VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF TREE SPECIES OF SOCIAL FORESTRY VALUE IN GARHWAL HIMALAYA

Abstract

Stem cuttings of Debregeasia salicifolia (D. Don) Rendl., Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. Fruct., Lagestroemia parviflora Roxb., Prunus cerasoides D. Don and Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus were treated for 24 h with different concentrations of indole 3-acetic acid (IAA), indole butyric acid (IBA), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and planted in earthen pots containing garden soil and sand (1:1) as the rooting medium. Watering was done regularly and the experiment was conducted in a green house under natural conditions.

Season played a crucial role besides treatment with auxins for root initiation. Only spring planting was able to trigger rooting in branch cuttings up to some extent. No general pattern was present in the rooting responses. However, moderate overall rooting was observed in S. mukorossi (41%) and D. salidfolia (29%), and poor rooting in L. parviflora (13%) and P. cerasoides (6%) in some treatments. Q. leucotrichophora had only callus formation (7%). While IAA, IBA and NAA were
effective in D. salidfolia and S. mukorossi, only IBA was effective for root initiation in L. parviflora (100 and 200 ppm) and P. cerasoides (500 ppm). The sprout development in D. salicifolia was very fast and within 90 days the shoot length reached 96 cm.