SUMMARY DETERMINATION OF THE PROPAGATION CAPABILITIES IN REGARDS TO DIFFERENT PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES, AND THE SEEDLING PERFORMANCES OF SOME LANDSCAPE SHRUBS AND TREES

SUMMARY

DETERMINATION OF THE PROPAGATION CAPABILITIES IN REGARDS TO DIFFERENT PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES,

AND THE SEEDLING PERFORMANCES OF SOME LANDSCAPE SHRUBS AND TREES

In this research, Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa, Laurus nobilis L., Erica manipuliflora Salisb., and Spartium junceum L. were used as plant materials which can be evaluated for floriculture characteristics in order to determine some propagation techniques suitable for some natural plants. The characteristics of generative (seeds) and vegetative (cuttings) propagation of plants were investigated.

When seeds were taken according to the species in September-October for Fall 1999 trial and in September-November for Spring 2001 trial, cuttings were taken in September for the Fall 1999 and in March-April for the Spring 2000 trial.

Before sowing, the thousand seed weight and the seed survival conditions were determined by “tetrazolium test” and “germination test”. In this study, the following 11 different pre-treatment were conducted on the seeds: (i) cold storage at 1°C for 4 weeks, (ii) 250 and ppm GA

, (iii) 500 ppm GA

, (iv) soaked in water at 65°C, (v) 50 ppm ethylene, (vi) 100 ppm ethylene, (vii) 50 and ppm cytokinin (BAP), (viii) 100 ppm cytokinin, (ix) soaked in 1% hypochloride + soaked in water at 65°C for 24 hours, (x) control, and (xi) cold stratification at 1°C for 4 weeks.

Seeds were sown into vials (seed trays) on 20 December 1999 for the first trial and on 14 March 2001 for the second trial. The seed trays were kept within the greenhouse during germination. The germination ratios were obtained and then, plantlets were transferred. The trial were conducted in completely randomized design and 4 replicates were used for each plant species.

The cutting trials were conducted for determining of vegetative propagation

suitability in Fall 1999 and Spring 2000. Six pre-treatment were applied to cuttings

before planting. These are as follows: (i) splitting at the base for 1 cm, (ii) 3000 ppm IBA, (iii) 5000 ppm IBA, (iv) control, (v) ringing for 2-3-cm in width at 1 cm above the base, (vi) 10 ppm ethylene for 12 hours + 3000 ppm IBA after 14 days. After the pre-treatments, the cuttings were planted in perlit under mist propagation unit including under heating. The trial was conducted in the completely randomized block design with 4 replicates. After 16 weeks in rooting medium, the rooted cuttings were pulled out and classified in four groups as rooted, with callus, without callus, and dead. Then, the rooted cutting were transferred separately.

In another section of this study, the development performances of the transferred plants propagated by seeds and cuttings were examined at the end of 15 months. For this reason, the survival ratio and the relationship between stem and root characteristics were investigated.

At the last stage of this study, the adventitious root formations of these species were investigated anatomically and physiologically. The samples from each treatment were taken from the cuttings planted in rooting medium after 4, 8, 12, and weeks and the cross sectional slides of these cuttings were prepared and investigated.

The data from this study were analyzed with the TARIST statistical analyze program. The mean values were compared by using LSD test.

In this section, the results obtained from Fall 1999 and Spring 2001 trials by using seeds are presented.

The thousand seed weight was 90.676 g in Juniperus oxycedrus subsp.

macrocarpa, 442.7 g in Laurus nobilis L., 0.043 g in Erica manipuliflora Salisb., and 13.428 g in Spartium junceum L. The survival ratio from the seed germination tests were 10.88 %, 79.00 %, 14.50 %, and 65.88 %, respectively.

The germination ratios from the results from 11 different pre-treatments were

changed between 0.0 % and 5.5 % in Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa, 0.0 %

and 86.5 % in Laurus nobilis L., 0..0 % and 5.5 % in Erica manipuliflora Salisb., and

5.0 % and 68.0 % in Spartium junceum L. While the highest germination ratio in

Erica manipuliflora Salisb. was obtained from 50 ppm ethylene pre-treatment, the

highest of germination ratio in other species was obtained from cold stratification at 1°C for 4 weeks.

In this section, the results obtained from cutting trials are summarized.

In Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa, although the rooting ratios from the total 6 different pre-treatments including control were changed between 0 % and 2 %, the differences were not statistically significant. According to season*pre- treatment combinations, the best rooting was obtained from 5000 ppm IBA in Spring 2000. The ratios of cuttings with callus were changed between 12.5 % and 46.5 %.

The callus ratio was changed between 71.23 % and 37.15 % in these cuttings.

In Laurus nobilis L., the rooting ratios from the total 6 different pre- treatments including control were changed between 8.5 % and 27.5 %. The highest value was noted in the pre-treatment of the splitting at the base of the cutting. The lowest value was observed in the control. While the ratios of cuttings with callus were changed between 14.5 % and 35.5 %, more callus was observed in the cuttings used in the spring trial. The number of roots were between 4.68 and 7.48, and the root length measurements were between 4.13 cm and 6.23 cm in the rooted cuttings.

In Erica manipuliflora Salisb., the numbers of rooted cuttings from the total 6 different pre-treatments including control were changed between 0.0 and 3.88. The rooting ratio was 18.33 % in the Fall and 0.50 % in the Spring trial. The rooting ratios were changed between 0.0 % and 15.5 % according to all pre-treatments. The highest value was 30.0 % in 3000 ppm IBA by season*pre-treatment combination.

Nevertheless, no callus was formed from the cuttings planted in both seasons.

In Spartium junceum L., the successful results could not be obtained from cutting propagation studies, due to the excessive moisture in the rooting medium.

In this section of the study, the results are presented the performances of the propagated plants.

While the survival ratios of the plants propagated from seeds were changed

between 75 % and 100 % in Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa, 21.81 % and

55.92 % in Laurus nobilis L., and 35.33 % and 83.62 %, Spartium junceum L.,

according to the treatments, in Fall season due to lack of seed germination the plant growth could not be observed in Erica manipuliflora Salisb.

Since sufficient data did not exist to investigate the development performances of the plants belong to Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa for stem and root characteristics, the statistical evaluation could not be done. When the data of stem and root characteristics were evaluated together, the plants propagated using the 2

and 9

treatments showed better development than the plants which treated differently.

From the development performances of the plants belong to Laurus nobilis L.

for stem and root characteristics, only the number of roots was statistically different according to the treatments. The highest root number (9.60) was obtained from the plants propagated using the 8

treatment. When all characteristics were considered, the plants propagated from 50 ppm ethylene treatment showed the poorest developmental performance.

From the development performances of the plants belong to Spartium junceum L. for stem and root characteristics, side shoot number, stem fresh weight, root number, and root fresh weight were changed according to the treatments. The thickest stem diameter was 9.21 mm and the thinnest of that was 7.46 mm. But, there were not any statistical differences among the treatments. The highest stem fresh weight was 125.56 g obtained from the seeds treated with 250 ppm GA

. The root numbers differed from 9.20 to 3.60 and the highest number of roots was obtained from the 250 ppm GA

treatment. The heaviest roots as fresh weight were obtained from the 2

treatment.

The results here are presented to investigate the performances of the plants propagated by cuttings:

In Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa, the survival ratios were 100 % at

the end of 15-month-growing season. Therefore, the variance analysis could not be

performed on these data. Furthermore, the statistical analysis could not be applied on

to the data from stem and root development characteristics, either. In general, when

the data from stem and root characteristics were concerned, the plants propagated in spring season showed better development.

In Laurus nobilis L., the survival ratios were changed from 76.67 % to 95.83

%, but the significant differences could not be found among the treatments. There were not any significant differences among the Laurus nobilis L. plants propagated by cuttings.

In Erica manipuliflora Salisb., the survival ratios were changed from 14.29 % to 100 % according to the treatments. The plant growth was obvious only in the plants propagated in the Fall 1999 trial. The treatments were significant on stem diameter, stem fresh and dry weight, root number, and root fresh and dry weight.

In Spartium junceum L., the successful results could not be obtained from the cutting propagation trails. Therefore, the plant performances could not be determined in this species.

In this section, the results are presented the data from anatomical and histological information on adventitious root formation of the plants propagated by cuttings.

The adventitious root formation was investigated by anatomically and histologically in the cuttings belong to the above species In this respect, the cross sectional samples taken from the 4

, 8

, 12

, and 16

weeks in fall and spring trials were used.

In the fall trial, there was not any obvious cell differentiation in the cross

sections of the cuttings taken in the 4

, 8

, 12

, and 16

weeks of Juniperus

oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa. In the cross sections, it was observed that the tissues

preserved their characteristics, the number of the rings formed by sklerancimatic

fiber cells were higher than the other species, and the cells in each ring showed a

single layered orientation. In the spring trial, in the samples taken from the 4

and

16

weeks of the ringing treatment of the cuttings, the root primordia formation was

observed from the floem tissue. That of the samples from 16

week, the root

emergence was noted.

In Laurus nobilis L., the root primordia development and root tip formation was observed in the samples taken from the 12

week of the cuttings treated with ringing in the fall trial. In the spring trial, the root primordia development from floem tissue in the 12

-week cross sections was seen in the cuttings pre-treated with 5000 ppm GA

. The adventitious root protruded from the cortex tissue and made a connection with the vasiculer system in the cross sections prepared from the samples taken in the 12

week from the ringing and 10 ppm ethylene + 3000 ppm IBA treatments. Furthermore, the adventitious root emergence was observed in the samples taken from the 16

-week-old cuttings treated with 3000 ppm GA

.

In Erica manipuliflora Salisb. when the cross sectional area of stem was investigated; epidermis, periderm, cortex, sklerancimatic ring floem, kambiyum, xylem, and core tissues were observed. There was not any cellular differentiation about the root primordia development and root emergence in the cross sections prepared from the samples taken in the 4

, 8

, 12

, and 16

weeks from the cutting treated with six different pre-treatment.

Since the cuttings belong to Spartium junceum L. lost their viability in a short

time period, the samples could not be taken from the base of the cuttings. Therefore,

the anatomical and histological investigations in this species could not be performed.