Multiplication of families of Acacia mangium and Acacia auriculiformis by cuttings from young seedlings.

Abstract

The results are presented of a series of experiments to study the operational feasibility of the use of propagation by cuttings for the multiplication of superior families of Acacia mangium and A. auriculiformis. The experiments demonstrated that single-node cuttings from young seedlings of both species can be rooted at acceptable levels using simple techniques. Details are given of the effects of nodal position and auxin treatment on rooting. High annual multiplication rates (53 and 232 for A. mangium and A. auriculiformis, respectively) were attainable using a system in which single-node cuttings were carried through 5 sequential propagation cycles of 4 months each. At the end of each cycle rooted cuttings were dissected for the next cycle. No operationally significant adverse effects of sequential propagation were evident, suggesting that, if necessary very high multiplication factors might be achieved by the addition of further propagation cycles. Operational multiplication by cuttings of superior families is likely to involve little selection for amenability to the propagation procedures, and loss of genetic gain (in economic traits) associated with such selection should be minimal.