Abstract
Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is a valuable stand-forming tree species introduced to Europe approximately 400 years ago from North America. Today it is widely planted throughout the world, first of all for wood production. In Hungary, where black locust has great importance in the forest management, it is mainly propagated by seeds. But since the seed-raised plants present a great genetic variation, this type of propagation can not be used for Robinia’s improved cultivars. In the Hungarian black locust clonal forestry, propagation from root cuttings can be used for reproduction of superior individuals or cultivars in large quantities. However, this method demands more care than raising seedlings from seeds and can be applied with success in well-equipped nurseries.
Highlights
Black locust produces valuable water-and rot-resistant timber and firewood, and provides nectar for making highquality honey
Autovegetative propagation develop all necessary organs by themselves, while heterovegetative propagation mean that a port of the vegetative apparatus originates from another plant, such as the various forms of grafting (Mátyás, 1983)
A working group in the Hungarian Forest Research Institute developed a method for a large-scale production of black locust plants from root cuttings, based on the vital sprouting ability of the roots of this species (Keresztesi, 1988)
Summary
Black locust produces valuable water-and rot-resistant timber and firewood, and provides nectar for making highquality honey. Black locust trees show considerable variability in stem and branching form, timber production, wood quality, and stress tolerance. From this point of view rapid propagation of selected superior trees is important for mass production of plants, with desirable genetic traits (Chalupa, 1992). The timber industry could convert only a small part of black locust wood into modern products because of its poor quality. This was the reason priority given for breeding this species and efforts were made to improve wood quality (Keresztesi, 1988). There is a need to improve specific establishment, tending and harvesting techniques tailored to meet the needs of particular cultivars (Keresztesi, 1988)
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