Work

Mini-tunnel and season influence in clonal garden on the production of clonal seedlings for two subtropical clones: Eucalyptus saligna and Corymbia torelliana × Corymbia citriodora

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Improving technologies for clonal seedling production is essential due to the expansion of forestry production areas. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of managing mini-tunnels in a clonal mini-garden on the productivity and physiological quality of mini-stumps, as well as on the survival and rooting of mini-cuttings of Eucalyptus and Corymbia clones throughout the four seasons. For this purpose, the experiments were conducted in two phases: in the first phase, the clonal mini-garden phase, two clonal mini-gardens were established, one with a mini-tunnel and the other without. Each mini-garden contained mini-stumps of Eucalyptus saligna and hybrid clones of Corymbia torelliana × Corymbia citriodora. During this phase, environmental variables (temperature and relative humidity) were monitored in the cultivation environments (a mini-garden with and without a mini-tunnel), along with productivity and hydrogen peroxide concentration. In the second phase, in the rooting house, survival (%) and rooting (%) were evaluated. The use of mini-tunnels increased environmental variables near the mini-stumps throughout all four seasons. The presence of the mini-tunnel promoted an increase in mini-stump productivity for both genetic materials throughout the year and positively influenced the survival and rooting of mini-cuttings, demonstrating the effectiveness of the structure in mini-stump preconditioning, especially during seasons with lower temperatures. Therefore, the use of mini-tunnels in the clonal mini-garden during autumn and winter is recommended to increase the production of Eucalyptus saligna and Corymbia torelliana × Corymbia citriodora seedlings.

Source: iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry

DOI: 10.3832/ifor4460-018