Terminal Cuttings Research Articles

Biochemical and physiological effects of propagule type and auxin concentration on adventitious root formation in novel Jasmine genotypes

Jasmine is primarily propagated through asexual methods, and bio-stimulants can improve soil fertility around plant roots. Some jasmine genotypes are mainly propagated through cuttings; however, the rooting process is slow and inconsistent. Specific jasmine genotypes are primarily propagated through cuttings, but the rooting process is slow and uneven. This study evaluated the regeneration potential of stem cuttings by investigating the effects of auxins and various propagule types on adventitious root formation, along with associated biochemical changes. A field experiment conducted by the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping at TNAU, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, from December 2023 to June 2024, during the winter monsoon, investigated the rooting of stem cuttings in three Jasminum genotypes using auxin. Stem cuttings of J. sambac Double Flower type (DF), J. grandiflorum White Flower type (WF) and a new cultivar of J. multiflorum CO.1 Winter Jasmine (CO.1 WJ) were treated with three Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA) concentrations (0.5, 1, 1.5 g L-1) and distilled water as control. Utilizing a Factorial, Completely Randomized Design for terminal and semi-hardwood cuttings, the study found that rooting hormone significantly enhanced root formation and stem and shoot growth. Semi-hardwood cuttings of J. sambac (DF) treated with 1g L-1 IBA had the highest rooting rate (88.60%), number of roots (9.34), root length (12.74 cm), shoot length (10.26 cm) and number of leaves (6.60). The highest rooting rate of 48.15% was obtained from the terminal cuttings of J. grandiflorum (WF) that had been treated with 1g L-1 IBA, in addition to other parameters such as number of roots (13.52), root length (12.03 cm), shoot length (14.30 cm), and number of leaves (13.48). On the other hand, J. multiflorum (CO.1 WJ) recorded the highest rooting rate of 72.23%, root number of 16.52, root length of 17.22 cm, shoot length of 14.14 cm and number of leaves, which was pegged at 31.70 when terminal cuttings were treated with 1g L-1 IBA. The current findings indicate that the application of auxins is crucial for promoting early root initiation and achieving higher rooting success, making it advantageous for vegetative propagation.

Effect of IBA on Rooting and Growth of (Ixora chinensis L.) Terminal Cutting

The experiment was conducted at College of Horticulture, Dapoli under Dr. Balasaheb Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, in 2023. It comes under tropical location with an average well distributed rainfall 3500-4000 mm during June to October. The soil is come under lateritic textural class varied with loam, clay, sandy loam. Ixora is popular ornamental but difficult to root plant was used for the experiment. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with eight treatments and three replications. Mature terminal cuttings of size 10-15 cm length with 4-5 leaves are dip for 5 min in the solution consisting different Indole Butryic Acid concentrations i.e. (control) 250, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 ppm solutions. The cuttings under study recorded significant variation with respect to all the parameters, The results showed that among all treatments survival percentage (60%) maximum plant height (18.17cm), maximum number of leaves (14.08), stem girth (3.91 mm), longest root length (9.03cm), number of secondary roots (17.93), fresh and dry weight of shoot ( 3.55, 1.03g), fresh and dry weight of root (1.40, 1.18g) was recoded in T4 treatment consisting 1000 ppm IBA solution. However, for maximum number of primary roots (7.27) was observed in T3 (500 ppm) treatment.

Influence of IBA and NAA on Rooting of Terminal Cuttings of Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora L.)

The present investigation was conducted at the Agricultural College and Research Institute, Vazhavachanur, Tiruvannamalai to study the effect of Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA) and Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) on the rooting of terminal cuttings of chrysanthemum. An application of growth regulators (IBA and NAA) had a positive effect on the rooting of chrysanthemum terminal cuttings. The result of the experiment revealed that the treatment of IBA @ 400ppm significantly increased rooting percentage (89%), length of roots (5.67 cm), root spread (39.18 cm), number of roots (22.67), fresh weight of roots (4.94 g), plantlet weight (1.17 g), and plant height (8.87 cm) followed by NAA @ 400 ppm (79.33%), while minimum rooting percentage (47) was observed in control. It can be concluded that the treatment of IBA @ 400ppm significantly increased rooting percentage, roots length, number of roots, plantlet weight and plant height has greater survival percentage in the terminal cuttings of chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora).

Cutting Propagation of ‘Coy’ Alder-leaf Mountain Mahogany

‘Coy’ alder-leaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus) is a new cultivar developed from a species native to the western United States with potential for use in xeriscaping, rock gardens, and water-efficient landscaping. However, efficient propagation methods are not well developed for it. In this study, cutting propagation of ‘Coy’ alder-leaf mountain mahogany was investigated over 3 years to evaluate the effects of wounding method, rooting hormone, type of cuttings collected, and time for cutting collection on rooting. In May, Jul, and Sep 2020, 2021, and 2022, nondormant hardwood subterminal cuttings and/or semihardwood terminal cuttings were collected for wounding studies. Before the treatment with 3000 mg·L−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in powder, cuttings were wounded either by scraping one side (scrape) or by perpendicular cuts around the base (cut), and cuttings without additional wounding were used as the control. Similarly, subterminal and terminal cuttings of ‘Coy’ alder-leaf mountain mahogany were collected during the same time and were used for hormone treatments. Cuttings were treated with 1000 or 3000 mg·L−1 IBA in powder or 1000/500 or 3000/1500 mg·L−1 IBA/NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid) in solution. Wounding by cut or scrape increased the rooting percentage. In addition, most cuttings wounded by the scrape method had better rooting than those wounded with cuts. On the basis of hierarchical cluster analyses, cuttings treated with 3000 mg·L−1 IBA in powder had greater rooting than those treated with other hormones. Therefore, our research showed that successful rooting of subterminal or terminal stem cuttings of ‘Coy’ alder-leaf mountain mahogany can be achieved through wounding using scrape method and by treatment with 3000 mg·L−1 IBA in powder.

Treatments of Coleus forskholii that increase rooting to get larger crude forskolin extract

The aim is study of effect of some phytohormones and microelements in a tissue culture system to extract forskolin by different solvents from hairy roots in Plectranthus barbatus Andr. (Syn.Coleus forskohlii Briq.). Our results indicated that, the best parameters for increasing the number and length of roots were by indole butyric acid. Low concentrations of boron and silicon also promote rooting of Coleus cuttings. Methanol is a more efficient solvent than ethanol and ethyl acetate in forskolin extraction. Root hairs of the terminal cuttings of Coleus forskohlii appear after treatment with bacterial inoculum Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Forskolin levels increased to 13 and 5.3 mg/L in hair roots after 4 weeks of incubation. Forskolin extraction from tissue culture media is more efficient (40 mg/L per g wet weight) compared to extraction from root cuttings (13 mg/10 g wet weight).

Rooting dynamics of ‘kustee’ honeybush (Cyclopia genistoides) as affected by seasonality and the manipulation of stock plant characteristics

Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.), a legume endemic to the Fynbos biome of South Africa, has gained popularity as a herbal tea, particularly for its unique honey-like flavour, low tannin content and high antioxidant status. However, extensive wild-harvesting practices are a concern as this continued practice is placing pressure on natural stands. To ensure a sustainable supply of high-quality tea, a switch to clonal cultivation is required. In this study, the rooting potential of cuttings from four clonal types of Cyclopia genistoides was evaluated, following rejuvenation of stock plants over various regrowth periods, with cutting material collected over different seasons and phenological phases. The highest rooting success of >90 % was achieved following either six- or nine months of regrowth in winter and spring. Cutting dry weight positively correlated with rooting percentages in summer and autumn rooted cuttings. Extended periods of regrowth highlighted clonal differences in rooting success whilst no clonal differences occurred in shorter regrowth periods of less than a year. Cuttings (clones ‘GK3’ and ‘GK5’) made following regrowth of more than 12 months differed significantly, with ‘GK3’ rooting percentages that were lower in comparison to ‘GK5’ cutting material, when harvested in winter (30 %; 82 %) and the following autumn (37 %; 100 %), but were comparable when harvested in the preceding summer, autumn and spring. Stock plant phenology of C. genistoides at harvesting influenced rooting as low rooting percentages consistently coincided when the harvesting of cutting material coincided with the flowering period. The use of terminal cuttings collected from the current season's growth during a vegetative phase, following a six- or nine-month regrowth period, is recommended for C. genistoides stock plants to achieve acceptable to high rooting success in cutting material.

Stock plant etiolation reduces rooting of sub-terminal olive cuttings by reducing total sugars, IAA, indole/phenol ratio, and IAA/GA ratio

Adventitious root formation is the key to successful propagation of olives through cuttings. Etiolation, as an eco-friendly practice, can modulate the plant’s endogenous phytohormone, which plays an important role in stimulation of rooting of cuttings. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of etiolation on the rooting behavior of both ‘Manzanillo’ and ‘Picual’ olive cuttings (terminal and sub-terminal) treated with IBA (0, 4000 ppm). The results indicated that sub-terminal cuttings in both cultivars were more effective in olive propagation than terminal cuttings as they recorded increased leaves number, C/N ratio, total carbohydrates, total indoles, IAA, IAA/GA ratio, and total phenols. Etiolation of both olive cultivars for both terminal and sub-terminal cuttings significantly decreased rooting percent, roots number, IAA, and IAA/GA ratio; while, it increased GA and GA/IAA. Moreover, etiolation decreased total sugars, IAA, IAA/GA ratio, and indole/phenol ratio in both sub-terminal cuttings. Terminal ‘Manzanillo’ cuttings achieved a higher rooting percent than terminal ‘Picual’ cuttings by 5.83% and 202.2% as mean of both seasons for untreated and IBA-treated cuttings, which was accompanied by significant increase in vascular bundle%, total phenol, phenol/indole ratio, IAA, and IAA/GA ratio by 21.48%, 49.2%, 44.72%, 12.9%, and 22.9%, respectively. Also, terminal ‘Manzanillo’ cuttings recorded lower GA by 7.98% and GA/IAA ratio by 18.21% and pith by 6.13% than terminal ‘Picual’ cuttings. This study proved that olive plants need exposure to full sunlight to propagate easily by cuttings since etiolation had negative effects on IBA-treated cuttings.

Evaluation of the rhizogenic effect of organic products using two types of substrate in cuttings of hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Within the industry for the production of ornamental plant species, the hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is one of the moststriking and popular, due to its beauty and the size of its inflorescences. Its production starts regularly from terminal cuttings thatneed to be rooted. In the present work, the rhizogenic capacity of four commercial products based on growth regulators and twoorganic products was tested: aloe medullary parenchyma and algae extract. The results found showed the efficiency of aloe vera toproduce callus in the cuttings and maintain their turgidity, which implies that it can be used on a small and medium scale in therooting of herbaceous cuttings such as those of Hydrangea macrophylla.

Resposta de espinafre-brasileiro (Alternanthera sissoo) ao material de propagação e à aplicação de fertilizante NPK

ABSTRACT Alternanthera sissoo is currently propagated using stem or terminal cuttings, since it does not produce fertile seeds. This research aimed to identify the most effective propagation planting material among rooted stump, stem cutting and terminal cutting, as well as their response to the application of NPK fertilizer. The results showed a better performance for stem cutting than for rooted stump or apical cutting. The canopy area was positively related to the longest diameter (R2 = 0.92) and the average of two-way cross-sectional diameter (R2 = 0.89). The number of branches, branch fresh weight, leaf fresh and dry weights did not vary among the planting materials; however, the total number of leaves, branch and root dry weights were higher for stem cutting. Stem cutting is also available in a larger quantity than the other two planting materials when collected from each mother plant. Therefore, it is recommended for optimizing leaf yield in A. sissoo. The species positively responded to NPK fertilization, as shown by the increase of the SPAD value for 6 to 12 days after the initial application. Therefore, for maximizing yield, it should be regularly fertilized with NPK every 3 weeks, coinciding with the time that the SPAD index falls back to pre-NPK application levels.

Vegetative Propagation and ISSR-Based Genetic Identification of Genotypes of Ilex aquifolium ‘Agrifoglio Commune’

The market demand for interesting varieties and cultivars of Ilex aquifolium necessitates the exploration and sustainable exploitation of plant individuals thriving in nature without human care. In this work, an effort was made to develop a simple and reliable protocol for vegetative propagation of I. aquifolium plants, with desirable-for-market characteristics, grown in a mountain area of Halkidiki, Greece, and at the same time to proceed with their genetic identification using molecular markers. From these plants, new plants were vegetatively produced which afterward were used as stock plants for providing the needed shoot cuttings for the experiments of rooting and leaves for their genetic analysis. Factors studied in formulating a propagation protocol included the season of cutting collection and the application of 0.2% 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), as well as the type of shoot cuttings (terminal, subterminal) and the application of auxin. It was found that application of NAA was crucial for rooting response and number of roots formed, whereas the season effect was not significant on rooting. Terminal cuttings treated with 0.2% NAA exhibited the highest rooting percentage (100%) and formed abundant roots (25.7) compared to subterminal ones. All rooted cuttings, after being potted and transferred to acclimatization greenhouse, were successfully hardened. In the spring of the next year, the produced plants blossomed abundantly and formed fruits (bright red berries) presenting their characteristic ornamental appearance that was maintained until Christmas. For the identification procedure, the genotypic profile of the stock plants was also investigated by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) genetic analysis, revealing that they were genetically the same both among themselves and when compared with a certified I. aquifolium ‘Agrifoglio Commune’ individual, but they differed genetically from I. aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata’ and I. aquifolium ‘Hellas’.

IMPACT OF ROOTING PROMOTER (PHOS ROOT-X) WITH OR WITHOUT USING IBA ON ROOTING OF TERMINAL AND MIDDLE CUTTINGS OF ROSEMARY (ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS L.)

This study was carried out in the Ornamental Plants Farm, Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Two individual experiments were done. The first experiment aimed to study the effect of Phos root-x as newly rooting promoter at different rates (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 cm3/l) on rooting of the terminal cuttings of rosemary plants. This study was carried out on 20th of July during the two seasons of 2019 and 2020. The experiment consisted of 7 treatments with 3 replicates, every replicate contained 3 cuttings per treatment. Data collected refer to that the 2.5 cm3/l of the newly rooting promotors were the best. Chemical analysis of terminal cutting refers to a decreasing in C/N ratio of terminal cuttings with increasing of Phos root-x concentrations. The second experiment was done on 25th of October in the same seasons, 2019 and 2020 for both terminal and middle cuttings and treated with Phos root-x complex with or without IBA, the treatments were 0, 1, 2, 3 cm3/l of Phos root-x with or without IBA at 0, 100, 500 ppm in combination. The experiment consisted of 24 treatments; each treatment consisted of three replicates with 3 cuttings per replicate. Data showed that for all parameters the best types for rooting was terminal cuttings, and a higher concentration of phos root-x favored better results especially with 3 cm3/l level. These results may be due to the higher concentrations of amino acids complex inside the newly rooting promotor compound (Phos root-x).

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUTTING AND PLANTING DATE OF Conocarpus lancifolius

Two Field experiments on Conocarpus lancifolius were carried out at El-Qanater Horticultural Research station, Kalubiya, Governorate, Egypt for two successive seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 to evaluate the influence of planting date (March, July and September) and cutting types (terminal, medium and woody) and the combination effect between planting date and cutting type. Results revealed that terminal cutting type significantly improved the number of leaves/plant, roots fresh weight/plant, root length, root number/ plant and root volume cutting compared to the other cutting types under study. Moreover, medium cuttings type gave the highest values of plant height (cm), leaves fresh weight (g) and branch number/plant compared to the other dates under study in most cases during both seasons. In addition, planting date in July recorded the highest values of leaf number per plant, plant height, root number per cutting and root length compared to the other planting dates in both seasons. However, the lowest root and vegetative characteristics were recorded when planting in March. In general, the best combination treatment in enhance growth and root parameters was the of terminal cuttings type when planting in July month compared with the other combination treatments.

Supplementary Light Source Affects Growth and Development of Carnation ‘Dreambyul’ Cuttings

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is a major floricultural crop, cultivated widely for cut flowers. This study was conducted to determine the optimal supplementary light source for the cutting propagation of carnation ‘Dreambyul’ cuttings. Terminal cuttings were propagated in a glasshouse with an average of 260 µmol·m−2·s−1 photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) coming from the sun (the control), supplemented with one of three artificial light sources: mixed (red: blue: white = 6:1:1) light-emitting diodes (LED-mix), metal halide (MH) lamps, or high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. The supplementary light was provided from 7:00 to 17:00 h at 100 µmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD during propagation. The cuttings were kept on a fogged bench in a glasshouse for 25 days with 24/15 °C day/night temperatures and 88% relative humidity. Compared with the control, better root formation was observed from cuttings grown under the supplementary lights after 10 days. After 25 days of propagation, MH significantly increased the root length, root number, root fresh and dry weights, and shoot biomass, shoot length, and shoot fresh and dry weights. The best root ball formation and the highest root activities were also found in cuttings propagated with supplementary MH light. Supplementary light increased the plant temperature, quantum yield, stomatal conductance, and the contents of chlorophyll, soluble proteins, and carbohydrates. Overall, the root formation and development of carnation ‘Dreambyul’ cuttings were significantly promoted by the three supplementary light sources. Of the three, MH was identified as the optimal supplementary light source.

Standardization of type of cuttings and optimization of IBA concentration for rooting in Crossandra (<em>Crossandra infundibuliformis</em>)

Three types of cuttings were taken from the crossandra field in the Botanical Garden, TNAU. Terminal, middle and bottom cuttings were taken from already established healthy, flowering crossandra plants. Terminal cuttings indicate the cuttings (10-15cm length with 2 nodes) that were taken from the tip/growing region of the crossandra plant. The tip/growing region is the terminal region of the plant. Middle cuttings (10 to 15cm length with 2 nodes) indicate those cuttings that were taken, leaving the terminal region i.e., 10 to 15 cm from the tip region. Bottom cuttings (10 to 15 cm length with 2 nodes) indicate those cuttings that were taken below the middle region i.e., taken leaving 30 cm from the terminal region. These cuttings were dipped in 100, 200, 300 ppm of IBA along with control prior to planting in portrays. The study revealed that the dipping of middle cuttings in 200 ppm of IBA had a positive influence on the root length, root volume, shoot girth parameters which may be suitable for better field establishment. Among the treatments, treatment of IBA 200 ppm with middle cuttings prior to planting proved superior in respect of root length, root volume, shoot girth and other important growth parameters.

Exploring Vegetative Propagation Techniques for the Threatened Pteroceltis tatarinowii Maxim Using Stem Cuttings

Pteroceltis tatarinowii Maxim, the only species of the genus Pteroceltis (family Ulmaceae), is an endemic rare tree species in China. This study was performed to explore vegetative propagation techniques for P. tatarinowii using stem cuttings. First, the effects of exogenous indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and cutting positions on rooting performance were investigated to screen the appropriate exogenous auxin treatment and to determine the proper cuttings type. The results showed that the control cuttings pretreated with no exogenous IBA, irrespective of whether the stem cuttings were terminal, middle, or basal, rooted in a manner significantly inferior to that of cuttings pretreated with IBA. Their rooting percentage was less than 50%. Among the IBA-treated cuttings, the middle cuttings pretreated with 1000 mg·L−1 IBA rooted best, with the shortest number of days until rooting emergence (20 days), the highest rooting percentage (84.0%), the lowest mortality rate (4.0%), the greatest root number (average of 6.7 per cutting), and the longest roots per cutting (44.4 cm per cutting). Terminal cuttings pretreated with 1000 mg·L−1 IBA acquired satisfactory rooting traits and had the same shortest rooting duration (20 days) and the following parameters: rooting, 70.7%; mortality, 10.7%; average roots per cutting, 5.2; and longest root, 29.1 cm. To further determine the optimum cutting propagation time for this plant, a second experiment was performed and the cuttings were collected beginning in early June, when the growth of the current season was feasible for harvesting cuttings. Stem cuttings collected in late June and middle July had significantly higher rooting percentages (≥80%) compared with those collected in early June (66.7%). The other three rooting parameters were not significantly affected by the collection date. However, according to the overall rooting traits, the cuttings collected in both late June and middle July remarkably outperformed those collected in early June regarding the number of roots and the total root length per cutting. The initial nutrient reserves in the cuttings were also determined. A significant difference in the soluble carbohydrate level was found among collection times, but the nitrogen level in the cuttings was similar. The study revealed that stem cutting propagation of P. tatarinowii was achievable, and it was best achieved with cuttings collected from the terminal and middle positions of the branches of the current season from late June to middle July and treated with 1000 mg·L−1 IBA using the quick dip method.

The effect of cutting type, leaf area, leaf number, putrescine and indole-3-Butyric acid on the rooting of Ficus cuttings (Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem.)

In order to study the importance of lateral or apical buds and also the possibility of replacing the role of bud and leaf with Putrescine (Put) and auxin, three experiments were conducted using leaf-bud cuttings with intact leaf blade (full blade) or halved-blade, and terminal cuttings having 1 to 4 leaves of Ficus elastica. Treatments included IBA (0, 2000 mg/l) and Put (0, 1000, 2000, 4000 mg/l). Comparing the lateral cuttings with intact or halved-blade showed that the rooting of the cuttings with intact leaf blade was better. The longest root length and the best rooting index were observed in cuttings treated with 1000 mg/l Put + 2000 mg/l IBA. The highest root number resulted from the IBA treatment. In cuttings with halved-leaf blade, Put along with IBA improved the indices of rooting in comparison with the control. The rooting of leaf-bud cutting was better in comparison with apical cuttings and the application of Put with IBA increased rooting indices in both types of cuttings and there was no significant difference between the different concentrations of Put. Results showed that terminal cuttings with three and four leaves had the longest, heaviest and most abundant roots, and that the rooting index resulted in the highest value. The rooting of leaf-bud cutting with intact leaf blade was better than that of one-leaf apical cutting. In general, the experiment showed that in the one-leaf terminal cutting, the apical bud has a negative effect on rooting and the increase in the leaf area or the application of Put with Auxin improves rooting.

Assessment of mutagenic sensitivity in jasmine (Jasminum spp.) to chemical mutagen

The present experiment was carried out to determine mutagenic sensitivity on Jasmine (Jasminum spp.). In this experiment, terminal cuttings of Jasminum grandiflorum cv. White Pitchi and semi hardwood cuttings of J. nitidum (clone Acc.Jn-1 selected at TNAU) and J. multiflorum cv. Arka Arpan were treated with ten different concentrations of EMS ranging from 5 mM to 50 mM. . The results revealed gradual and significant reduction in survival of cuttings, shoot length, number of leaves, leaf length and leaf width with increase in dosage of EMS. The probit curve analysis based on survival percentage and growth rate of treated cuttings revealed LD50 dosage of EMS to be 37.15 mM, 40.7 mM and 42.66 mM for White Pitchi, Arka Arpan and ACC Jn-1 respectively.

The effects of cultivation methods and planting season on biomass yield of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) under rainfed conditions in the northeast region of Thailand

The worldwide search for carbon dioxide neutral biomass for the conversion into bio-energy as alternative to fossil fuels has promoted Napier grass for cropping in warm climates due to high yields even under less-than-ideal management. Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of cutting types (setts, 60-cm and 120-cm stem sections and terminal cuttings), planting methods of setts (vertical insertion or horizontal burial), and planting date (rainy or dry season) of Napier grass for dry matter yield (DMY) in a field experiment under low-fertile conditions carried out and repeated in two consecutive years in northeast region of Thailand.Terminal cuttings produced up to 16.14MgDMha−1 and also showed the best planted-to-produced biomass ratio, followed by long stems but the setts produced the smallest yields. It was observed that the organogenesis of stem-section cuttings was slower than terminal cuttings which, consequently, produced more DMY. In fact, terminal cuttings appeared most suitable for the direct propagation in the field for the highest biomass production. Non-significant differences between DMY were observed between planting methods of vertical insertion or horizontal burial of setts as what prefers their handling in the field. Furthermore, an unclear pattern was found for the planting date of setts when more biomass was produced in the dry season from 2012 to 2013, and vice versa during second year of the experiment. Nevertheless, the non-significant differences of planting date showed that Napier grass could improve land-use efficiency and bear additional income, if cropped during the dry season.

Effect of Cutting Size and Basal Heat on Rooting of Micromeria fruticulosa Stem Cuttings

Micromeria fruticulosa (Bertol.) Grande is a small pulviniform shrub, belonging to the Labiates, and characterized by twisted stems and pink-purple flowers. Endemic to Campania and Sicily (Italy), M. fruticulosa grows from sea level to 600 m altitude. This specie might be considered an excellent native plant for landscape purposes in Mediterranean areas because of its long flowering period, extending from November to June, and its tolerance to heat and drought. The exploitation of wild plants for ornamental purposes implies knowledge on the factors influencing the propagation methods. Root development of stem cuttings of M. fruticulosa was investigated in relation to basal heat and cutting size. Softwood terminal cuttings of a clone grown in Sicily were trimmed to two sizes: short (3 cm) or long (6 cm) length. Propagation was performed in unheated greenhouse covered with clear polyethylene and external 70% shade-cloth. To verify the rooting response to basal heat, half of the cuttings were placed on a basal heated bench (22 ± 2 °C constant temperature) while the remaining were placed on an unheated bench. Acclimatized rooted cuttings were thereafter transplanted into each plastic pot (diameter 16 cm). Plants were thereafter transplanted in the open field and were evaluated for their ornamental value. Basal heat promoted earlier rooting and positively affected adventitious root formation. Six cm long cuttings exposed to basal heat exhibited the best development in terms of number and length of adventitious roots. Flowering plants derived from 6 cm long cuttings exposed to basal heat showed the highest number of flowering branches and flowers per plant.

Effect of Some Natural Products As an Alternative Chemical Growth Regulators on Rooting Response‚ Growth and Chemical Composition of Rosemary Cutting

This study was conducted at the Experimental Station and Laboratory of Vegetable and Floriculture Department, Fac. of Agric., Mansoura Univ., Egypt, during 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons to investigate the effect of some natural products and some alternative chemical growth regulators on rooting response‚ growth and chemical composition of cuttings of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) plants. The layout of the experiment was completely randomized block design (CRBD) with three replications. The obtained results could be summarized as the following: It is worthy to mention that the highest values of all studied vegetative growth characters and chemical constituents of rosemary were resulted from treating terminal cuttings with coconut milk at the highest rate (75%) in both seasons. With exception, fresh weight of shoots, which, obtained when treating terminal cuttings with seaweed extract at the rate of 50 % and total phenols percentage, which obtained from control treatment (treating cuttings with water only) in both seasons. Using natural products such as coconut milk, seaweed extraction, yeast extract and honey bee were better than using chemical growth regulators like Indole butyric acid (IBA) in both seasons. It can be concluded that treating terminal cuttings of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) with coconut milk at the rate of 75 % as natural growth regulator in order to enhance rooting‚ vegetative growth and chemical constituents.