dried shoot biomass, RLD, and SRL of E. pellita seedlings using stem cutting were significantly higher ( P < 0.05 ) compared to seed, whereas there were no significant differences ( P > 0.05 ) for root biomass, TRI, and RI between the propagation types of E. pellita seedlings. In conclusion, E. pellita seedlings from stem cutting were greater in terms of root distribution compared to propagation by seeds at the nursery stage, and 50 kg N ha−1 was the optimal nitrogen concentration level from the considered levels to be applied to the E. pellita seedlings.
Highlights
Plantation forestry using Eucalyptus spp. in Sabah, Malaysia, started in the 1970s [1] as part of a forest conservation effort [2]
Acacia mangium and hybrids have been the primary species planted in Sabah, especially in some forest plantation companies such as Acacia Forest Industries Sdn Bhd (AFI), Sabah Forest Development Authority (SAFODA), and Sabah Softwood Berhad (SSB)
Topsoil was taken from Tamparuli district, Sabah (30 km from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) campus). e soil properties were light grey (10YR 7/1) to grey (10YR 6/1, 5YR 6/1) to light brownish grey (2.5Y 6/2) with or without common yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) or red (10R 4/8) mottles; loamy sand to clay; pH 4.5–5.8; and cation exchangeable capacity (CEC) very friable between 2 and 20 cmol+ kg−1 [22]. e soil was airdried for seven days in a greenhouse, sieved using a 2.0 mm soil mesh, and filled into a pot. e moisture content of the soil sample before the experiment was 15.8%
Summary
Plantation forestry using Eucalyptus spp. in Sabah, Malaysia, started in the 1970s [1] as part of a forest conservation effort [2]. Sabah Softwood Berhad (SSB) is the first private forest plantation company in Sabah that pioneered using fastgrowing timber species, where E. deglupta was initially introduced during the early plantation development [4]. It was unsuccessful and was later replaced with other superior species such as Acacias, due to poor growth performance [2] and foliar pathogens [5]. A. mangium and hybrids performance are affected mainly by serious fungi Ceratocystis disease [5, 6], wilt [5], and Ganoderma philippii [7], which have caused death to about 10 to 20% of the Acacia trees in plantations [8]
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