Clonal Propagation Index for cutting production in forestry

Resumen

With the development of clonal production systems in forestry, there is a need for efficient indicators to determine the production capacity of the system. The Clonal Propagation Productivity Index (CPI) is recommended to determine the effect of possible technical improvement on the production capacity. CPI allows assessing productivity differences according to the month of year, between years, between species, between nutrition programs, irrigation programs, or other changes in the clonal production system. It is based on several efficiency criteria for each of the universal components in a clonal production system: a) Mother stock garden, b) Rooting area, c) Acclimatization area. In mother stock garden were considered as parameters 1) planting density; 2) mortality; 3) harvest frequency; 4) shoot production rate per mother plant. Meanwhile, for the rooting area the parameters were, 1) first quality control (previous cutting preparation); 2) rooting rate; 3) rooting duration. In the acclimatization area, survival rate and final quality control were included. Finally, a unit of time in weeks is required to produce an effective cutting. The CPI value for teak (Tectona grandis L.) was 130 and for melina (Gmelina arborea Roxb.) 279 effective cuttings/m²/month. The minimum value that the index has registered was for Dipteryx oleifera with 18 cuttings per month per m², while the maximum value can reach 330 cuttings in the index with an optimal Gmelina arborea production system. It is concluded that CPI is an easy and accurate indicator to estimate production capacity in a clonal system, sensitive enough to determine the effect of any improvement in the technological package. The proposed index includes all the factors affecting mass clonal production in forestry systems.