Effect of Maturity Stage of Donor Plant on Propagation of Diploknema butyracea through Branch Cuttings

Diploknema butyracea an important multipurpose species owing to its great economic and medicinal value is facing threat as the exploitation levels have reached all time high. The species is failing to regenerate in spite of reasonable seed production. Therefore, in order to augment the natural regeneration, special attention needs to be given for its propagation. Thus, vegetative propagation is a better option, as it ensures purity of clonal or true-to-type propagation of elite tree. The present investigation was conducted to study the effect of maturity stage of donor plants on rooting of branch cuttings of Diploknema butyracea. Mature and juvenile branch cuttings of 2-3 cm diameter and 16-20 cm length classes were planted in the non-mist propagation chambers for sprouting and rooting of cutting. Maximum 92.20% sprouting was observed in juvenile cutting which got reduced to 37.20% in mature donor plants. The maturity stage of the donor plant had significant effect on the mean length and mean number of sprouts per cutting. Maximum (3.63) mean number of leaves was recorded in juvenile cuttings. Percent rooting decreased as age of the donor plants increased. Maximum (66.70%) rooting was observed in juvenile branch cuttings which decreased to (4.40%) in cutting collected from mature donor plants. Juvenile branch cuttings showed significant survival percentage (87.80%) and survival percentage during hardening (77.80%) than mature ones. Maturity stage had a significant effect on the mean number and mean length of roots per cutting after 64 days of planting.