Re: [compost_tea] Re: SuperThrive?

From: David Loring <dloring3_at_cox.net>
Date: Sat, 3 May 2003 09:20:23 -0700

tj - I've been in the horticultural business for 30 years after graduating =
in Soil Science. Superthrive has been around longer than I have. We alway=
s had people buying it at the nursery where I worked, especially for indoor=
 plants. It probably contains some rooting hormones like B12 and growth ho=
rmones like Gibberillic Acid or Indole Buteric Acid.

Saw this at one site:
David Liddle recently sent me an article from an Australian aquaculture mag=
azine where the author noticed the similarity between the smell of SuperThr=
ive and Vegemite (a yeast extract used as a spread or as a soup base). He e=
xperimented with using Vegemite and found it really works in the same way a=
s SuperThrive. This information may be useful to those in Europe and other =
countries where Vegemite is found everywhere and ST isn't.

Table 1 shows the trend in rooting and the production of macroroots by the =
cuttings. All the plants A good link to read which says Superthrive has =
IBA
that were not treated with IBA were all rooted at 30 days in contrast with =
the IBA-treated cuttingswhich were mostly showing callused tips. At 50 days=
, a 100% rooting of the untreated cuttingswere observed, followed by 67% ro=
oting of plants dipped in Superthrive solution. Lower percentagerooting wer=
e observed for the IBA-treated plants wherein the least number of rooted cu=
ttings of13% was recorded from the cuttings that received 200ppm concentrat=
ion suggesting a suppressionin root initiation by three-folds. On the other=
 hand, the mean number of macroroots formed byplants in each treatment did =
not follow the same trend suggested in the rooting ability . The mostnumber=
 of macroroots (14) were formed by cuttings that were subjected to the 50 p=
pm IBA ascompared with only 3.66 formed by those that were treated with 200=
 ppm IBA.The longest roots of 46.03mm were formed by the cuttings that were=
 not dipped in IBA. Thecuttings that were treated with Superthrive and lowe=
r concentrations of the hormone had a mean of33.31 mm in contrast with the =
shortest root of 7.33 mm which was formed by the 200ppm-treatedcutting (Fig=
ure 2 & Table 2). It should be noted that the figures in parenthesis (Table=
 1) refer tocuttings that had callused tips with the most number suggested =
by cuttings that received 200 ppmIBA. The trend suggests that spraying with=
 Superthrive in the presence of higher IBA concentrationmight have increase=
d the hormone dosage resulting to this condition. The role of hormones inpr=
omoting rooting at low concentration and callus formation at high concentra=
tions is wellrecognized.Table 1. Percentage rooting of A. thurifera shoot t=
ips 50 days after planting.
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      Page 33
TREATMENTPER CENTROOTINGMEAN NUMBEROFMACROROOTSControl1006.11Superthrive67 =
(33)8.2150 ppm IBA56 (44)14.16100 ppm IBA33 (67)4.11200 ppm IBA13 (87)3.66T=
he formation of young shoots or increase in height by rooted cuttings were =
recognizableand measurable even if the test materials were still in the roo=
ting medium. Except for the smallheight increment of 7.5 mm recorded for th=
e 200 ppm-treated cuttings, higher figures were obtainedfrom the untreated =
cuttings (18.16) and those that were exposed to Superthrive (13.77) and low=
erconcentrations of the hormone giving an average of 14.96. The mean height=
 increment of all thetreatments is 99.46 % better than the height attained =
by the 200 ppm-treated cuttings (Table 2).Table 2. Root length and height i=
ncrement of rooted shoot cuttingsTREATMENTROOT LENGTH(mm)HEIGHTINCREMENT(mm=
)Control46.0318.16Superthrive32.0013.7750 ppm IBA28.3316.66100 PPM IBA26.90=
11.25200 ppm IBA7.337.5The results from this study are different from those=
 earlier reported for the other species ofDipterocarps in that in the earli=
er reports, induced rooting of cuttings were realized in tests thatutilized=
 higher hormone concentrations ranging from 500 to 1000 ppm or even higher =
levels ofrooting hormone. The duration in rooting was also reported to be t=
wo months at the least andsometimes even longer with varying propagation sy=
stems. The current report suggests a moreeconomical way of rooting a Dipter=
ocarp species especially when the expense for the importedrooting hormone a=
nd gadgets for the misting system are taken into account. It should also be=
 notedthat rooting under the condition described was observed within a much=
 shorter time of only 30 daysin spite of the low hormone levels that were u=
sed. While the use of Superthrive spray may havecomplicated the results, th=
e concentration that is necessary to attain healthy plants was very low tow=
arrant a big expense on induction of rooting. The action of Superthrive as =
foliar spray is not yetillucidated especially in this particular study. It =
is therefore recommended that a detailedinvestigation on this be carried ou=
t. It is further suggested that clonal tests be conducted to justifythe qua=
lity and sources of the cuttings.LITERATURE CITEDDE GUZMAN, E. D., R. M. UM=
ALI and E. D. SOTALBO. 1986. Guide to PhilippineFlora and Fauna. NaturalRes=
ources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources and UPLB. Vol. 3.HA=
LLE, F. and H. RAMIL. 1981. Vegetative propagation of Dipterocarp by stem c=
uttingsand air layering. Malaysian Forester 44 (2-3): 314-318.LEAKY, R.R.B,=
 J. WILSON, A..C. NEWTON , D.A. MASON, J.MCP. DICK, and A.D.WATT. 1993. The=
 role of vegetative propagation, genetic, selection, mycorrhizas and integr=
ated
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
      Page 34
pest management in the administration of tropical trees. In Proc. Of Intl. =
BIO-REFOR Workshop.Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Pp. 31-36.POLLISCO, M. T. 1994. T=
wo alternative asexual propagation techniques for someDipterocarp species. =
BIO-REFOR Proc. Of Kangar Workshop, Malaysia. P113.SAKAI, C., Y. YAMAMOTO, =
A. SBIAKTO, HENDROMONO and D. PRAMESWARI.1994. Vegetative propagation of Di=
pterocarpaceae. BIO-REFOR Proc. Kangar Workshop,Malaysia. P.147.SRIVASTAVA,=
 P.B.L. and P. MANGIL. 1991. Vegetative proagation of someDipterocarps by c=
uttings. Malaysian Forester 44 (2-3) 301-31.ZABALA, N.Q. 1993. Mass vegetat=
ive propagation of Dipterocarp species. UNDP/FAO RegionalProject on Improve=
d productivity of man-made forests through application of technologicaladva=
nces in Tree Breeding and Propagation (RAS/91/004). pp. 4-5.ACKNOWLEDGMENTT=
his study was funded jointly and partially by the Department of the Forest =
Biological Sciences,College of Forestry, UPLB and the ERDS-DENR Region 9 th=
rough Forester Dante A. Oporto. Wealso acknowledge the technical assistance=
 of Ms. Romana M.. Umali, Ms. Marilyn O. Quimadoand Dr. Ernesto P. Militant=
e also of FBS.
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-----
      Page 35
Figure 1. Portion of the set up showing plastic sack globules used in incub=
ating the shoottip cuttings.
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-----
      Page 36
Figure 2. Effect of the different treatments on rooting of A. thurifera.VEG=
ETATIVE PROPAGATION AND CLONAL TESTING OF TWO GMELINAARBOREA ROXB. PROVENAN=
CESMercedes Umali-Garcia, Larry M. Melegrito1andReynaldo E. de la Cruz21Col=
lege of Forestry, University of the Philippines at Los BaņosCollege, Lagu=
na 40312Director, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular BiologyABSTRACTC=
uttings of Gmelina shoot tips were collected from saplings of five seedlots=
 from the Sabahprovenance planting of the Ecosystems Research and Developme=
nt Bureau (ERDB), DENR andfrom marcotted branches derived from a local prov=
enance at Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya of NorthernLuzon, processed and used as the =
experimental units in determining the rooting ability of theexplants in the=
 absence or presence of a 50 ppm or 100 ppm IBA. The cuttings were maintain=
edunder intermittent sprays of mist from fine jet nozzles every after 45 mi=
nutes at a duration of 5minutes under 75% shade.Under the condition describ=
ed, rooting was noted after 4 weeks. The number of rooted cuttingsdid not s=
tatistically differ among treatments with percentages ranging from a low of=
 59.16 to a highof 72.5%, the highest percentage was obtained from the untr=
eated control treatment. Meanmacroroot formation was observed to range from=
 2.0 to 3.3 with 2.0 being observed from thecontrol treatment and 3.0 from =
the hormone treated cuttings. Differences in macroroot formationwas attribu=
ted due to seedlot or provenance. Based on height and diameter growth incre=
ments intwo months and in the presence of 3.0 grams 14-14-14- kg/ha rate pr=
ovided for each rooted cuttings,the clones from the seedlots # 5 and 4 of t=
he Sabah provenance and the Diadi provenance exhibiteda mean height increme=
nt of 95 cm. in contrast to the smallest height increment of 50 cm which wa=
srecorded from the Sabah seedlot #2. No significant diameter increases were=
 observed amongprovenances and seedlots within the provenance. In two month=
s time, the fertilized clones grew by18 to 20 cm in contrast with only 3.26=
 cm attained by the unfertilized clones. The effect ofprovenance and possib=
ly the genotype of the test materials is demonstrated on rooting, survival =
andgrowth in the nursery but the ;ong term performance of the clones remain=
s to be evaluated underfield condition.INTRODUCTIONGmelina arboreais a fast=
 growing timber species that has been utilized for both agroforestry andref=
orestation purposes all over the Asean region. It is drought and fire resis=
tant. It takes only threeyears for the tree to reach a merchantable height =
of 5-8 meters with a diameter of 10-15 cm if grownon good sites under Phili=
ppine condition. It can produce up to 30 m3of timber per hectare per yearin=
 fertile sites. Its wood provides myriad uses, from pulp production to manu=
facture of toothpicks,chopsticks, popsicle sticks and matchsticks. In the P=
hilippines its wood is the number one materialused for sawn timber and in t=
he fabrication of cement board.Gmelina is an exotic species in the Philippi=
nes but its date of introduction to the country is notknown more so with th=
e exact origin of its seed source.Gmelina is commonly propagated by seed
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      Page 37
because there are no problems met with its germination. However, the use of=
 clonally propagatedsuperior phenotypes in industrial plantations can gener=
ate better economic gains.Tremendous phenotypic variations have been noted =
in many plantations all over the islandsranging from very straight bole to =
very branchy habit. Selection and propagation of availabledesirable phenoty=
pes should be advocated especially when future plantations are intended for=
timber production. This study was conducted to determine the possibility of=
 producing clones fromstem cuttings for use not only in the establishment o=
f seed orchards and clonal orchards but also forlarge scale clonal planting=
. We report on the rooting ability, survival and early growth of Gmelinasho=
ot tip cuttings under nursery condition.MATERIALS AND METHODSThe materials =
that were used in this study consisted of shoot tip cuttings obtained from =
saplings offive seedlots of Sabah provenance which were made available thro=
ugh the FAO/FORTIP projectand from marcoted branches derived from a local p=
rovenance Diadi, in Nueva Vizcaya. The latterprovenance is reportedly to be=
 the source of most of the seeds used in establishing the earlierGmelina pl=
antations in Luzon island. The marcots were derived from phenotypically des=
irablemature trees in selected plantations or trials. Processing of the sho=
ot tip cuttings involved: 1) apretreatment in 5% Benlate solution (Benomyl =
as active ingredient at 500g/kg) for 15 minutes, 2)immediate soaking of the=
 cut ends in either distilled water (control), 50 ppm IBA, or 100 ppm IBA,a=
nd 3) planting of the treated cuttings into Hiko trays containing coconut c=
oir dust. The cuttingswere maintained in the screencage with 75% shade and =
under intermittent mist sprays every 45minutes in a 5 minute duration. The =
rooting experiment was terminated after 30 days. Immediatelyupon collection=
 of pertinent data, ten uniform rooted cuttings were taken from each seedlo=
t of theSabah provenance and ten from Diadi provenance, each clone was give=
n a single uniform dose of 3grams 14-14-14 NPK fertilizer and grown for two=
 months under screencage condition to determinetheir survival and growth. A=
nother experiment was conducted to determine the effect of differentNPK com=
binations on the early growth of the Diadi provenance under nursery conditi=
on.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe effects of the treatments on the degree of roo=
ting of the different provenances and seedlots aredemonstrated in table 1. =
in general, iba treatment did not significantly affect the degree of rootin=
g ofthe cuttings based on mean percentages. however, differences in rooting=
 were expressed in some ofthe seedlots such as in seedlot # 1 where 100% ro=
oting was observed in the control treatment whileseedlot # 3 produced 20% r=
ooting under the control and 80% when in the presence of the hormone.on the=
 other hand, seedlot # 5 of the sabah provenance (fig. 1 & 2) and the local=
 diadi provenanceattained the highest degree of rooting with 95-100% regard=
less of hormone treatment. cuttingsfrom seedlot # 4 behaved in the same man=
ner except that lower rooting percentage than those in thediadi and seedlot=
 # 5 of the sabah provenance was suggested. cuttings derived from seedlot #=
 2 hadthe least ability to root with only 10-20% in all treatments. the eff=
ect of genotype on rooting abilityis well demonstrated in this parameter. i=
n the case of macroroot production, no significant effectwas detected but t=
he cuttings which were subjected to 100 ppm iba produced slightly moremacro=
roots than those in the control (table 2). however, the effect of genotype =
was once moresuggested by the behavior of the parameter wherein the least n=
umber of macroroots (0.93 and 1.00)were synthesized by sabah seedlots # 2 a=
nd 3, while the rest yielded an average number of 3.51.aside from good form=
, the rooting ability should be considered in the selection for desirable p=
arentmaterials intended for establishment of clonal orchard.
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      Page 38
Table 1. Interaction of seedlot/provenance and IBA concentration onpercenta=
ge rooting of Gmelina shoot tip cuttings.SEEDLOTNUMBER%ROOTINGCONTROL%ROOTI=
NG50 ppm IBA%ROOTING100 ppm IBAMEAN% ROOTINGSDLT # 1100204053.33SDLT # 2402=
02026.66SDLT # 320808060.00SDLT # 480804066.67SDLT # 51001008093.33DIADI951=
009596.66MEAN72.5066.6659.1666.10Table 2. Mean number of macroroots formed =
by the different Gmelina seedlotsSEEDLOTNUMBERCONTROL50 ppm IBA100 ppm IBAS=
EEDLOTMEANSDLT # 13.40.64.82.93SDLT # 21.20.80.80.93SDLT # 30.41.82.21.00SD=
LT # 42.64.82.43.26SDLT # 52.44.85.04.06DIADI2.04.64.83.80MEANOFTREATMENTS2=
.02.93.3The effect of genotype is also indicated in the fertilizer experime=
nt conducted on the Gmelinaclones (Table 3). Survival and height growth inc=
rement attained by the clones within two monthsespecially demonstrated that=
 the least responsive to fertilizer input was seedlot # 2 of the Sabahwith =
20% survival and a mean of 15.0 cm height increment and that the Diadi prov=
enance andseedlots # 4, #5, and # 3 of the Sabah provenance could be potent=
ial candidates for a clonal
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      Page 39
orchard. Figure 3 shows the general appearance of the 2-month old potted cl=
ones of the Sabahprovenance. The clones could be mistaken for real seedling=
s.Table 3. Survival and height growth of 2-month old Gmelina clones ( Sabah=
 andDiadi provenance).PROVENANCESURVIVAL(%)HEIGHT INCREMENT(cm)SDLT # 18020=
.5SDLT # 25015.0SDLT #36520.5SDLT #49530.5SDLT # 599.536.5DIADI99.533.5The =
effect of fertilizer application on the clones in the form of the different=
 NPKcombinations, whether supplied as a slow release or ordinary fertilizer=
 type was found to benecessary to encourage faster growth. Statistically si=
gnificant differences in height anddiameter increment are suggested in Tabl=
e 4. The control clones yielded the shortest plantstature showing an averag=
e increment of 3.26 cm and a diameter of 1.99 mm in contrast witha mean hei=
ght increment of 3-4 folds over the unfertilized control. The fertilizer ty=
pe did notaffect the performance of the Diadi clones. The effect of the slo=
w release and conventionalforms of inorganic fertilizer on the clones may n=
ot have been expressed due to thecharacteristic short duration of the inter=
action between the test plants and the source of theelemental combination. =
Especially the effect of the slow release form, longer exposure to thetest =
plant may be necessary.Table 4. Mean height and diameter increment of two m=
onth old rooted cuttings (Diadi provenance)as affected by type of fertilize=
r or NPK combinationsTREATMENT/Fertilizer Type/ NPKCombinationHEIGHT*(cm)DI=
AMETER *(mm)0-0-03.261.9917-17-17 coated19.86 (509)3.24 (62.81)20-10-20 coa=
ted20.49 (528)3.16 (58.80)24-8-16 coated18.62 (471)3.45 (73.36)14-14-14 unc=
oated18.70 (476)3.77 (89.44)20-10-20 uncoated20.12 (517)3.94 (98.00)24-8-16=
 uncoated15.01 (360)3.42 (71.85)Figures in ( ) are increases relative to un=
fertilized (0-0-0) treatment.
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      Page 40
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONUnder the experimental conditions described, t=
he studies conducted demonstrated that it is possibleto mass propagate Gmel=
ina even without using expensive rooting hormones and that in order thatthe=
 clones can grow and stay healthy, fertilizer application is necessary. The=
 simple experimentsalso suggest the influence of genotype on rooting abilit=
y and early growth performance. It istherefore important that before any at=
tempt to mass propagate the species en masse preliminaryscreening on rootin=
g ability and consequent clonal tests should be conducted. The environmenta=
lconsequence of using inorganic nitrogen fertilizers has been well document=
ed and recognized that iswhy there are now slow release or coated fertilize=
rs in the market. The fertilizers that were used intreatments 2 to 4 are mu=
lticote or slow release fertilizers, nevertheless the absence of significan=
tdifferences on the growth of the clones does not rule out its long term ef=
fect as the growthparameters were only measured from two months interaction=
. No tissue analysis was conducted andtherefore the uptake of the elements =
by the test plants was not calculated. It is recommended thatclonal testing=
 be conducted for a longer time under field condition not only to determine=
 growth rateor fertilizer responses but also for purposes of assessing grow=
th habit of clones.ACKNOWLEGEMENTThis study was a part of the project entit=
led " Tree Improvement and Breeding of Selected IndustrialPlantation Specie=
s" which was supported by the UPLB-PCARRD-NRMP-GOP, 1994-1996. Weacknowledg=
ed the assistance of Mr. Rustico Manangkil and Ms. Romana M. Umali who were=
 bothlaboratory technicians under the senior author at that time.REFERENCES=
FLORIDO, L.V. 1978. Vegetative propagation by cuttings of Yemane (Gmelina a=
rboreaRoxb.)using hormones. Phil. For. Res. Jour. 3(2):115-225.ITAN, S., P.=
B.L. SRIVASTABA and M. DORAISING. 1986. Trials on rooting of cuttings ofGme=
lina arboreaRoxb.: Effects of source, hormone treatment, media and frequenc=
y ofmisting. Malaysian Forester 49(4):332.TANG, K.S. and P.B.L. SRIVASTABA.=
 1988. Trials on rooting of Gmelina arborea Roxb.:Effect of source, hormone=
 treatment and position. Malaysian Forester 48(3-4): 298-313.Table 1 shows =
the trend in rooting and the production of macroroots by the cuttings. All =
the plantsthat were not treated with IBA were all rooted at 30 days in cont=
rast with the IBA-treated cuttingswhich were mostly showing callused tips. =
At 50 days, a 100% rooting of the untreated cuttingswere observed, followed=
 by 67% rooting of plants dipped in Superthrive solution. Lower percentager=
ooting were observed for the IBA-treated plants wherein the least number of=
 rooted cuttings of13% was recorded from the cuttings that received 200ppm =
concentration suggesting a suppressionin root initiation by three-folds. On=
 the other hand, the mean number of macroroots formed byplants in each trea=
tment did not follow the same trend suggested in the rooting ability . The =
mostnumber of macroroots (14) were formed by cuttings that were subjected t=
o the 50 ppm IBA ascompared with only 3.66 formed by those that were treate=
d with 200 ppm IBA.The longest roots of 46.03mm were formed by the cuttings=
 that were not dipped in IBA. Thecuttings that were treated with Superthriv=
e and lower concentrations of the hormone had a mean of33.31 mm in contrast=
 with the shortest root of 7.33 mm which was formed by the 200ppm-treatedcu=
tting (Figure 2 & Table 2). It should be noted that the figures in parenthe=
sis (Table 1) refer tocuttings that had callused tips with the most number =
suggested by cuttings that received 200 ppmIBA. The trend suggests that spr=
aying with Superthrive in the presence of higher IBA concentrationmight hav=
e increased the hormone dosage resulting to this condition. The role of hor=
mones inpromoting rooting at low concentration and callus formation at high=
 concentrations is wellrecognized.Table 1. Percentage rooting of A. thurife=
ra shoot tips 50 days after planting.
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      Page 33
TREATMENTPER CENTROOTINGMEAN NUMBEROFMACROROOTSControl1006.11Superthrive67 =
(33)8.2150 ppm IBA56 (44)14.16100 ppm IBA33 (67)4.11200 ppm IBA13 (87)3.66T=
he formation of young shoots or increase in height by rooted cuttings were =
recognizableand measurable even if the test materials were still in the roo=
ting medium. Except for the smallheight increment of 7.5 mm recorded for th=
e 200 ppm-treated cuttings, higher figures were obtainedfrom the untreated =
cuttings (18.16) and those that were exposed to Superthrive (13.77) and low=
erconcentrations of the hormone giving an average of 14.96. The mean height=
 increment of all thetreatments is 99.46 % better than the height attained =
by the 200 ppm-treated cuttings (Table 2).Table 2. Root length and height i=
ncrement of rooted shoot cuttingsTREATMENTROOT LENGTH(mm)HEIGHTINCREMENT(mm=
)Control46.0318.16Superthrive32.0013.7750 ppm IBA28.3316.66100 PPM IBA26.90=
11.25200 ppm IBA7.337.5The results from this study are different from those=
 earlier reported for the other species ofDipterocarps in that in the earli=
er reports, induced rooting of cuttings were realized in tests thatutilized=
 higher hormone concentrations ranging from 500 to 1000 ppm or even higher =
levels ofrooting hormone. The duration in rooting was also reported to be t=
wo months at the least andsometimes even longer with varying propagation sy=
stems. The current report suggests a moreeconomical way of rooting a Dipter=
ocarp species especially when the expense for the importedrooting hormone a=
nd gadgets for the misting system are taken into account. It should also be=
 notedthat rooting under the condition described was observed within a much=
 shorter time of only 30 daysin spite of the low hormone levels that were u=
sed. While the use of Superthrive spray may havecomplicated the results, th=
e concentration that is necessary to attain healthy plants was very low tow=
arrant a big expense on induction of rooting. The action of Superthrive as =
foliar spray is not yetillucidated especially in this particular study. It =
is therefore recommended that a detailedinvestigation on this be carried ou=
t. It is further suggested that clonal tests be conducted to justifythe qua=
lity and sources of the cuttings.LITERATURE CITEDDE GUZMAN, E. D., R. M. UM=
ALI and E. D. SOTALBO. 1986. Guide to PhilippineFlora and Fauna. NaturalRes=
ources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources and UPLB. Vol. 3.HA=
LLE, F. and H. RAMIL. 1981. Vegetative propagation of Dipterocarp by stem c=
uttingsand air layering. Malaysian Forester 44 (2-3): 314-318.LEAKY, R.R.B,=
 J. WILSON, A..C. NEWTON , D.A. MASON, J.MCP. DICK, and A.D.WATT. 1993. The=
 role of vegetative propagation, genetic, selection, mycorrhizas and integr=
ated
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
      Page 34
pest management in the administration of tropical trees. In Proc. Of Intl. =
BIO-REFOR Workshop.Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Pp. 31-36.POLLISCO, M. T. 1994. T=
wo alternative asexual propagation techniques for someDipterocarp species. =
BIO-REFOR Proc. Of Kangar Workshop, Malaysia. P113.SAKAI, C., Y. YAMAMOTO, =
A. SBIAKTO, HENDROMONO and D. PRAMESWARI.1994. Vegetative propagation of Di=
pterocarpaceae. BIO-REFOR Proc. Kangar Workshop,Malaysia. P.147.SRIVASTAVA,=
 P.B.L. and P. MANGIL. 1991. Vegetative proagation of someDipterocarps by c=
uttings. Malaysian Forester 44 (2-3) 301-31.ZABALA, N.Q. 1993. Mass vegetat=
ive propagation of Dipterocarp species. UNDP/FAO RegionalProject on Improve=
d productivity of man-made forests through application of technologicaladva=
nces in Tree Breeding and Propagation (RAS/91/004). pp. 4-5.ACKNOWLEDGMENTT=
his study was funded jointly and partially by the Department of the Forest =
Biological Sciences,College of Forestry, UPLB and the ERDS-DENR Region 9 th=
rough Forester Dante A. Oporto. Wealso acknowledge the technical assistance=
 of Ms. Romana M.. Umali, Ms. Marilyn O. Quimadoand Dr. Ernesto P. Militant=
e also of FBS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
      Page 35
Figure 1. Portion of the set up showing plastic sack globules used in incub=
ating the shoottip cuttings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
      Page 36
Figure 2. Effect of the different treatments on rooting of A. thurifera.VEG=
ETATIVE PROPAGATION AND CLONAL TESTING OF TWO GMELINAARBOREA ROXB. PROVENAN=
CESMercedes Umali-Garcia, Larry M. Melegrito1andReynaldo E. de la Cruz21Col=
lege of Forestry, University of the Philippines at Los BaņosCollege, Lagu=
na 40312Director, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular BiologyABSTRACTC=
uttings of Gmelina shoot tips were collected from saplings of five seedlots=
 from the Sabahprovenance planting of the Ecosystems Research and Developme=
nt Bureau (ERDB), DENR andfrom marcotted branches derived from a local prov=
enance at Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya of NorthernLuzon, processed and used as the =
experimental units in determining the rooting ability of theexplants in the=
 absence or presence of a 50 ppm or 100 ppm IBA. The cuttings were maintain=
edunder intermittent sprays of mist from fine jet nozzles every after 45 mi=
nutes at a duration of 5minutes under 75% shade.Under the condition describ=
ed, rooting was noted after 4 weeks. The number of rooted cuttingsdid not s=
tatistically differ among treatments with percentages ranging from a low of=
 59.16 to a highof 72.5%, the highest percentage was obtained from the untr=
eated control treatment. Meanmacroroot formation was observed to range from=
 2.0 to 3.3 with 2.0 being observed from thecontrol treatment and 3.0 from =
the hormone treated cuttings. Differences in macroroot formationwas attribu=
ted due to seedlot or provenance. Based on height and diameter growth incre=
ments intwo months and in the presence of 3.0 grams 14-14-14- kg/ha rate pr=
ovided for each rooted cuttings,the clones from the seedlots # 5 and 4 of t=
he Sabah provenance and the Diadi provenance exhibiteda mean height increme=
nt of 95 cm. in contrast to the smallest height increment of 50 cm which wa=
srecorded from the Sabah seedlot #2. No significant diameter increases were=
 observed amongprovenances and seedlots within the provenance. In two month=
s time, the fertilized clones grew by18 to 20 cm in contrast with only 3.26=
 cm attained by the unfertilized clones. The effect ofprovenance and possib=
ly the genotype of the test materials is demonstrated on rooting, survival =
andgrowth in the nursery but the ;ong term performance of the clones remain=
s to be evaluated underfield condition.INTRODUCTIONGmelina arboreais a fast=
 growing timber species that has been utilized for both agroforestry andref=
orestation purposes all over the Asean region. It is drought and fire resis=
tant. It takes only threeyears for the tree to reach a merchantable height =
of 5-8 meters with a diameter of 10-15 cm if grownon good sites under Phili=
ppine condition. It can produce up to 30 m3of timber per hectare per yearin=
 fertile sites. Its wood provides myriad uses, from pulp production to manu=
facture of toothpicks,chopsticks, popsicle sticks and matchsticks. In the P=
hilippines its wood is the number one materialused for sawn timber and in t=
he fabrication of cement board.Gmelina is an exotic species in the Philippi=
nes but its date of introduction to the country is notknown more so with th=
e exact origin of its seed source.Gmelina is commonly propagated by seed
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      Page 37
because there are no problems met with its germination. However, the use of=
 clonally propagatedsuperior phenotypes in industrial plantations can gener=
ate better economic gains.Tremendous phenotypic variations have been noted =
in many plantations all over the islandsranging from very straight bole to =
very branchy habit. Selection and propagation of availabledesirable phenoty=
pes should be advocated especially when future plantations are intended for=
timber production. This study was conducted to determine the possibility of=
 producing clones fromstem cuttings for use not only in the establishment o=
f seed orchards and clonal orchards but also forlarge scale clonal planting=
. We report on the rooting ability, survival and early growth of Gmelinasho=
ot tip cuttings under nursery condition.MATERIALS AND METHODSThe materials =
that were used in this study consisted of shoot tip cuttings obtained from =
saplings offive seedlots of Sabah provenance which were made available thro=
ugh the FAO/FORTIP projectand from marcoted branches derived from a local p=
rovenance Diadi, in Nueva Vizcaya. The latterprovenance is reportedly to be=
 the source of most of the seeds used in establishing the earlierGmelina pl=
antations in Luzon island. The marcots were derived from phenotypically des=
irablemature trees in selected plantations or trials. Processing of the sho=
ot tip cuttings involved: 1) apretreatment in 5% Benlate solution (Benomyl =
as active ingredient at 500g/kg) for 15 minutes, 2)immediate soaking of the=
 cut ends in either distilled water (control), 50 ppm IBA, or 100 ppm IBA,a=
nd 3) planting of the treated cuttings into Hiko trays containing coconut c=
oir dust. The cuttingswere maintained in the screencage with 75% shade and =
under intermittent mist sprays every 45minutes in a 5 minute duration. The =
rooting experiment was terminated after 30 days. Immediatelyupon collection=
 of pertinent data, ten uniform rooted cuttings were taken from each seedlo=
t of theSabah provenance and ten from Diadi provenance, each clone was give=
n a single uniform dose of 3grams 14-14-14 NPK fertilizer and grown for two=
 months under screencage condition to determinetheir survival and growth. A=
nother experiment was conducted to determine the effect of differentNPK com=
binations on the early growth of the Diadi provenance under nursery conditi=
on.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe effects of the treatments on the degree of roo=
ting of the different provenances and seedlots aredemonstrated in table 1. =
in general, iba treatment did not significantly affect the degree of rootin=
g ofthe cuttings based on mean percentages. however, differences in rooting=
 were expressed in some ofthe seedlots such as in seedlot # 1 where 100% ro=
oting was observed in the control treatment whileseedlot # 3 produced 20% r=
ooting under the control and 80% when in the presence of the hormone.on the=
 other hand, seedlot # 5 of the sabah provenance (fig. 1 & 2) and the local=
 diadi provenanceattained the highest degree of rooting with 95-100% regard=
less of hormone treatment. cuttingsfrom seedlot # 4 behaved in the same man=
ner except that lower rooting percentage than those in thediadi and seedlot=
 # 5 of the sabah provenance was suggested. cuttings derived from seedlot #=
 2 hadthe least ability to root with only 10-20% in all treatments. the eff=
ect of genotype on rooting abilityis well demonstrated in this parameter. i=
n the case of macroroot production, no significant effectwas detected but t=
he cuttings which were subjected to 100 ppm iba produced slightly moremacro=
roots than those in the control (table 2). however, the effect of genotype =
was once moresuggested by the behavior of the parameter wherein the least n=
umber of macroroots (0.93 and 1.00)were synthesized by sabah seedlots # 2 a=
nd 3, while the rest yielded an average number of 3.51.aside from good form=
, the rooting ability should be considered in the selection for desirable p=
arentmaterials intended for establishment of clonal orchard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
      Page 38
Table 1. Interaction of seedlot/provenance and IBA concentration onpercenta=
ge rooting of Gmelina shoot tip cuttings.SEEDLOTNUMBER%ROOTINGCONTROL%ROOTI=
NG50 ppm IBA%ROOTING100 ppm IBAMEAN% ROOTINGSDLT # 1100204053.33SDLT # 2402=
02026.66SDLT # 320808060.00SDLT # 480804066.67SDLT # 51001008093.33DIADI951=
009596.66MEAN72.5066.6659.1666.10Table 2. Mean number of macroroots formed =
by the different Gmelina seedlotsSEEDLOTNUMBERCONTROL50 ppm IBA100 ppm IBAS=
EEDLOTMEANSDLT # 13.40.64.82.93SDLT # 21.20.80.80.93SDLT # 30.41.82.21.00SD=
LT # 42.64.82.43.26SDLT # 52.44.85.04.06DIADI2.04.64.83.80MEANOFTREATMENTS2=
.02.93.3The effect of genotype is also indicated in the fertilizer experime=
nt conducted on the Gmelinaclones (Table 3). Survival and height growth inc=
rement attained by the clones within two monthsespecially demonstrated that=
 the least responsive to fertilizer input was seedlot # 2 of the Sabahwith =
20% survival and a mean of 15.0 cm height increment and that the Diadi prov=
enance andseedlots # 4, #5, and # 3 of the Sabah provenance could be potent=
ial candidates for a clonal
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
      Page 39
orchard. Figure 3 shows the general appearance of the 2-month old potted cl=
ones of the Sabahprovenance. The clones could be mistaken for real seedling=
s.Table 3. Survival and height growth of 2-month old Gmelina clones ( Sabah=
 andDiadi provenance).PROVENANCESURVIVAL(%)HEIGHT INCREMENT(cm)SDLT # 18020=
.5SDLT # 25015.0SDLT #36520.5SDLT #49530.5SDLT # 599.536.5DIADI99.533.5The =
effect of fertilizer application on the clones in the form of the different=
 NPKcombinations, whether supplied as a slow release or ordinary fertilizer=
 type was found to benecessary to encourage faster growth. Statistically si=
gnificant differences in height anddiameter increment are suggested in Tabl=
e 4. The control clones yielded the shortest plantstature showing an averag=
e increment of 3.26 cm and a diameter of 1.99 mm in contrast witha mean hei=
ght increment of 3-4 folds over the unfertilized control. The fertilizer ty=
pe did notaffect the performance of the Diadi clones. The effect of the slo=
w release and conventionalforms of inorganic fertilizer on the clones may n=
ot have been expressed due to thecharacteristic short duration of the inter=
action between the test plants and the source of theelemental combination. =
Especially the effect of the slow release form, longer exposure to thetest =
plant may be necessary.Table 4. Mean height and diameter increment of two m=
onth old rooted cuttings (Diadi provenance)as affected by type of fertilize=
r or NPK combinationsTREATMENT/Fertilizer Type/ NPKCombinationHEIGHT*(cm)DI=
AMETER *(mm)0-0-03.261.9917-17-17 coated19.86 (509)3.24 (62.81)20-10-20 coa=
ted20.49 (528)3.16 (58.80)24-8-16 coated18.62 (471)3.45 (73.36)14-14-14 unc=
oated18.70 (476)3.77 (89.44)20-10-20 uncoated20.12 (517)3.94 (98.00)24-8-16=
 uncoated15.01 (360)3.42 (71.85)Figures in ( ) are increases relative to un=
fertilized (0-0-0) treatment.
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-----
      Page 40
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONUnder the experimental conditions described, t=
he studies conducted demonstrated that it is possibleto mass propagate Gmel=
ina even without using expensive rooting hormones and that in order thatthe=
 clones can grow and stay healthy, fertilizer application is necessary. The=
 simple experimentsalso suggest the influence of genotype on rooting abilit=
y and early growth performance. It istherefore important that before any at=
tempt to mass propagate the species en masse preliminaryscreening on rootin=
g ability and consequent clonal tests should be conducted. The environmenta=
lconsequence of using inorganic nitrogen fertilizers has been well document=
ed and recognized that iswhy there are now slow release or coated fertilize=
rs in the market. The fertilizers that were used intreatments 2 to 4 are mu=
lticote or slow release fertilizers, nevertheless the absence of significan=
tdifferences on the growth of the clones does not rule out its long term ef=
fect as the growthparameters were only measured from two months interaction=
. No tissue analysis was conducted andtherefore the uptake of the elements =
by the test plants was not calculated. It is recommended thatclonal testing=
 be conducted for a longer time under field condition not only to determine=
 growth rateor fertilizer responses but also for purposes of assessing grow=
th habit of clones.ACKNOWLEGEMENTThis study was a part of the project entit=
led " Tree Improvement and Breeding of Selected IndustrialPlantation Specie=
s" which was supported by the UPLB-PCARRD-NRMP-GOP, 1994-1996. Weacknowledg=
ed the assistance of Mr. Rustico Manangkil and Ms. Romana M. Umali who were=
 bothlaboratory technicians under the senior author at that time.REFERENCES=
FLORIDO, L.V. 1978. Vegetative propagation by cuttings of Yemane (Gmelina a=
rboreaRoxb.)using hormones. Phil. For. Res. Jour. 3(2):115-225.ITAN, S., P.=
B.L. SRIVASTABA and M. DORAISING. 1986. Trials on rooting of cuttings ofGme=
lina arboreaRoxb.: Effects of source, hormone treatment, media and frequenc=
y ofmisting. Malaysian Forester 49(4):332.TANG, K.S. and P.B.L. SRIVASTABA.=
 1988. Trials on rooting of Gmelina arborea Roxb.:
http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:RdWql6AFxekC:iufro.boku.ac.at/iufro/=
spdc/proceedings/1998/theme2.pdf+superthrive&hl=en&start=42&ie=UTF-8
David A. Loring, Project Leader
Southeast Asia Project
Dietrick Institute for Applied Insect Ecology
dloring3_at_cox.net ph (760) 489-9438
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: tomjasz
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2003 6:31 AM
  Subject: [compost_tea] Re: SuperThrive?


  Can anyone provide anything more than Dr. Thompsons advetising as
  evidence of the effectiveness of ST?

  Thanks,

  tj


  --- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "elprune" <elprune_at_y...> wrote:
> It reportedly contains the plant growth hormone Triacontanol which
> can be extracted from Alfalfa meal.
>
> Had any experience brewing Alfala?
>
>
> --- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Jeff Lowenfels" <jeff_at_g...>
> wrote:
> > Last year I tried superthrive to grow fungi. It wasn't as good as
> oatmeal. I have never tried it in teas. One of the problems is
> knowing what is in it....again, it looks and smells an awful lot
  like
> unfermented soy.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Jeff


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Received on Sat May 03 2003 - 14:19:50 EDT

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