Superiority of root-sucker over hedge as stock plant in cutting propagation of persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

T. Tetsumura, T. Takita, S. Ishimura, C. Honsho, Y. Kijidani
Last few years, some dwarfing rootstocks for persimmon were registered as cultivars in Japan, and the methods of clonal propagation have been investigated. We showed that the softwood cuttings collected from root-suckers, not from hedges, was one of key success factors. However, we recently found that cuttings from hedge of ‘MKR1’, a dwarfing rootstock, rooted as well as those from root-sucker, although the rooting speed was slower. Hence, the objective of this study was to confirm abilities of cuttings from root-suckers to root and survive, compared with those from hedges. ‘MKR1’, ‘Maekawajiro’, Rootstock-a and Rootstock-c were used in this study. All ‘MKR1’ cuttings from root-suckers rooted, and two thirds of cuttings from ‘MKR1’ hedges rooted. Overwintering survival rates of the rooted cuttings from ‘MKR1’ root-suckers and hedges were 89 and 50%, respectively. As a result, one year after cutting, 89% cuttings from the root-suckers survived, whereas 33% from hedges did. The rooting percentages of Rootstock-a cuttings from root-suckers and hedges were 96 and 82%, respectively. However, overwintering survival rates of the rooted cuttings were 80 and 28%, respectively. Cuttings from hedges of Rootstock-c and ‘Maekawajiro’ did not root at all, although those from root-suckers rooted to some extent. Hence, we recommend to use root-sucker rather than hedge for mother stock of persimmon cuttings, because the rootstocks can be efficiently obtained by using cuttings from root-suckers.
Tetsumura, T., Takita, T., Ishimura, S., Honsho, C. and Kijidani, Y. (2020). Superiority of root-sucker over hedge as stock plant in cutting propagation of persimmon (Diospyros kaki). Acta Hortic. 1299, 19-24
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1299.4
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1299.4
dwarfing rootstock, hedge, 'MKR1', leaf-bud cutting, overwintering
English

Acta Horticulturae