Description
This Manual is the first in a new series of readable, illustrated handbooks for propagating and planting tropical trees.
The series is designed to provide clear and concise information on how to select, grow, plant and care for tropical trees. The Manuals are intended for anyone interested in growing trees, from the small-holder to the experienced forester, in both humid and drier areas.
Manual 1 is concerned with rooting cuttings in order to multiply trees vegetatively. Farmers have used vegetative propagation for centuries in growing tropical food crops. It is a standard technique for producing improved rubber trees, and is also now used for tea, coffee, oil-palm and other crops. But growing more and better indigenous trees may be the most far-reaching contribution to sustainable land use that vegetative propagation can play. It facilitates the quicker ‘domestication’ of these ‘wild’ species, encouraging both smaller ad larger growers to tap the multiplicity of potential benefits offered by tropical trees.
This manual gives, clear, step-by-step instructions on the rooting of tree cuttings, including:
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choosing the best trees to propagate
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producing good cuttings from stockplants
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constructing a favourable environment for propagation
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rooting and handling leafy cuttings
The procedures described in this Manual can be used with the most woody species to provide diverse clonal mixtures. Such superior planting stock will help to fulfil the potential of multiple usefulness offered by tropical trees, while encouraging the conservation of genetic resources.
Contents
Introduction
Why grow tropical trees?
Overcoming the problems of growing good plants
Vegetative propagation
Leafless and leafy cuttings
What makes a good cutting?
Genetic selection
Introduction
Clones
Choosing good trees
Tests for small trees
Stockplant management
Introduction to vegetative multiplication
Managing coppice stumps
Planting stockplants
Potted stockplants
Shade for stockplants
Stockplant pruning
Watering stockplants
Stockplant nutrition
Propagating conditions
Introduction
Building a poly-propagator
Mist propagation
Maintain high air humidity
The rooting medium
Rooting in containers
Taking the cuttings
Auxins and rooting
Trimming the leaves
Taking leafy shoots
Preparing leafy cuttings
Setting leafy cuttings
Rooting experiments
Care of cuttings
Checking the conditions
Watering cuttings
Diseases and pests
Potting up
Weaning and hardening
Check-lists, sources and records
Some key requirements for tree-planting projects
Check-list of problems in growing good trees
Information on vegetative propagation
Sources of chemicals and materials
Record-keeping and labelling
Record sheet for selecting trees
Record sheet for clone numbers
Record sheet for cuttings set
Record sheet for propagation checks