Single-node Cuttings Research Articles

Disease-free Pre-Basic Seed Potato Production through Tissue Culture in Nepal

Pre-basic seed potatoes are disease free potato minitubers produced by transplanting pathogen free in vitro potato plantlets under protected condition in aphid-proof glasshouse and/or screen house. Double antibody sand witched - enzyme linked immuno-sorbant assay is used to test six major potato viruses, namely PLRV, PVS, PVX, PVY, PVA and PVM. Thermotherapy cum meristem tip excision techniques are used to eliminate these viruses. Virus free in vitro potato plantlets are rapidly propagated by single nodal cuttings on modified MS media. For pre-basic seed production disease free in vitro potato plantlets are transplanted in the sterile sand soil substrate under glasshouse and screen house, once in autumn season and next in spring season. Since 1990, National Potato Research Program has been producing about 200,000 pre-basic seeds annually. So far, PBS of 19 different recommended and released potato cultivars has been produced. Till date 3,465,799 PBS had been produced and 3,217,666 pre-basic seeds distributed to the different seed potato growers groups, District Agriculture Development Offices, government farms/research stations, and NGOs/INGOs for subsequent basic seed potato production. After establishment of tissue culture facilities in National Potato Research Program, the productivity of potato has been increased by 71% due to utilization of pre-basic seed potatoes.Nepal Agric. Res. J. Vol. 8, 2007, pp. 7-13DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/narj.v8i0.11564

Chilling requirements of contrasting black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivars and the induction of secondary bud dormancy

Chilling requirements for bud dormancy release and subsequent flower development in contrasting black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivars were assayed at temperatures ranging from +10 to −10°C using single node cuttings, entire detached shoots, and intact plants. While single node cuttings underestimated the chilling requirements of intact plants, severed shoots and intact plants produced similar results. Chilling at −5°C for 14 weeks or more were optimal for breaking of bud dormancy and promotion of flower development in most cultivars, flower development usually having greater chilling needs than bud break itself. Within certain limits, extension of the chilling period compensated for non-optimal chilling temperature. However, while exposure to −10°C for 8 weeks caused bud dormancy release, continued chilling for another 8 weeks inhibited bud break completely. We propose that excessive chilling induces secondary bud dormancy, a principle that is well established in seeds, but has to our knowledge, not been recognized for bud dormancy before. Marked genotypic differences were found and discussed. The observed severe chilling requirements of black currants concur with the reported vulnerability of this crop to declining winter chill in the wake of the ongoing global warming. Furthermore, elevated autumn temperature was found to induce a particularly deep dormancy state that further increases the chilling need.

Transcriptome analysis of indole-3-butyric acid-induced adventitious root formation in nodal cuttings of Camellia sinensis (L.).

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is a popular world beverage, and propagation of tea plants chiefly depends on the formation of adventitious roots in cuttings. To better understand potential mechanisms involved in adventitious root formation, we performed transcriptome analysis of single nodal cuttings of C. sinensis treated with or without indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) using the Illumina sequencing method. Totally 42.5 million RNA-Seq reads were obtained and these were assembled into 59,931 unigenes, with an average length of 732 bp and an N50 of 1292 bp. In addition, 1091 differentially expressed unigenes were identified in the tea cuttings treated with IBA compared to controls, including 656 up- and 435 down-regulated genes. Further real time RT-PCR analysis confirmed RNA-Seq data. Functional annotation analysis showed that many genes were involved in plant hormone signal transduction, secondary metabolism, cell wall organization and glutathione metabolism, indicating potential contributions to adventitious rooting. Our study presents a global view of transcriptome profiles of tea cuttings in response to IBA treatment and provides new insights into the fundamental mechanisms associated with auxin-induced adventitious rooting. Our data will be a valuable resource for genomic research about adventitious root formation in tea cuttings, which can be used to improve rooting for difficult-to-root varieties.

<b>Dormancy of 'Imperial Gala' apple and 'Hosui' pear tree buds in a region of low chill occurrence

The objective of this work was to evaluate the dormancy dynamic of Imperial Gala apple tree buds and Hosui pear tree buds in a region of low chill occurrence. Experiments were conducted between April and August in 2007 and 2008. Branches were collected every two weeks from an orchard at Porto Amazonas (Parana State, Brazil). On the last sampling day, an additional set of branches was collected and refrigerated between 4°C and 7°C for 1,440 hours. Dormancy was evaluated using a biological test of single node cuttings isolated in growth chambers (GC) at 25°C with 16 hours of light exposure. The number of chill hours (CH) and chill units (CU) for the region were recorded. The two species were evaluated in separate experiments. We used 11 completely randomized treatments with four replicas for each species. The peak of endodormancy for the Imperial Gala apple tree buds occurred in early June 2007 and from middle June to early July in 2008. The endodormancy of the Hosui pear tree buds oscillated between April and August in 2007 and peaked between June and early July in 2008.

Semi-sterilized Tissue Culture for Rapid Propagation of Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) Using Immature Cuttings

Rapid expansion of grapevine plantings in many parts of the world has led to increased demand for desirable planting stocks. In countries that rely on importing new varieties and have strict quarantine rules, such as Australia, vines need to stay under quarantine for ≈2 years before they are released, at which time there is very limited wood available. Hence, rapid expansion of propagating stock after release is the key to multiplying up new varieties. A novel method, referred to as Semi-sterilized Tissue Culture (SSTC) using immature single-node cuttings, was established and evaluated as a way of rapid expansion of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) planting stock. In the SSTC method, immature single-node cuttings were surface-sterilized using methylated spirits and then cultured in the root pulsing medium [1/2 Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 40 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)] for 24 hours. They were then planted in sterilized aerobic rooting medium (sphagnum peat:coarse river sand:perlite = 0.5:1:2) and cultured in a tissue culture room for ≈4 weeks for root initiation and development. The rooted immature single-node cuttings were then transferred to normal propagation beds in a greenhouse and potted on for acclimatization. Tube stock generated by SSTC easily acclimatized with a 15 times higher root strike rate than cutting propagation. It also took at least 50% less time than fully sterilized micropropagation methods to produce planting stocks. The advantages of the SSTC method are that it can be conducted under semisterilized conditions, avoiding degeneration and bacterial contamination problems encountered in micropropagation methods. By removing the time-consuming steps of the explant establishment, proliferation, and maintenance in vitro, the propagation process was simplified compared with conventional sterile tissue culture procedures. The SSTC procedure removed the need for high operator skill levels, reducing expense and allowing easier commercial adoption.

Métodos biológicos para avaliar a brotação de gemas em macieira para modelagem da dormência

A biological method was developed to evaluate the dormancy state of apple buds under controlled conditions. Cuttings (20-25 cm long) of ‘Castel Gala’ and ‘Royal Gala’ were sampled during the winter period, evaluating different cold and heat regimes to induce budbreak. Contrasts were tested in plant material processing (single node x intact cuttings), cold storage method to break dormancy in incubator chambers (planted in pots with floral foam x wrapped in plastic film, vertically or horizontally) and budbreak method in plant growth chambers (base immersed in water x planted in floral foam). Intact cuttings stored vertically in the cold represented better the natural interactions between buds than single node cuttings. Budbreak of lateral buds was strongly influenced by apical dominance. Wrapping cuttings in plastic film optimized internal space usage in the incubators and the number of evaluated buds, compared to planting cuttings in pots. During the warm period in the growth chambers, intact cuttings on floral foam resulted in better bud preservation and survival throughout the evaluation period, compared to cuttings with bases immersed in water. The most suitable conditions to evaluate dormancy evolution in apple buds used plastic-wrapped intact cuttings stored vertically during the cold period, with budbreak evaluation in the warm period after planting the cuttings in floral foam. Standardization of methodology helps to obtain better results in the development of physiological models of dormancy.

Flower yield and quality of two rose cultivars grown in phenolic foam LC slab and phenolic foam RC slab in comparison to perlite and rockwool slab

Two standard cut rose (Rosa hybrida) ‘Rock Fire’ and ‘Feel Lip’ were propagated by single nodal cuttings. Each cutting with a five-leaflet leaf was stuck in a rockwool cube (Delta, 5 cm × 5 cm × 5 cm, Grodan Co., Ltd., Denmark) on May 16, 2011. After 32 days, rooted uniform saplings were transplanted onto the four different growing media, perlite (Pergreen, No. 1, G-Biotech Co., Ltd., Korea), rockwool slab (Delta, 100 cm × 20 cm × 7.5 cm, Grodan Co. Ltd., Denmark), phenolic foam LC slab (100 cm × 20 cm × 7.5 cm, Smithers Oasis Co., Ltd., Korea), or phenolic foam RC slab (100 cm × 20 cm × 7.5 cm, Smithers Oasis Co., Ltd., Korea), laid out in a completely randomized design on a bench in a commercial grower’s plastic house. The nutrient solution was supplied uniformly through a drip irrigation system. The irrigation frequency was dependent on amount of solar radiation. Yield and quality of harvested flower stems were measured for five successive harvests during a period of 11 months. Growth parameters measured were stem length, stem diameter, number of five-leaflet leaves per stem, stem fresh weight, number of harvested cut flowers per ten plants by grade, total yield, and tissue contents of inorganic elements. Measured growth parameters, such as stem length, number and quality of harvested stems, and contents of inorganic elements, were similar in all the tested growing media, except perlite in which these values were the lowest. The results obtained suggests that the widely used rockwool slab can be replaced with the new phenolic medium such as phenolic foam LC slab for commercial scale hydroponic productions of cut roses.

The Influence of Biochar on Growth of Lettuce and Potato

Pot experiments were conducted in a glasshouse to determine the growth pattern of lettuce, true potato seedlings (TPS) and single node cuttings of TPS in response to biochar. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 5 treatments (0, 10, 30, 50 and 100 t ha−1) of biochar from greenwaste with 5 replications in lettuce, 10 in TPS and 5 in single node cuttings of TPS. The observations recorded on growth parameters showed that biochar had significant effect on growth of lettuce but no consistent effect on growth of TPS and single node cuttings. Among the biochar rates, 30 t ha−1 had the greatest influence on overall growth of lettuce. The pH and electrical conductivity increased as the biochar rates increased in all experiments. These results provide an avenue for soil management system by using biochar as an amendment in horticultural crops. However, their verification in the field is important for specific recommendations.

Effect of explant type on the rooting and acclimatization of Dianthus serotinus Waldst. & Kit.

The effect of the concentration of MS salts and explant type on D. serotinus rooting and acclimatization was investigated in order to optimize a protocol for the micropropagation of this species. The obtained results showed that explant type as well as the concentration of MS salts had a significant effect on rooting, and the highest rooting rate (85-86,7%) was achieved when culturing single-node cuttings and terminal buds on a half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0,5 mgL-1 NAA. Nevertheless, mean number of roots per explant was higher on the MS media (15,3-18,6) than on the half-strength MS media (11,8-13,4). The best acclimatization rate was obtained in a 4:1 mixture of peat and sand (83,3-86,7%). The explant type from which in vitro plantlets developed had no effect on the acclimatization rate.

In vitro multiplication of Wthnia somnifera auxiliary buds for mass propagation

Wthnia somnifera of family Solanaceae commonly known as Amukkara or Ashwaganda is animportant medicinal perennial herb with long tapering roots. The roots arc widely used in ayurvedicmedicine and prescribed for hiccup, female disorders, cough and rheumatism. Wild and cultivatedforms are available and cultivated plants differ in morphological and therapeutical action from wildones. The annual requirement 01'42347 kg is imported from India spending Rs. 2, 840,449 (lUCN ,20(5). Development ofa method for in vitro mass production of this valuable species would substantiallyreduce the import cost and generate employment opportunities. This study was conducted to developan ill vitro protocol for mass production of W somniferaIn vitro grown seedlings ofW. somniferaweie used to excise single nodal cuttings and cultured onMS (Murashige & Skoog, 1962) medium. The effect ofNAA (0, 0.1,0.2 mg/I) in combination withBAP (0.5., 1.0, 1.5 mg/l) on shoot proliferation was tested in solid and liquid MS media containing twolevels of sucrose (3% and 4%). Proliferation (number of plant lets produced) was observed at weeklyintervals.Highest shoot proliferation rate (I: 20) was observed in solid MS medium containing 3% sucrose and1.5mg/1 BAP after two months. In solid MS medium with 4% sucrose and 1.0 rng/l BAP 1: 10 shootprol iferation rate was observed after two months. During the same time period I: IS shoot prol iferationrate was observed in solid MS medium with 3% sucrose, 0.5 mg/l BAP and 0.2 mg/l NAA, where I:12 proliferation rate was observed when BAP concentration increased up to 1.0 mg/l. Solid MS mediaboth with 3% and 4% sucrose levels and 0.5 mg/l BAP showed some proliferated shoots while othersolid cultures were not proliferated. However cultures containing NAA in addition to BAP enhancerooting of proliferated shoots before transferring the separated shoots to rooting media. The explantsin liquid MS medium with 4% sucrose and 1.0 mg/I BAP, proliferation initiated in one week andgavc 1:40 shoot multiplication rate after two months. Rest of the liquid cultures with different BAPand NAA combinations were not proliferated within the same time duration.Finally it can be concluded that highest shoot proliferation of W sonmifera through single nodalcuttings can be obtained on liquid MS medium with 4% sucrose and 1.0 mg/l BAP.

ROSE DEVELOPMENT UNDER BLUE LIGHT ENVIRONMENT: BEHAVIOUR OF THREE CULTIVARS OF ROSE BUSHES

Ornamental plant shape is one of the main criteria of plant sale value. Under horticultural practices, plant shape is classically modulated through the use of growth regulators that enhance plant capacity. Increasing concern about environmental preservation encourages for the search of new environmental-friendly practices. Light is known to be the environmental factor that most affects plant architecture and thus plant shape. Using specific light quality rather than chemicals could not only contribute to preserve the environment, but also cause new aesthetical effects on plant shape. With this objective, we studied the impact of blue light on three rose cultivars, Rosa hybrida 'Radrazz', Rosa hybrida 'Meiratcan' and Rosa chinensis 'Old Blush'. Plants were grown from single node cuttings under white (Mastec 36 Watt; white/33 cool neons), or blue light (Philips TL-D 36, Watt/18, blue neons) at an equal photosynthetic efficiency (110 mu mol.m(-2).s(-1)) until the end of flowering of second order axes. Surprisingly, plants grown under blue light had normal vegetative and floral developments: for the cultivars 'Radrazz' and 'Old Blush', morphological and architectural characteristics as length and diameter of first and second order axes, number and localisation of second order axes, number and length of metamers, were similar between the two light treatments. However, for Rosa hybrida 'Meiratcan', both organogenesis and growth were slightly affected by blue light with a decrease of metamer number, axis length and axis diameter for the order 1 axes and a decrease of the number of order 2 axes. These results thus reveal the strong adaptive properties of rose plants to their light environment, but the effects of blue light are cultivar dependent. As far as horticultural practices are concerned, testing the effect of blue light on a cultivar is necessary before deciding if blue light is an efficient treatment to modulate or change rose plant shape.

In vitro mutagenesis of rose (Rosa hybrida L.) explants using gamma-radiation to induce novel flower colour mutations

SummaryThe hybrid tea rose (Rosa hybrida L.) cultivar, ‘Pusa Mohit’ was mutagenised under in vitro conditions. Single node cuttings (25 cuttings per treatment with three replications) were irradiated with different doses of γ-rays (0, 5, 10, 15, 25, 40, 55, 65, 70, or 80 Gy) using a 60Co source. The γ-irradiated explants were then cultured aseptically on Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplemented with 15.53 µM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) plus 0.54 µM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) plus 1.44 µM gibberellic acid (GA3) plus 0.8% (w/v) agar-agar to induce sprouting and shoot proliferation.The 40 Gy treatment was determined to be the LD50 dose. Explants treated at higher doses (65, 70, or 80 Gy) showed deleterious effects of ionising radiation. Few explants sprouted, showed poor growth and failed to survive after the first sub-culture. Morphological abnormalities such as fused leaves, leaf albinism, leaves with lower levels of chlorophyll, variegated leaves, and stunted growth were observed at intermediate doses (25, 40, or 55 Gy). Decreased shoot lengths, numbers of roots per shoot, and root lengths were observed at 55 Gy. In vitro-raised mutant plants and non-irradiated (control) plants were transferred to plastic pots 1 month after acclimatisation under laboratory conditions and examined for their morphological traits. Marked variations were recorded between the mutated and control populations. Four flower colour mutants with altered or novel flower colours compared to the original flower colour were isolated. These mutants were multiplied on a large-scale through micropropagation and evaluated for their stability.This study developed a mutagenesis protocol that could be used to develop novel colour mutants in rose.

NFT 수경재배에서 양액 종류 및 삽수 크기가 고구마 바이러스 무병주 생육에 미치는 영향

To develop a technique for mass-propagation of virus-free sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] plant using nutrient film technique (NFT), the growth characteristics of 4 cultivars as affected by nutrient solution composition and cutting size were investigated. 72 cells (35 mL/cell) plug trays filled with vermiculite and perlite (1:1, v/v) were used. Vine length, fresh and dry weights of virus-free plants were the greatest in the nutrient solution recommended by National Horticultural Research Station in Japan, followed by that recommended by National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science in Korea, and Yamazaki's nutrient solution for lettuce. The growth of uppershoot cuttings was the best among 4 subsections of cutting. Vine length, and fresh and dry weights increased in the longer cutting treatments, and were better in 'Shinzami' and 'Yeonhwangmi' than those in 'Mannami' and 'Shincheonmi'. Vine diameter and length of the longest root were not significantly affected by the cutting size and cutting source. The growth characteristics of the single node cutting were not significantly different from those in 2-node cutting. The efficiency of rapid mass-propagation could be promoted with single node cuttings and uppershoot cuttings grown in NFT system.

Identification of genes involved in indole-3-butyric acid-induced adventitious root formation in nodal cuttings of Camellia sinensis (L.) by suppression subtractive hybridization

The plant hormone auxin plays a key role in adventitious rooting. To increase our understanding of genes involved in adventitious root formation, we identified transcripts differentially expressed in single nodal cuttings of Camellia sinensis treated with or without indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) by suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH). A total of 77 differentially expressed transcripts, including 70 up-regulated and 7 down-regulated sequences, were identified in tea cuttings under IBA treatment. Seven candidate transcripts were selected and analyzed for their response to IBA, and IAA by real time RT-PCR. All these transcripts were up regulated by at least two folds one day after IBA treatment. Meanwhile, IAA showed less positive effects on the expression of candidate transcripts. The full-length cDNA of a F-box/kelch gene was also isolated and found to be similar to a group of At1g23390 like genes. These unigenes provided a new source for mining genes related to adventitious root formation, which facilitate our understanding of relative fundamental metabolism.

Índice para a avaliação da intensidade de dormência de gemas de fruteiras de clima temperado

O objetivo da pesquisa foi determinar um índice de dormência (ID) de gemas de fruteiras de clima temperado para a avaliação do teste biológico de estacas de nós isolados. Os testes biológicos foram realizados no período de abril a setembro dos anos de 2007 e 2008, com ameixeira, pessegueiro, caquizeiro, quivizeiro e videira. Com base nos valores de tempo médio para brotação (TMB), taxa final de brotação (TF), velocidade de brotação (VB), taxa de brotações vigorosas (TBV) e suas correlações, foi desenvolvido o ID para as cinco espécies. As classes de interpretação de dormência foram separadas em profunda, intensa, moderada, fraca e ausente. O ID desenvolvido para a avaliação do teste biológico de dormência de gemas de fruteiras de clima temperado demonstrou ser uma importante ferramenta para interpretação dos resultados com maior precisão.

Effects of different concentrations of Humi-Fert Ultra organic matter on mini-tuber production of potato cultivars under in vivo condition

This study was conducted to evaluate the Humi-Fert Ultra organic matter effects on mini-tuber production of potato cultivars during 2010 and 2011. Seedlings of Agria, Savalan, Marfona and Sprit cultivars were raised using single node cuttings under optimum light intensity and temperature for two months. Then, seedlings were propagated by single node cuttings. Experiment design was factorial based on completely randomized design with three replications of two factors, where the first factor included three levels of Humi-Fert Ultra (0, 2 and 3 ml in 300 L of water) and second factor included four potato cultivars (Agria, Savalan, Marfona and Sprit). The seedlings were planted with 10 cm distances between rows and 10 cm between plantlets in planting beds of Mikskaar peat mass with punce (1:1 v/v) in greenhouse. The Humi-Fert Ultra was used in three germinations, tuberaztion and bulking stages. Analysis of variance showed significant differences between different levels of Humi-Fert Ultra, cultivars and their interaction as traits mini-tuber number and weight per square meter; mini-tuber size average, mini-tuber number 7 g had significant differences. Maximum mini-tuber number and weight per square meter, mini-tuber size average and mini-tuber number between 3 and 7 g was relative to Savalan cultivar in Humi-Fert Ultra with 2 ml per 300 L of water. In this experiment, Humi-Fert Ultra organic matter increased mini-tuber number per square meter in Savalan cultivar with about 420 numbers. Key words: Mini-tuber, potato, Humi-Fert Ultra, organic matter.

Calibration and validation of grapevine budburst models using growth-room experiments as data source

Robust calibration of phenological models requires long term field observations, which are not always available or sufficiently widespread. This has motivated the evaluation of short-term experiments using cuttings under semi-controlled conditions as an alternative data source. Single-node cuttings from two grapevine cultivars were exposed to variable chilling durations and allowed to sprout in a growth room. The observed budburst dates and temperature series were used to calibrate two budburst models, which were validated against a 39-year field observation dataset by means of a fuzzy-logic based integrated index (FI). Satisfying validation scores were obtained, ranging from 0.262 to 0.411 on a 0-1 scale (best-worst response).The experiment was then inverted, using field data for calibration and cuttings for validation, and FI scores ranging between 0.352 and 0.495 were obtained. On this occasion however, the models were not able to estimate budburst occurring after short chilling exposures, where they returned either high overestimations or failed completely. This was due to the narrow winter length variability in the field dataset, which made the optimization algorithm converge towards unrealistically high chilling requirements and artifactual descriptions of the temperature effects on dormancy. Cutting-based calibration on the other hand produced parameterizations that were more consistent with available experimental knowledge.Despite this difference between them, the two approaches proved to be equivalent under the climatic conditions present, but not when tested on projected scenarios of climate change over the period 1990–2090, where cutting-calibrated models, which are more sensitive to decreasing winter length, predicted higher variations of the budburst dates.

Genotype × environmental interactions for analyzing adaptability and stability in different clones of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb

In total 36 superior clones of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb., screened from 300 selections conducted in natural and growing range of India and Nepal, were multiplied using single nodal cuttings and established to evaluate genotypeenvironmental interactions for adaptability and stability at the age of 30 months in three geographical locations in the state of Punjab, India. Clone 124 had maximum adaptability and stability (bi = 1.04) to perform exceedingly well over the locations. Clones 36 and 1 were stable with mean regression coefficient of 0.84 and 1.22, respectively. Nonetheless, clone 41 performed exceedingly well for all the characters to attain maximum population mean, and the performance varied substantially across the locations. Therefore, clone 41 was considered as productive but non-adaptive clone. Though some of the clones were sensitive to sites, 14 clones for height, 16 for collar diameter, 12 for DBH and 7 for volume were relatively un-sensitive with higher regression coefficient. Nonetheless, clone 124 was the most stable with average bi value of 1.04 and productive, which could play an important role in future breeding and commercial deployment of stable and productive planting stock of Dalbergia sissoo.

Dormancy of Fig Cultivated under Moroccan Conditions

Fig (Ficus carica L.) is a deciduous species well adapted to Mediterranean conditions but its chilling requirement is still not well understood. The present study examines the pattern of bud-break in seven fig cultivars over two years under Moroccan conditions. Evaluation of dormancy behavior was made using a biological test known as “single node cuttings” carried out under controlled conditions. The responses of cultivars from Morocco, Italy, Spain and France were assessed. The period from full leaf fall to bud-break was characterized by a small variation (10 - 20 days) which did not appear to reflect the origin of the cultivars. Steady-sates were at high level in the middle of December or in January depending on the year. During the cold period, MTB didn’t exceed 200 days for “Borjassate noire”, “Ournakssi” and “Kadota” and varied from 100 to 128 days for the other cultivars. Therefore, dormancy was not deep and its period was short. Forcing bud during the coldest period allowed to a bud break but it didn’t exceed 10% and dormancy wasn’t complete. Missing bud break wasn’t observed and the geographic origin of examined cultivars didn’t seem to determine the length, and the deepness of bud dormancy. Bud-break occurred within a month of last leaf fall in the cultivars, indicating that they were all suited to commercial production in Morocco. Apparently, bud-break is more reliable in fig than it is in other Rosaceous species in this environment.

Miscanthus × giganteus Can be Propagated from Stem Cuttings

Abstract Giant miscanthus was successfully propagated with 1 or 2-node basal stem cuttings in July and 2-node basal stem cuttings in September. Upper single nodes, especially those 3rd and 4th most distal from the crown, rooted very poorly. There were no consistent differences among peat, perlite, peat: perlite and vermiculite media; however, in July 2007, cuttings in peat: perlite had significantly higher root dry weights than those in other media; and in July 2006, both peat and peat: perlite had significantly higher dry weights than did vermiculite or perlite. Single-node cuttings produced a higher proportion of plants, but 2-node cuttings had significantly more roots, longer roots and higher dry weights. Two-node September cuttings showed a higher percentage of rooting from the upper nodes than did July cuttings of either size. Although 2-node cuttings require larger propagation space and more materials, they produce less waste and a larger finished product than do single-node cuttings.