AU783850B2 - Cuttings of the plants of genus eucalyptus and genus acacia, and methods of cuttage of the plants of genus eucalyptus and genus acacia - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): Research Association for Reforestation of Tropical Forest ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: Cuttings of the plants of genus Eucalyptus and genus Acacia, and methods of cuttage of the plants of genus Eucalyptus and genus Acacia The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- IP Australia Documents recelveo o ^t-J Co 2 at 2Uo1 Batch No: t_ -la- BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of invention The present invention relates to a cutting of the plants of genus Eucalvyptus and genus Acacia that can survive for a long time after being cut from the mother tree of the cutting selected from the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia, a clonal plantlet by cultivating said cutting at a high success rate, and a cuttage method that permits growth at a high success 15 rate, in the production of commercial young plants of genus Eucalyptus and genus Acacia by cuttage.

Related Art Aluminum sulfate has been used in the paper industry (for sizing), for fixation, coloring, water purification, pharmaceutical drugs (astringents) and the like. Potassium alum, ammonium alum etc., complex salts formed from aluminum sulfate and alkali metals, have S. similar applications as the aluminum sulfate.

These aluminum salts are used as agents for 25 retaining quality of cut flowers such as roses, and have e. an effect of aggregating and precipitating microorganisms that propagate in water for arranged flowers and colloidal particles. The addition of water to reduce pH is also effective in preventing the propagation of microorganisms (Motoaki Doi, Nogyo and Engei (Agriculture and Horticulture) 71 (11):1205-1211, 1996).

It is known that when ,for example, a cutting of horticultural peaches is planted in an aqueous solution of 10% sucrose and 1000 ppm of aluminum sulfate and then subjected to forcing in the dark (at a temperature of 20'C or higher, and a relative humidity of or higher) as it is in the aqueous solution, the 2 amount of water absorbed increases, resulting in the increased weight of the branches and in the enhanced rate of flowering after shipment relative to when the forcing treatment is carried out only in tap water (Kazuhiro Matsukura and Yuri Imamura, The presentation summary of the Autumn Meeting of the Horticulture Society Kinki Branch, 1997).

On the other hand, when an aluminum salt such as aluminum sulfate is applied as a modifier of soil acidity, pH decreases with a concomitant increase in the amount of aluminum salt applied. When soil pH is rendered 4.7 to 5.0, potato scab can be effectively *i :suppressed without affecting the aftercrop of potato or .i suppressing growth (Gen Tamura et al., The presentation summary of Japan Society of Soil Fertilizers, 1996).

Aluminum is one of main ingredients present at an average of 7% in the soil. In the acid soil (pH or lower), traces of aluminum are eluted in the form of ions showing toxicity to most plants (Ma Jian Feng, Agriculture and Horticulture, 74(5):605-610, 1999).

An aluminum ion (A 3 has been discovered to inhibit the elongation of roots. In the experimental conditions of water culture, aluminum ions as low as several to several dozen [lM (about 0.1 to 1 mg/L) inhibit the elongation of the roots of wheat, barley etc., showing that even trace amounts have a lethal effect on plants (Satoshi Yokota, Kagaku to Seibutsu (Chemistry and Biology 37(3):186-188, 1999).

Since aluminum has a strong ability of binding to compounds (for example compounds containing carboxyl groups and phosphate groups) containing 0 2 -donors, it has a property of binding to important biological substances (such as polymer substances constituting the cell wall and cell membrane, proteins, and nucleic acids). Thus, it is known that aluminum causes quantitative and qualitative changes on proteins, binds rapidly to the cell wall, inhibits the calcium channel in a few minutes 3 and the like (Ma Jian Feng, Agriculture and Horticulture, 74(5):605-610, 1999).

As hereinabove stated, aluminum is intricately involved in plant growth, but nothing was known about the effects it has when used in cutting.

Thus, the present inventors have conducted intensive research on whether aluminum salts can be used in the production of cutting plantlet of the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia that are planted in recent years throughout the world as pulp material and greening trees.

A total of more than 500 species are known for the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia and they are native to the Oceanic region centering on Australia ("Forest Trees of Australia," Thomas Nelson Australia CSIRO, Melbourne, 1984, pp. 193-549). From the viewpoint of global environment, continued decreases in the supply of natural hardwood are forecast, whereas under circumstances where increased demand in the supply of 20 hardwood pulp materials are estimated, there is a growing recognition on the importance of many of the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia as forestation trees because of their excellent growth property.

Furthermore, for the purpose of producing firing materials, they are widely planted in many parts S"of the world, specifically in developing countries ("Environmental Management: The Role of Eucalyptus and Other Fast Growing Species," P. J. Kanowski, Proceedings of the Joint Australian/Japanese Workshop held in Australia, CSIRO Publishing, October 1995, pp. 1-3).

In Japan, the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia are also attracting attention as /landscaping trees and garden trees (see, for example, Kenko Ishikawa, "Eucalyptus as landscaping trees," the Research Institute for Forestation and Landscaping, 1980). In order to enhance productivity of the plants of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia, breeding has 4 been performed with a great success, in Brazil for example, using as indicators the basic density and pulp yield that are important factors in the paper pulp industry in addition to the growth property (Shigeru Chiba, Forest Breeding, No. 145, 1987, pp. 21-24).

Common commercial plantlets include seedlings and clonal plantlets by cutting, etc. Although seedlings have high variation without inheriting the traits of the parent trees, the use of clonal plantlets of the bred parent trees permits the inheritance of the excellent traits of the parent trees resulting in enhanced productivity. In order to produce clonal plantlets, there are methods of cutting, grafting, layering, tissue culture and the like, but the procedures of the methods S' 15 other than cuttage are complicated and thereby the cost becomes too high to compete with seedlings. It is very rare, therefore, that clonal plantlets are used in general forestry except in special cases.

Cuttage is the simplest technique of producing clonal plantlets, and cutting plantlets of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia are planted commercially in South America, Europe, South East Asia, South Africa and the like. The conventional method of cutting Eucalyptus plants are described in detail in "Eucalypt Domestication and Breeding" (Oxford university Press S"Inc., New York, 1993), pp. 237-246. Thus, cuttings containing 1 to 4 nodes and 2 to 8 leaves are cut from coppice shoots from stumps by truncation etc. and the end of each leaf is usually cut off to prepare cuttings. The cuttings are immersed in a solution of fungicide such as Benlate and then a hormone powder such as indole butyric acid that is a rooting promoter is applied on the base, or the base is immersed in a hormone solution. Then the cutting is planted into a planting hole cut open on the culture soil.

As the culture soil filled in a pot, a plug tray etc., there can be mentioned bark, sand, sawdust, 5 peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, finely ground charcoal, or a mixture thereof. Any of these may be used provided it has suitable moisture permeability and water retention. The success of rooting depends on the balance of aeration and moisture retention. In order to avoid rotting of the cutting, organic substances are preferably not contained, and the use of sterilized culture soil is preferred. Spraying of fungicide is carried out after planting, if desired. Usually fertilizers are not used or slow-acting particles are mixed in the culture soil in advance, or they are applied at the time of watering as a liquid fertilizer. Rooting requires a suitable temperature, a high humidity, the ventilation of air, and so techniques of mist spray, fine mists, covering with polyethylene sheets, sunlight shielding, bottom heat etc.

S' are combined to use. Better results are obtained by the duration of light of about 400 hours per month.

However, among the plants of the genus Eucalyptus, there is a wide variation in the rooting ability among the species, origins, and cloned strains.

Even in the species and strains having high rooting ability, rooting may become difficult due to the aging of the mother tree of the cutting. Even when the cuttings are such as the rejuvenated coppice shoots, rooting is difficult in some species and strains. Plants of genus S"Acacia are similar.

As mentioned above, in the production of clonal plantlets of the plants of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia used as pulp wood and landscaping trees, there are species and strains of the plants of genus Eucalyptus and genus Acacia of which ability of rooting is originally low or becomes weaker with aging, so that with the conventionally used cuttage method, efficient production of clonal plantlets in the conventional cuttage method is extremely difficult, specifically for the species and strains of the plants of genus Eucalvyptus and genus Acacia for which rooting is difficult.

6 As a result, the species and strains for which the production of clonal plantlets are not expected include many of those with excellent growth property and traits, which represents an immense industrial disadvantage. Thus, there is a worldwide demand on the technology of efficiently clonal propagating the species and strains of the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia that are difficult to root. Various efforts have been made, specifically, in order to provide a technology that permits the efficient production of clonal plantlets of the species and strains of the plants of genus Eucalyptus and genus Acacia that are difficult to root,.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) 15 No. 8-252038 discloses a method of producing in large quantities clonal plantlets of the genus Eucalyptus characterized in that a shoot obtained from a multishooting body or an aseptically cultivated shoot is implanted to a porous medium support impregnated with an artificial liquid medium containing inorganic salts, and then subjected to rooting and acclimation aseptically under illumination and in the presence of moisture and carbon dioxide. The method, however, is based on the clonal propagation method by tissue culture, which is entirely different from the inexpensive and efficient method of producing clonal plantlets by cutting intended by the present inventors. Related references include Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6- 133657, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-31309, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 8-228621, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 9-172892, all inventions of which are methods of producing clonal plantlets by tissue culture.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 9-285233 also discloses a method of producing clonal plantlets based on the tissue culture of Eucalyptus 7 olobulus. The method also uses the tissue culture as the basic technology and thus, is entirely different from the inexpensive and efficient method of producing clonal plantlets by cutting intended by the present inventors.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-98630 also discloses a cuttage method characterized in that after the cuttings of Eucalvyptus plants are treated with a solution containing auxins, a kind of plant growth regulator, or a powder containing auxins (rooting promoter) diluted in talc, it is allowed to root at a high humidity condition. However, this method intends to promote rooting by treating the harvested cutting with a plant growth regulating agent and has been S. established as a conventional technology for planting a cutting of Eucalyptus plants ("Eucalypt Domestication and Breeding" (Oxford university Press Inc., New York, 1993), pp. 237-246), and it is entirely different from the cuttage method intended by the present inventors.

Furthermore, the treatment with a plant growth regulating agent after harvesting the cutting does not always give enhancement in the rate of rooting in the species and strains of the genus Eucalyptus that are difficult to root.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 8-280282 also discloses a cuttage method that comprises planting a cutting of Eucalyptus plants with water as the medium. This method, however, is an invention on the medium environment in which cutting is carried out, and its concept is entirely different from that of the present invention.

Furthermore, the use of any of the methods described above does not always guarantee the inexpensive and efficient production of clonal plantlets of the species and seedlings of the genus Eucalvytus and the genus Acacia that are difficult to root or clonal plantlets from the parent tree of the cutting that are difficult to root due to the aging of the species and 8 strains having otherwise a high ability of rooting.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention intends to provide a technology of producing clonal plantlets of the plants of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia for use in pulp wood and landscaping trees, specifically to provide a technology of efficiently producing clonal plantlets of the species and strains of genus Eucalyptus and genus Acacia and clonal plantlets that are difficult to be rooted by the conventionally used cuttage method and clonal plantlets from the mother trees that are difficult to be rooted due to the aging of the trees though they lare the species and strains having otherwise a high ability of rooting.

The most remarkable characteristics of the present 9 invention that attains the above object comprises immersing in advance the base of the cuttings of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia in an aqueous e: solution of an aluminum salt such as aluminum sulfate, then planting said cuttings in a culture soil thereby to suppress the decay of the cuttings and keep them alive longer than when planted in the conventional cuttage method, thereby permitting the production of clonal plantlets of the species and strains of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia and clonal plantlets that are difficult to be rooted by the conventionally used cuttage method or clonal plantlets from the mother trees that have become difficult to be rooted due to the aging though they are the species and strains having otherwise a high ability of rooting, improving the efficiency thereof, and providing a technology of producing inexpensive clonal plantlets in large quantities.

The present invention encompasses the following inventions.

A cutting of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia, said cutting being obtained by immersing the base of a cutting 9 obtained from the mother tree of the cutting selected from the plants of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia in an aqueous solution of an aluminum salt compound.

The cutting according to the above of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia wherein said aluminum salt compound is at least one selected from aluminum sulfate, aluminum ammonium sulfate (ammonium alum), aluminum potassium sulfate (potassium alum), and aluminum lactate.

The cutting according to the above or (2) of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia wherein the concentration S. of the aqueous solution of said aluminum salt compound is 15 10 to 1,000 ppm.

The cutting according to any one of the above to of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia wherein the duration of immersing in said aqueous solution of the aluminum salt compound is from one minute to 72 hours.

The cutting according to any one of the above to of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia wherein the age of the mother tree of the cutting of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia S"is more than one year after germinating.

A cuttage method of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia that comprises planting the cutting according to any one of the above to of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia in a culture soil to allow the cutting to root.

A cutting plantlet of a plant selected from the plants of the genus Eucalvyptus and the genus Acacia cultivated by the cuttage method according to the above The present invention will now be explained in 10 detail hereinafter.

First, the kinds and forms of the plants of the genus Eucalyptus and the genus Acacia for use as the mother trees of cuttings are described.

Eucalyptus plants include, as trees (pulp wood) for the raw material of paper, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E.

grandis, E. globulus, E. nitens, E. tereticornis, E urophylla and the like, and crossbreeds having these as one parent, and subspecies and varieties thereof, and as forestation, landscaping, and ornamental trees, E.

gunnii, E. viminalis and the like. Further specific examples are illustrated in "Environmental Management: The Role of Eucalyptus and Other Fast Growing Species" G. Eldridge, M. P. Crowe and K.M. Old eds., CSIRO 15 Publishing, 1995) and "Eucalyptus as Landscaping Trees" (Kenko Ishikawa, the Research Institute for Forestation and Landscaping, 1980).

Acacia plants include, as trees for the raw material of paper, Acacia auriculiformis, A. mangium, A.

S 20 mearnsii, A. crassicarpa, A. aulacocarpa and the like, and crossbreeds having these as one parent, and subspecies and varieties thereof, and as forestation, landscaping, and ornamental trees, A. baileyana, A.

dealbata and the like.

25 The forms of mother trees of cuttings may be any of potted young plants and field grown young plants, and those having natural tree shapes, those that were hedged to produce coppice shoots. Furthermore, not only seedlings but clonal plantlets that were rejuvenated by cutting, grafting, or tissue culture and the like may be used.

The age of mother trees of cuttings are not limited.

Those mother trees that have a reduced ability of rooting due to the passage of time of more than one year after germinating can be used.

Next, the method of preparing cuttings are described.

11 This process is performed according to the conventional cuttage method of Eucalyptus plants specifically described in "Eucalypt Domestication and Breeding" (Oxford University Press Inc., New York, 1993).

Thus, cuttings containing 1 to 4 nodes and 2 to 8 leaves are cut from shoots of the mother tree and the end of each leaf is usually cut off to prepare cuttings.

The season when the cuttings are prepared is not limited, but is preferably from May to July and from September to November when, after spring, the sprouted and elongated shoots have become hard and the rooting ability of the cutting is high.

S. Before planting the cutting into a culture soil, the base of the cutting is immersed in an aqueous solution of S. 15 an aluminum salt compound.

SThe aluminum salt compound used include aluminum sulfate, aluminum ammonium sulfate (ammonium alum), aluminum potassium sulfate (potassium alum), aluminum hydroxide, aluminum lactate, aluminum laurate, aluminum chloride, 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum salt and the like, with the four of aluminum sulfate, aluminum ammonium sulfate (ammonium alum), aluminum potassium sulfate (potassium alum), and aluminum lactate being specifically preferred because of their solubility in water.

The concentration of an aluminum salt compound is preferably 10 to 1,000 ppm, and more preferably 100 ppm.

The duration of immersing the aqueous solution of an aluminum salt compound is preferably from one minute to 72 hours, and more preferably from 1 hour to 24 hours.

To the aqueous solution of an aluminum salt compound may be added plant hormones such as indole acetic acid, vitamins, sugars such as sucrose, nitrogen-containing compounds such as amino acid, agents that promote rooting such as inorganic salts, and bactericidal agents, and the addition of sucrose is the most preferred. It is also possible, before planting, to apply a plant hormone powder that promotes rooting such as indole acetic acid 12 to the base of the cutting.

Then, the cutting is planted into a planting hole cut open on a culture soil.

Next, the cuttage method of the cutting thus prepared in a culture soil followed by cultivating will be described.

As the culture soil filled in a pot, a plug tray etc., there can be mentioned bark, sand, sawdust, peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, finely ground charcoal, or a mixture thereof. Any of these may be used provided it has a suitable moisture permeability and water retention.

The planted cuttings are placed in an environment in which ventilation of air, suitable temperature (10 to :30 0 and high humidity (70 to 100%) can be maintained, S. 15 and so techniques of mist spray, fine mists, covering with polyethylene sheets, sunlight shielding, bottom heat etc. are combined to use.

EXAMPLES

The present invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the following examples.

It should be noted, however, that the present invention is not limited by these examples in any way.

Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 A shoot that newly elongated and became hard in that year since the spring of the year from a mother tree of old E. camaldulensis was excised, and then lower leaves were removed to leave 2 leaves alone in a pair on the head to prepare a cutting about 6 to 10 cm long. By excising the head-end half of two leaves contained in the cutting, the base of the cutting was cut with a knife and folded over. The base of the cutting was immersed for 24 hours in an aqueous solution in which the concentration of aluminum sulfate was 100 ppm, that of sucrose was 2%, and that of benomyl [methyl-l-(butylcarbamoyl)-2benzimidazole carbamate]hydrate (trade name: Benlate, DuPont) was 500-fold. As Comparative Example i, the base of the cutting was similarly immersed in tap water 13 for 24 hours. The cuttings were planted in vermiculite that was kept wet by previously plugging in a plug tray.

The plug tray was placed on a bench in a room in which temperature (23-25 0 C) and illumination (15,000 lux) were controlled, and the entire plug tray was kept in a high humidity by covering with an acrylic container.

watering was carried out once every other day for minutes each time by bottom watering.

At 7 weeks after the planting, the survival and rooting were observed. The result is shown in Table 1.

Numerals in the Table indicate the survival rate and the rooting rate .i Survival rate (the number of cuttings surviving at S. 7 weeks after planting) (the number of the total 15 cuttings planted) x 100 Rooting rate (the number of cuttings rooting at 7 weeks after planting) (the number of cuttings surviving at 7 weeks after planting) x 100 Table 1 Experiment Material for Concentration Survival Rooting name Experiment of aluminum rate rate sulfate in the aqueous solution (ppm) .:..Shoot of the Example 1 year of 40- 00 83 100 years old E.

camaldulensis Shoot of the Comparative year of 40- 0 0 Example 1 years old E.

camaldulensis When the cuttings collected from the 40-years old E.

camaldulensis were planted according to a conventional.

method, as shown in Table i, both of the survival rate and the rooting rate were 0% (Comparative Example 1).

In contrast, when the base of the cutting harvested from the same mother tree at the same time was immersed for 24 hours in an aqueous solution containing 100 ppm of 14 aluminum sulfate and then planted under the same condition, both of the survival rate and the rooting rate remarkably increased.

Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 A shoot that newly elongated and became hard in that year since the spring of the year from a mother tree of old E. camaldulensis was excised, and then lower leaves were removed to leave 2 leaves alone in a pair on the head to prepare a cutting about 6-10 cm long. By excising the head-end half of two leaves contained in the cutting, the base of the cutting was cut with a knife and folded over. The base of the cutting was immersed for 21 hours in a 100 ppm aqueous solution of aluminum sulfate (Example a 2% aqueous solution of sucrose S 15 (Comparative Example a 500-fold diluted benomyl '-[methyl-l-(butylcarbamoyl)-2-benzimidazole carbamate]hydrate (trade name: Benlate, DuPont), and sterile water (Comparative Example respectively.

The cuttings were planted in vermiculite that was kept 20 wet by previously plugging in a plug tray.

The plug tray was placed on a vat in a room in which temperature (23 to 25 0 C) and illumination (10,000 lux) were controlled, and the entire plug tray was kept in a high humidity by covering with an acrylic container. A watering mat was spread on the bottom of the vat, and ~watering was carried out once every week by bottom watering.

At 6 weeks after the planting, the survival and rooting were observed. The result is shown in Table 2.

Numerals in the Table indicate the survival rate and the rooting rate Survival rate (the number of cuttings surviving at 6 weeks after planting) (the number of the total cuttings planted) x 100 15 Rooting rate (the number of cuttings rooting at 6 weeks after planting) (the number of cuttings surviving at 6 weeks after planting) x 100 Table 2 Experiment Material for Liquid in which Survival Rooting name Experiment the base of the rate rate cutting was immersed Shoot of the Working year of 40- Aluminum sulfate 89 100 Example 2 years old E. 100 ppm camaldulensis Shoot of the year of 40year o Sucrose 2% 33 100 years old E.

camaldulensis Shoot of the Comparative year of 40- Benomyl hydrate 78 57 Example 2 years old E. 500-fold camaldulensis Shoot of the year of 40ers. Sterile water 56 years old E.

camaldulensis r Benomyl hydrate (Fungicide: Benlate, DuPont) As shown in Table 2, when the base of the cutting harvested from the 40-years old E. camaldulensis was immersed for 21 hours in an aqueous solution containing 100 ppm of aluminum sulfate, and then planted in vermiculite, both of the survival rate and the rooting rate became higher than Comparative Example 2.

Example 3 and Comparative Example 3 As Example 3, a coppice shoot that newly elongated and became hard in that year since the spring of the year from the mother tree of 2-years old E. globulus was excised, and then lower leaves were removed to leave 2 leaves alone in a pair on the head to prepare a cutting about 10 cm long. By excising the head-end half of two leaves contained in the cutting, the base of the cutting was cut with a knife and folded over. The base of the cutting was immersed for 3 hours in an aqueous solution containing 100 ppm aluminum sulfate.

16 As Comparative Example 3, the similarly prepared base of the cutting was immersed in tap water for 3 hours.

The cutting was planted in the cuttage culture soil in which vermiculite and peat moss that were kept wet by previously plugging in a plug tray were mixed in equal amounts.

The plug tray was placed on a watering mat, and a high humidity was maintained by covering the entire plug tray with an acrylic container. Watering was carried out as appropriate by bottom watering.

At 12 weeks after the planting, the survival and i. rooting were observed. The result is shown in Table 3.

Numerals in the Table indicate the survival rate and the rooting rate Survival rate (the number of cuttings surviving at 12 weeks after planting) (the number of the total cuttings planted) x 100 Rooting rate (the number of cuttings rooting at 12 weeks after planting) (the number of cuttings surviving at 12 weeks after planting) x 100 Table 3 Experiment Material for Concentration Survival Rooting name Experiment of the aqueous rate rate S. solution aluminum sulfate Coppice shoot Working branch of the Working 2 0 Example 3 year of 2- 100 78 years old E.

globulus Coppice shoot Comparative of the year of 0 33 0 Example 3 2-years old E.

globulus When the cuttings collected from the 2-years old E.

globulus were planted according to a conventional method, as shown in Table 3, the survival rate was low and the 17 rooting rate was 0% (Comparative Example In contrast, when the base of the cutting harvested as in Comparative Example 3 from the same mother tree at the same time was immersed for 3 hours in an aqueous solution containing 100 ppm of aluminum sulfate and then planted under the same condition, both of the survival rate and the rooting rate remarkably increased.

Example 4 and Comparative Example 4 As Example 4, a coppice shoot that newly elongated and became hard in that year since the spring of the year from the mother tree of 2-years old E. camaldulensis was excised, and then lower leaves were removed to leave 2 S. .leaves alone in a pair on the head to prepare a cutting about 10 cm long. By excising the head-end half of two leaves contained in the cutting, the base of the cutting ."was cut with a knife and folded over. The base of the cutting was immersed for 21 hours in an aqueous solution containing 100 ppm aluminum sulfate or 100 ppm aluminum lactate.

As Comparative Example 4, the similarly prepared base of the cutting was immersed in tap water for 21 hours.

The cutting was planted in the cuttage culture soil in which vermiculite that was kept wet by previously plugging in a plug tray. The plug tray was placed on a S"watering mat, and a high humidity was maintained by covering the entire plug tray with an acrylic container.

Watering was carried out as appropriate by bottom watering.

At 10 weeks after the planting, the survival, rooting, and sprouting were observed. The result is shown in Table 4. Numerals in theTable indicate the survival rate the rooting rate the average number of sprouts per cutting (pieces), and the average weight of sprouts per cutting (g fresh weight).

18 Survival rate (the number of cuttings surviving at weeks after planting) (the number of the total cuttings planted) x 100 Rooting rate (the number of cuttings rooting at weeks after planting) (the number of cuttings surviving at 10 weeks after planting) x 100 Average number of sprouts (pieces) (the total number of sprouts budding at 10 weeks after planting) (the total number of cuttings planted) Average weight of sprouts (g fresh weight) (the total weight of sprouts budding at 10 weeks after planting) (the total number of cuttings planted) Table 4 Experiment Material for Experiment Survival Rooting Average Average name Experiment treatment rate rate number of weight of solution sprouts sprouts (pieces) (g fresh weight) Aqueous 2-years old E. solution camaldulensis of 100 11 3.7 0.22 coppice shoot aluminum Working sulfate Example 4 Aqueous 2-years old E. solution camaldulensis of 100 22 4.4 0.27 coppice shoot aluminum lactate Comparative 2-years old E.

Comparative e 4 camaldulensis Tap water 78 0 2.2 0.15 Example 4 coppice shoot When the cutting of the 2-years old E. camaldulensis collected from the clonal plantlet orchard were planted according to a conventional method, as shown in Table 4, the survival rate was low and the rooting rate was 0% (Comparative Example In contrast, when the base of the cutting harvested as in Comparative Example 4 from the clonal plantlet orchard at the same time was immersed for 21 hours in an aqueous solution containing 100 ppm of aluminum sulfate or 100 ppm of aluminum lactate and then planted under the same condition, both of the survival 19 rate and the rooting rate significantly increased and sprouting per cutting was vigorous.

Example 5 and Comparative Example As Example 5, a coppice shoot that newly elongated and became hard in that year since the spring of the year 2-years old A. auriculiformis from the clonal plantlet orchard was excised, and then lower leaves were removed to leave 2 leaves alone in a pair on the head to prepare a cutting about 8 cm long. By excising the head-end half of two leaves contained in the cutting, the base of the cutting was cut with a knife and folded over. The base of the cutting was immersed for from one minute to 72 hours in an aqueous solution containing 10-1,000 ppm o. aluminum lactate.

15 As Comparative Example 5, the similarly prepared base of the cutting was immersed in tap water for 24 *""hours.

The cutting was planted in vermiculite that was kept •wet by previously plugging in a plug tray. The plug tray was placed on a watering mat, and a high humidity was maintained by covering the entire plug tray with an acrylic container. Watering was carried out as appropriate by bottom watering.

At 8 weeks after the planting, the survival, rooting, and the number of remaining leaves were observed. The result is shown in Table 5. Numerals in the Table indicate the survival rate the rooting rate and the average number of leaves per cutting (pieces).

Survival rate (the number of cuttings surviving at 8 weeks after planting) (the number of the total cuttings planted) x 100 Rooting rate (the number of cuttings rooting at 8 weeks after planting) (the number of cuttings surviving at 8 weeks after planting) x 100 20 Average number of leaves (pieces) (the total number of leaves remaining at 8 weeks after planting) (the total number of cuttings planted) Table Experiment Material for Experiment Concentration Time Survival Rooting Average name Experiment treatment rate rate number of solution leaves per cutting (pieces) 2-years old A. Aqueous solution of one auriculiformis lutn 10 ppm one 100 67 0.33 aluminum minute coppice shoot lactate 2-years old A. Aqueous solution of one auriculiformis solution of 100 ppm one 100 56 0.56 aluminum minute coppice shoot lactate Aqueous 2-years old A. Aqueous solution of one auricullformis lu n 1000 ppm ine 100 56 0.44 aluminum minute coppice shoot lactate lactate 2-years old A. Aqueous a ci m solution of auriculiformis luin 10 ppm 1 hour 100 56 0.44 aluminum coppice shoot laca lactate 2-years old A. Aqueous solution of auriculiformis s o luion 100 ppm 1 hour 100 67 1.11 aluminum coppice shoot Working lactate Example 5 2-years old A. Aqueous Ssolution of auriculiformis luin 1000 ppm 1 hour 100 89 1.22 aluminum coppice shoot laa lactate 2-years old A. Aqueous auriculiformis s o lu o n o f 10 ppm 2 4 100 50 0.375 aluminum hours coppice shoot lactate Aqueous solution of24 2-years old A. Aqeu auriculiformis s lu t i o n o 100 ppm 100 89 0.89 aluminum hours coppice shoot lactate 2-years old A. Aqueous solution of 72 auriculiformis aluinum 10 ppm ho 100 56 0.33 Saluminum hours coppice shoot lactate Aqueous 2-years old A. Aqueous solution of 72 auriculiformis lution of 100 ppm 72 100 67 0.67 aluminum hours coppice shoot laca lactate 2-years old A.

Example 5 auriculiformis Tap water hours 100 37.5 0.375 coppice shoot When the cutting collected from the clonal plantlet orchard of the 2-years old A. auriculiformis were planted according to a conventional method, as shown in Table the rooting rate was low and the average number of leaves per cutting was few (Comparative Example In contrast, when the base of the cutting harvested as in Comparative Example 5 from the clonal plantlet orchard at -21 the same time was immersed in an aqueous solution containing 10 to 1,000 ppm of aluminum lactate for from one minute to 72 hours and then planted under the same condition, the survival rate increased in any of the combinations and the number of leaves per cutting at 8 weeks after planting was mostly large.

Effects of the Invention In accordance with the present invention, in the production of clonal plantlets from the plants of genus Eucalvyptus and genus Acacia, it has become possible to provide a technology of efficiently producing clonal plantlets in large quantities even for the mother trees that originally have a low ability of rooting or have become difficult to be rooted due to aging though they otherwise have a high ability of rooting, by immersing in advance the base of the cutting in an aqueous solution of an aluminum salt compound such as aluminum sulfate, then planting said cutting in a cuttage culture soil to suppress the decay of the cutting and keep it alive longer than when planted in the conventional cuttage method.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims (7)

1. 2. The cutting according to claim 1, wherein said aluminum salt compound is at least one selected from aluminum sulfate, aluminum ammonium sulfate (ammonium alum), aluminum potassium sulfate (potassium alum), and aluminum lactate.
2. 3. The cutting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the concentration of the aqueous solution of said 15 aluminum salt compound is 10 to 1,000 ppm.
3. 4. The cutting according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the duration of immersing in said aqueous solution of the aluminum salt compound is from one minute to 72 hours.
4. 5. The cutting according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the age of the mother tree of the cutting is more than one year after germinating.
5. 6. A cuttage method of a plant selected from the plants of genus Eucalvyptus and genus Acacia, comprising the step of planting the cutting according to any one of Sclaims 1 to 5 of a plant selected from the plants of genus Eucalyptus and genus Acacia in a culture soil to allow the cutting to root.
6. 7. A cutting plantlet of a plant selected from the plants of genus Eucalvyptus and genus Acacia cultivated by the cuttage method according to claim 6. Q 0PRN\05(cU821 resp 290 cvc-181IO/05 23
7. 8. A plant cutting, a cuttage method and/or a plantlet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Examples. DATED this 18 thday of October, 2005 RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR REFORESTATION OF TROPICAL FOREST by its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE