Title:
The Agamic Propagation of Giant Reed (Arundo Donax L.) by Means of Stem Cuttings
Author(s):
Cosentino, S.L., Copani, V., Testa, G., Scandurra, S.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
The stem cuttings of giant reed crop with a certain number of dormant viable buds are suitable to produce new plants (by growth of node shoots and development of adventitious roots); preliminary studies show that the uses of stem cuttings is less expensive than rhizome cuttings. However in the semi-arid Mediterranean environment the soil water content can be a limiting factor. Bearing this is mind, an experimental research was carried out in spring-summer 2009, in the Catania plain (Southern Italy) to compare sprouting rate of giant reed cuttings from basal (BS), median (MS), apical (AS) area and a mix (XS) of them, in two soil water conditions: Irrigated (100% ETm restoration from transplant to end of dry summer season, 267.5 mm); Rainfed (irrigation only at the planting date, 17.5 mm ). The results indicate that the number of sprouted nodes at the end of August were 0.7 nodes m-2 (11.53% of the buried nodes), without any difference between part of the stems while in percentage of buried nodes, significantly higher in BS portion (17.88%) than in AS portion (6.27%). The sprouted nodes were significantly higher in the well watered condition (0.95 viable nodes m-2) than in rainfed ones (0.45 viable nodes m-2); equally stem density at the end of the number of stems per square meter emission was significantly affected by soil water conditions (1.63 and 4.28 stems m-2 in rainfed and irrigated condition respectively). Moreover the research allowed to point out that the minimum water requirement for stem sprouting was 25% of the available soil water content.
Keywords:
energy crops, stem cuttings, agamic propagation, mediterranean environnement, Arundo donax
Topic:
Biomass resources
Subtopic:
Research on energy crops (session 3)
Event:
18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
VP1.3.45
Pages:
518 - 521
ISBN-13:
978-88-89407-56-1
ISBN-10:
88-89407-56-5
Paper DOI:
10.5071/18thEUBCE2010-VP1.3.45
Price:
FREE
