Araucaria clonal forestry: types of cuttings and mother tree sex in field survival and growth

Abstract

Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O Kuntze (Paraná pine or Araucaria) is a potential forestry native species for Brazilian silviculture. However, a number of challenges and technical restraints persist, hindering its silvicultural expansion, among which are the lack of cloning technologies of superior genetic materials and their assessment under field conditions. Thus, we evaluated the potential use of araucaria plants derived from cuttings and seeds for timber production, by assessing field survival, growth and strobilus production using cuttings from male and female plants, collected from different positions, compared with those produced by sexual reproduction. Clones of male and female trees from different types of cuttings and seedlings were planted in 3 x 3 m spacing. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design of one tree plot with three treatments. Female clones and apical cuttings showed higher growth in diameter at breast height (6.4 cm) and total height (3.6 m) 74 months after planting, followed by seedlings and other clones, with similar results. We conclude that cuttings technique is potential for araucaria propagation for wood production purposes, and it is favored by the use of apical cuttings from female mother trees.