By Our Agriculture Correspondent
Plants developed through the low-cost micro-propagation methods have deep rooting systems.
A LOW-cost micro-propagation technique for mass multiplication of Casuriana junghuhniana, a fast growing hybrid, has been successfully developed by a farmer-scientist, Mr. T. Vengadapathy Reddiar. The innovative farmer used a combination of growth promoting and root initiating substances to get higher percentage of rooting in sprigs and tender shoot tips.
Working in a simple, ingeniously designed laboratory and mist chambers in his Lakshmi Narayana's Crossandra Innovation Centre, Koodapakkam village in Pondicherry, Mr. Reddiar has developed quality, disease-free plants with long roots within three months. "I select the mother plants and spray them with a micro-nutrient spray a week before extracting sprigs and tender shoots. Then I place them in small plastic cups containing vermiculite, after dipping the lower portion in 500 ppm (parts per million) Indole Butyric Acid (IBA), a growth promoting compound.
Conditioning
They are kept inside a mist chamber to maintain a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 70 to 90 per cent," explains Mr. Reddiar.
In about fifteen days, rooting is noticed in the young sprigs and tender shoot tips. They are then gradually conditioned to stand field conditions in the next three months. Further multiplication can be done from the selected mother plants from this lot.
To encourage development of more laterals (side shoots), maleic hydroxide is sprayed after 30 days of establishment of the young plants, according to him. The cost of each plant developed through this method works out to Rs.0.50, and after field conditioning for three months the vigorous and healthy plants with deep roots can be sold at Rs. 3 each, according to Mr. Reddiar.
Casuarina junghuhniana is a fast growing and highly drought-tolerant species, and it is mainly propagated by vegetative means. The hybrid was introduced in India in1951.
About 100 air-layers of this hybrid were received from the Royal Thai Forest Department, Thailand, and as the trees bore only male flowers, they could be propagated only vegetatively, according Mr. S. Kondas, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Tamil Nadu, who had done extensive work on Casuarinas.
Two techniques
Air-layering using twigs of pencil-thickness during the monsoon, and sprig planting in mist chambers were the two techniques adopted by the forest department to multiply this fast growing species.
The robust saplings with good straight stems and symmetric conical crowns establish quickly in sandy tracts.
The hybrid Casuarina is a heavy yielder of biomass, and it also has symbiotic association with the nitrogen-fixing organism, Frankia sp. The hybrid grows tall and is endowed with graceful needles closely resembling pine.
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1 comment:
Once transplanted in the field, what care is required? We have limited water and arid conditions in parts of our land. Our previous attempt to cultivate Casurina had limited success due to limited water.
Savera Farms
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