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Today is :
Archives (2001)
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Mass propagating the 'Doñas' through Kulob
system
by Mary Charlotte C. Fresco
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October-December
2001
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The Philippine Mussaenda or collectively known
as Doñas which were named after the First Ladies of
the Philippines, are considered one of the most significant
contributions of the Philippines to the ornamental industry
which have been gaining recognition here and abroad. Instead
of petals, which most of the common flowers are distinguished
for, Doñas are known for their splendid and colorful
sepals or modified leaves and continuous blooming habit.
 There
are about 20 Mussaenda species to be found all over the country.
Since scientists from UP Los Banos, Laguna successfully developed
several hybrids of Doñas, Mussaenda propagation has
become one of the most lucrative business opportunities among
small and large-scale ornamental growers. For the past years,
the demand for cutflowers and landscape plants has undoubtedly
increased, yet due to lack of stable supply of quality planting
materials and efficient propagation techniques, the country's
market both domestic and international, is consequently decreasing.
In a joint undertaking, the Philippine Council
for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and
Development (PCARRD) and Department of Science and Technology
(DOST), developed and studied the kulob mass propagation
system and found that this could be a solution for these long-standing
problems in the ornamental industry.
The Kulob system
Mussaendas are commonly propagated through marcotting which
involves inducing roots to grow small plants while they are
attached to the mother tree. However, this method cannot assure
a continuous supply of planting materials because it takes
1-2 months to produce new plantlets.
In an effort to make an alternative efficient
mass propagation technique that ensures uniform and saleable
plants, the kulob system was introduced. In the kulob
system, the cuttings, including the pot with the rooting medium
are enclosed with polyethylene plastics bags in order to minimize
transpiration, thus hastening rooting. The other known mass
propagation technique is the mist system which involves the
spraying of water to the cuttings while placed in their rooting
beds. But this technique is best suited to large-scale mass
propagation operations.
The How tos
- Shoot tip cuttings
- Prune and fertilize (with 1 tbsp/gallon of urea) the stock
plants weekly to facilitate new "flushes" or shoots.
- After a month, collect healthy shoot tips with 3-5 nodes
from the stock plants. The shoot tip cuttings should be
at about 4-5 inches long.
- Remove the older leaves leaving only one fully expanded
pair.
- Use only one of the following rooting medium:
- pure coir dust
- pure sand
- decomposed rice hull and garden soil (1:1)
- coir dust and garden soil (1:1)
- coir dust, sand, and decomposed rice hull (1:1/2:1/2)
- coir dust and sand (1:1/2)
To facilitate faster and easier rooting, the depth of sticking
should be from 1.0 to 1.5 cm.
- Prior to sticking, drench the rooting medium with water
and allow it to drain. Immerse the shoot tip cuttings in
fungicide solution (5-10 minutes). It is also recommended
that the rooting medium be drenched with fungicide solution
to avoid any fungal contamination. One may use a 5x5x7 black
plastic bag for planting 20-25 shoot tip cuttings.
- Enclose the entire system (cuttings, pot, rooting media
and wire) with a polypropylene plastic and seal with a rubber
band or string. Place it under partial shade.
- Open the plastic bag at least once a week and gently pull
the cuttings to check if they have rooted.
- Start transplanting the cuttings after 1 to 2 weeks or
when they have developed firm roots.
(For more information please contact: Dr.
Calixto M. Protacio or Ms Lilibeth R. Obmerga, Department
of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, UP Los Banos, Laguna
at Tel. No. (049) 536-2448.)
More Articles:
Vol. 3 No. 4 October-December 2001
»»
Outstanding technologies identified in nat'l R&D week
»» Thailand,
Philippines convene for agri cooperation
»»
Prospects for the ornamental industry in the new millennium
»» UPLB
scientists develop new hybrids of Philippine ornamentals
»» New management
techniques for exportable foliage plants
»» In
focus: a date with the "king of cut flowers"
»» Brighten
your homes with aglaonema
»» King
in red and green
»» Cashing
in with the 'lucky bamboo'
»» Turfgrasses:
the preferred ground cover
»» Catching
the invisible enemy with ELISA
»» Grow
dracaena godseffiana the easy way
»» Bromeliads:
the exotic plant
»» Wag that
fish-tail fern
»» Mass
propagating the 'doņas' through kulob system
»» Beauveria
mold bioinsecticide: safer control against orchid pests
»» Orchids
and mycorrhiza: a lesson from the wild
»» Controlling
white rust in chrysanthemums
»» Ways to
enhance palm seed germination
»» Prolonging
the vase life of cut flowers with ethylene adsorbent and Florafresh
»»
Mass producing the fragrant kamuning
»» The
national RDE program for ornamental crops
»» GMA
presents 2001 Gawad Saka awards
[More
2001 Articles]
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