Cutting Propagated Tea (Camelia sinensis L.) Clone

Abstract- This study was carried out to determine the suitable time for preparation of cuttings, type of cuttings, and various IBA concentrations to root semi-hardwood cuttings of Turkish tea clone cultivars in Rize (Turkey), during 2010 and 2011. The cuttings were collected on 15 July and 1 August. After pretreating with 0, 2000, 4000 and 6000 ppm IBA, the cuttings with full leaf and half leaf cuttings were rooted in perlite medium at the unheated but mist propagated glasshouse. Semi- hardwood cuttings were exposed to the rooting media for 60 days, and then, they all were removed from media to determine the survival rate, rooting rate, root number, root length, root diameter and root quality. In 2010, the survival rates were between 66.7 – 91.7 %; the rooting rates were between 38.3 – 85.0 %; the root numbers were between 3.2 – 6.4 units; the root lengths were between 8.5 – 14.8 cm; the root diameters were between 0.68 – 1.27 mm and the root qualities were between 1.91 – 3.52. In 2011, the survival rates were between 65. – 91.7 %; the rooting rates were between 51.7 – 85.0 %; the root numbers were between 3.1 – 8.5 units; the root lengths were between 8.3 – 16.6 cm; the root diameters were between 0.81 – 1.23 mm and the root qualities were between 2.33 – 3.65. The highest rooting and rooting quality were from semi hardwood cuttings prepared with full leaf cuttings on 1 August. All the cuttings were treated with 4000 and 6000 ppm IBA. The lowest rooting and rooting quality were from control (0 ppm) treatment