Effect of plastic covering, manure and harvesting season on the propagation of branch cuttings from Dendrocalamus giganteus Munro

Abstract

We examined the effects of plastic cover, manure application, branch cutting position and season of cutting on the propagation of Dendrocalamus giganteus using branch cuttings under nursery conditions. We undertook the following treatments: 1) branch cuttings with and without a supplement of manure 2) differing positions of branch cuttings (basal part of the branch vs. middle part of the branch) 3) different seasons of branch cuttings (December vs. April), and 4) with and without plastic covering (cuttings covered by plastic vs. no plastic cover). A completely randomized design (CRD) was used for the experiment. Survival data were collected for 90 days. Root development, shoot growth and biomass data were collected at the end of the study period. One-way ANOVA and t-tests were used for the data analysis. Basal branch cuttings collected in December had a survival rate of 61.2% under plastic covering (PC) and 26% without plastic cover (NPC). Basal branch cuttings harvested in April had a lower survival rate (42% with PC and 4.2% without PC). The mean survival rates of the mid-branch cuttings for both the December and April cuttings that were treated with PC and NPC were poor (0-8%). Basal branch cuttings planted with manure plus plastic cover (MPC) and no manure with plastic cover (NMPC) achieved survival rates of 37.5% and 60%, respectively. In contrast, basal branch cuttings with manure but no plastic cover (MNPC) recorded the highest survival rates of 82.6%. The one-way ANOVA result revealed no significant differences in the dry root biomass among the MNPC, NMNPC, NMPC or MPC treatments (p = 0.58). These findings suggest that D. giganteus can be propagated using the basal part of the branch cuttings without using a growth hormone, especially when a plastic cover is used and manure is added to the soil mix.