Effects of donor tree age, cutting collection time and K-IBA application on rooting ability of Taxus baccata L. stem cuttings: preliminary results

The present study investigates the effect of donor tree age (juvenile, adult), collection time (March, November) and the K-IBA (indole-3-butyric acid potassium salt; 0, 3, 6, 12 g L-1 K-IBA) application on rooting of T. baccata stem cuttings. Terminal hardwood leaf stem cuttings were collected of the year 2013 from individuals growing in their natural habitat in the Cholomontas mountains in the northern part of Greece. In cuttings taken from adult individuals, the application of K-IBA only significantly improved the rooting percentage. However, in cuttings taken from juvenile individuals, the collection time and K-IBA application as well as their interaction were statistically significant. In November collection, the cuttings treated with 12 g L-1 of K-IBA exhibited the highest rooting percentage (98.3%), while in March collection, the cuttings treated with 3 g L-1 of K-IBA exhibited higher rooting percentages (61.7%) than those of control (41.7%). In cuttings taken from juvenile individuals, the K-IBA application significantly improved the rooting of cuttings collected in November compared with those collected in March. The cuttings taken from juvenile individuals, exhibited significantly higher rooting percentages than those taken from adult individuals.

Automated summary

The study investigated the effects of donor tree age, collection time, and K-IBA application on rooting of T. baccata stem cuttings. The results showed that the application of K-IBA significantly improved the rooting percentage in adult individuals, while in juvenile individuals, the collection time and K-IBA application had a significant effect. In November collection, the highest rooting percentage was observed in cuttings treated with 12 g L-1 K-IBA, while in March collection, cuttings treated with 3 g L-1 K-IBA showed higher rooting percentages compared to the control.