Morphogenic Competence of Vegetative Buds and Its Effect in Select Adult Trees Cloning

Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research National Institute (INIFAP), Chetumal Campus, Mexico

Abstract: Cloning adult trees by conventional techniques carry a difficulty grade which it is directly related with physiologic and ontogenic age of materials. The objective of this study was to evaluate efficacy of plant grafting and to analyze the relation between physiological aging state of vegetative bud and its response in grafting process of Cedrela odorata L. Basal portion caulinar, middle and apical from adult trees were grafted by “lateral slit” technique on two years old juvenile rootstock. The buds located in basal zone of donor tree showed the best results in efficacy of grafting, survival, proliferation and elongation of buds. By contrast, buds from apical zone registered low percentage in evaluated variables and the grafting showed in their phenotype and aspect of premature aging. This research permits to stablish a relation between the vegetative bud position inside of the donor tree canopy and its response as an optimal germplasm source for the supply of a forest genetic improvement program.