MANUAL FOR RAISING EXOTIC PINE CONTAINERISED CUTTINGS IN VIETNAM pdf

Version 4 June 2007 Disclaimer This Exotic Pine Nursery Practices Manual was developed by Forestry Plantations Queensland (FPQ) for use in Vietnam as part of the CARD project “Field evaluation and advanced vegetative mass-propagation technology for scaling up high-value plantations of Pinus caribaea and related hybrids in Vietnam”. The State of Queensland, Australia represented by FPQ has no objection to this material being reproduced for use in Vietnam but: • asserts its right to be recognised as author of its original material; and • accepts no responsibility for decisions or actions taken as a result of any data, information, statement or advice, express or implied, contained in this document. MANUAL FOR RAISING E XOTIC PINE CONTAINERISED CUTTINGS IN VIETNAM Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 2 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 CONTENTS 1 Introduction 4 1.1 Project outline 5 1.2 Aim 5 1.3 Contacts 5 2 General Prescriptions 6 2.1 Health and Hygiene 6 2.2 Sterilisation 6 2.2.1 Storage Areas 6 2.2.2 Sterilising surfaces with copper oxy chloride 6 2.2.3 Solar sterilisation for potting media 7 2.2.4 Chlorine 7 2.3 Plant Production area construction 8 2.3.1 Drainage 8 2.3.2 Preventing plants contacting soil 8 2.3.3 Benching 8 2.4 Shade 9 2.5 Irrigation 9 2.5.1 Watering of cuttings prior to rooting 9 2.5.2 Watering after cuttings have rooted. 9 2.6 Weed Control 10 2.7 Disease Control 10 2.8 Potting Mix 10 2.9 Pots and Trays 10 2.10 Fertiliser 11 2.11 Pot and Tray Filling 11 3 Exotic pine shoot production 13 3.1 Hedge Plant Establishment 13 3.1.1 Raising stock plants 13 3.1.2 Site selection 13 3.1.3 Site Preparation 13 3.1.4 Layout 13 3.1.5 Planting 14 3.1.6 Hedge management 14 3.1.7 Irrigation 14 3.1.8 Nutrition 14 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 3 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 3.1.9 Weed Control 15 3.1.10 Topping and Edging 15 3.1.11 Collection and Transport 16 4 Exotic pine container cuttings 16 4.1 Setting 16 4.1.1 Setting Environment 17 4.1.2 Setting 17 4.1.3 Raising the Cuttings 18 4.1.4 20 4.1.5 Performance 20 5 Glossary of Terms 22 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Sterilising techniques 6 Table 2: Pot and tray dimensions 11 Table 3: Guide for irrigation of F 1 hybrid clones/families 18 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Solar Sterilisation 7 Figure 2. A: A graded site with subsurface drainage is effective in preventing pooling of water; B: The optimum surface for both pathways and under propagation benches 8 Figure 3. Benches under high shade at Lam Dong FRC’s Dalat Nursery 8 Figure 4. Examples of A: High shade (at RCFTI’s Ba Vi) and B: Low Shade at FPQ’s Toolara Nursery. 9 Figure 5. Queensland Native Tray (QNT) 10 Figure 6. FRC replica pots 10 Figure 7. Circular plastic bags 10 Figure 8. Slow release granular fertiliser with correct balance of nutrients 11 Figure 9. Testing pH of soil using a pH test kit 11 Figure 10. Hedge bed area layout, three rows (Note: not to scale) 14 Figure 11. Hedge bed area layout, two rows (Note: not to scale) 14 Figure 12. Batch number tag 14 Figure 13. A: A diagram illustrating hedge topping and B: a photo of a young hedge being topped 15 Figure 14. Edging hedges 20cm from the edge of the weedmat 16 Figure 15. Desirable shoot for collection and setting of container cuttings 16 Figure 16. Secateurs 16 Figure 17. Storage and transportation of shoots in a container lined with wet Hessian 16 Figure 18. Shade around setting environment 17 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 4 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 Figure 19. Dibbling rack generates 50 centred holes of uniform depth in one action 17 Figure 20. Setting cuttings with “one step” action 18 Figure 21. Tags used to record batch number in trays 18 Figure 22. Watering of freshly set cuttings 18 Figure 23. Cuttings will often “droop” or bend the week after setting 18 Figure 24. Examples of shoots exhibiting stress 20 Figure 25. Plant ready for planting in the field 21 Figure 26. Shade covering benches. Side angle (left), front angle (right) 23 Figure 27. Bench set up. Front view (left), Side view (right) 23 Figure 28. Bench set up with hoop 23 LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Queensland cutting production nursery design ……23 APPENDIX 2 Methods for determining potting mix attributes …… 24 APPENDIX 3 Checklists …… 27 Cutter’s Checklist …… 27 Setting Checklist …… 28 Sorting Container Stock Checklist …… 29 Fertiliser Use Recording Sheet …… 30 Chemical Use Recording Sheet …… 31 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 5 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project outline The Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) Program is an Australian Government initiative, funded through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), to assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) contribute to the Outcomes expected from the Government of Vietnam’s Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy. CARD is about delivery of relevant, high quality, collaborative agricultural and forestry research and development projects between Vietnamese and Australian institutions. Expected results include: • Improved productivity and competitiveness • Stability through diversification • Knowledge products developed to support training • Improved dissemination of information • Further research capacity development The CARD project “Field evaluation and advanced vegetative mass-propagation technology for scaling up high-value plantations of Pinus caribaea and related hybrids in Vietnam” seeks to review existing experience with and performance of several tropical conifer species in Vietnam, particularly Caribbean Pine, and to establish further replicated trials of improved genetic material, including pine hybrids. Forestry Plantations Queensland (FPQ), Queensland’s government-owned forest grower, and the Research Centre for Forest Tree Improvement (RCFTI), a part of MARD’s Forest Science Institute of Vietnam (FSIV) and lead project managers for this project. The project provides capacity building for several Vietnamese Forest Research institutions relating to conifer tree improvement and mass propagation, particularly via vegetative cuttings. Capacity building is via hands on training in Queensland and Vietnam, development of small scale pilot hedge and containerised nursery infrastructure, and a study tour to Australia by Vietnamese forest managers / researchers. Finally, the project builds awareness amongst both large and small forest growers including ethnic minorities, through the establishment of collaborative demonstration plantings in priority regions for conifer plantation expansion, supported by appropriate training and promotional information. 1.2 Aim The aim of this manual is to provide guidelines for the mass propagation of Pinus species in Vietnam via vegetative propagation. 1.3 Contacts For further information, contact Mr Ian Last, ian.last@fpq.qld.gov.au, at Forestry Plantations Queensland. Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 6 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 2 GENERAL PRESCRIPTIONS The following is applicable to all container stock raised in Vietnamese nurseries: 2.1 Health and Hygiene Hygiene problems in propagation can easily affect plants for their entire life. The following steps will ensure good heath and hygiene in the nursery:  Control weeds in and around propagation areas;  Ensure all areas are clean and tidy;  Regularly wash or sterilize all equipment used in the nursery; and  Ensure plants and materials entering the nursery are not carrying pests or diseases. 2.2 Sterilisation It is very important that all equipment and materials used in propagation are sterilised to prevent disease. The following sterilising techniques are suitable for the materials indicated in Table 1. Notes: All pots and trays should be either new or sterilised before re-use. All plastic bags are to be new. Table 1. Sterilising techniques Materials Solar Chlorine CuOCl** Alcohol*** Potting media Yes * Yes No No Plastic pots and trays Yes Yes * No No Plastic bags No No No No Cutting tools No No No Yes * Storage areas, concrete slabs, gravel No Yes Yes * No * Indicates the best technique ** CuOCl = copper oxy chloride (refer to Section 2.2.2) *** Alcohol such as ethanol or methanol 2.2.1 Storage Areas All storage areas should be kept clean. Surfaces should be sterilised with CuOCl or chlorine (see 2.2.2) before objects are stored. Objects should be stored off the ground, for example on sterile pallets, and wrapped in plastic to prevent contact with dust and pests. 2.2.2 Sterilising surfaces with copper oxy chloride Propagation surfaces need to be sterile. This includes areas in which clean pots and trays are stored, potting media is sterilised and mixed, and areas in which propagation occurs. The best method is to wash down areas with a solution of copper oxy choride, or alternatively, chlorine (refer Table 1). In Vietnam, copper oxy chloride is sold as the following product: Viben-C 50 BTN (containing 25% copper oxy chloride and 25% benomyl). It is important to wear gloves and eye protection when handling this product. Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 7 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 1. Mix 40g of CuOCl with 8 litres of clean water. Agitate well to ensure CuOCl is dissolved. 2. Using a watering can, wash solution over area, ensuring that you do not walk or put non-sterile material on the area. 2.2.3 Solar sterilisation for potting media Solar sterilisation uses the sun to heat potting media to temperatures that kill pests and diseases. Solar sterilisation needs to increase temperatures to between 40 – 60 o C in soil or potting mix to reduce or eliminate soil borne diseases. The longer the higher temperatures are maintained, the less the likelihood that diseases will reproduce. Follow this procedure to sterilise all potting mix before use (as illustrated in Figure 1): 1. Sterilise a clean concrete slab, bitumen or thick plastic sheet with CuOCl (see section 2.2.2). There should be no contact between the potting mix and bare earth. This area should receive a lot of sun during the day. 2. Lay out potting mix on sterile area. The mix should not include fertiliser as the heat will break it down. 3. Ensure the mix is moist. You may need to mix in some water. This will improve the heat conductivity of the mix. 4. Spread the blended potting mix so that it is no higher than 25cm. 5. Cover mix with Ultra-violet (UV) absorbent, thin, transparent plastic as this transmits most of the solar radiation that helps to heat up the mix. 6. Measure the temperature of the potting mix with a thermometer after a week or so. When the temperature reaches between 40-60°C near the bottom of the mix, it can be considered sterilised. Figure 1. Solar Sterilisation 2.2.4 Chlorine If Chlorine is to be used for sterilisation the following procedure is recommended: 1. Prepare sterilisation site by ensuring area and holding facilities are washed down with water and are clean. Site should be well-ventilated with normal breezes directed away from the work site and neighbours. Concrete Slab or heavy duty plastic Soil – 25cm high Transparent plastic Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 8 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 2. Prepare chlorine sterilisation solution (4 g of 100% chlorine solution per litre of water) (4000 ppm chlorine)) in a container large enough to dunk the largest item (i.e. trays). Ensure that you wear gloves and eye protection. 3. Ensure that all pots and trays are fully submersed in the sterilisation solution. 4. Place pots and trays onto a sterile surface, such as off the ground benches or sterilised pallets. 5. Use the solution for no longer than two hours as over time the chlorine solution will become weak and ineffective. If the dunking operation takes longer than two hours, make up a new solution. 2.3 Plant Production area construction Before establishing an exotic pine cutting program, it is important to spend time and money on setting up a nursery system that will minimise the entry of plant pests and diseases, thus maximising plant growth and health and minimising nursery costs. It is essential that this area:  has good drainage; and  the plants and their root systems do not come in contact with potentially contaminated soil or water. 2.3.1 Drainage Select a well-drained site, e.g. gentle slope with sandy soil. Before construction begins, the site should be graded so that water runs off the site. Sub surface drainage should also be added to allow water to drain freely. This can be achieve by digging trenches in the direction of water flow and filling with coarse gravel or crushed rock (Figure 2A). 2.3.2 Preventing plants contacting soil To prevent diseases, cover all areas in which plants are to be grown and the adjacent pathways with coarse gravel or crushed rock to a depth of 75mm. Weed mat under gravel or rock is useful in keeping the material free of weeds (Figure 2B). Figure 2. A: A graded site with subsurface drainage is effective in preventing pooling of water; B: The optimum surface for both pathways and under propagation benches 2.3.3 Benching Benches are required to keep planting stock at least 30 cm off the ground. It is better that benches are at waist height to prevent injury (Figure 3). However, if the benches are to be reduced, it is recommended that they be reduced from one metre to squat height (30cm). This assists in air root pruning and inhibits roots from growing into the soil. When roots grow into the soil, tapping into available moisture and nutrients, the plants immediately lose condition and become less drought resistant and can be exposed to root rot diseases. Figure 3. Benches under high shade at Lam Dong FRC’s Dalat Nursery Note: If a high shade system is implemented (Section 2.4), a raised bench area in the full sun also needs to be contructed 75mm gravel Weed mat A B Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 9 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 See Appendix 1 for pictures of the Queensland Cutting Production Nursery Design. 2.4 Shade After setting, cuttings must be covered with 50% shade cloth. This protects the cuttings from the sun and wind, preventing excessive moisture loss. There are two primary systems for establishing shade, termed high and low shade. As Figure 4A illustrates, high shade is usually a more permanent structure and the shade is approximately 2 metres above the benches. The advantage of this is that it is easy to gain access for weeding, but the disadvantage is that when plants are rooted they must be moved to raised benches in the full sun. Low shade (Figure 4B) is a temporary set up, where by shade is suspended over hoops over the bench. The advantage of this is that shade is easily removed when plants have rooted and can create a good microclimate for rooting, but its disadvantage is that it is less easy to access for weeding. Figure 4. Examples of A: High shade (at RCFTI’s Ba Vi) and B: Low Shade at FPQ’s Toolara Nursery. 2.5 Irrigation Irrigation is essential to plant health, and it is vital to set up an efficient irrigation system that permits frequent, short misting for un-rooted cuttings, less frequent, longer irrigation for rooted cuttings and also allows hand watering on hot windy days, especially on exposed edges. The following section outlines these requirements in more detail. Further information can be found in Section 4.1.4.1. 2.5.1 Watering of cuttings prior to rooting Irrigation must be monitored at least three times a day, seven days a week, to ensure cuttings do not dry out. Hand watering of unrooted cuttings is not recommended as the aim of watering is to create a microclimate. The ideal irrigation regime is to apply enough water to replace the evaporation rate. This usually requires watering between sunrise and sunset on a half hour to hourly basis depending on climatic conditions. Refer to Table 3 for recommended watering requirements. 2.5.2 Watering after cuttings have rooted. The aim of irrigation is to fully saturate the potting mix core at each watering whilst maintaining a conditioning regime. Refer to Table 3. Under a conditioning regime, root cores may take up to two hours of constant irrigation to wet up. With Pinus species, when fully wetted, the potting mix cores could be dry within a day, wilting by day two and dead by day three. Physical checks of root cores need to be made daily to ensure the effectiveness of each watering. As well as daily maintenance, irrigate all planting stock to full capacity immediately prior to planting. If root cores are not saturated they have difficulty in obtaining moisture from the surrounding soil, regardless of how wet the soil is. Dunking (placing trays in a tub of water until water no longer bubbles) is an effective method of watering prior to planting. A B Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 10 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 2.6 Weed Control Weed growth results in plant losses, poor growth and significant weed control costs. Weeds compete for water, nutrients and sunlight. Minimise the time spent and expense of the weeding operation by ensuring:  Nursery area and surrounds are kept free from weed species;  The holding site is free from flowering weed species;  The planting stock is weeded regularly; and  A clean water source is used for irrigation. 2.7 Disease Control Carry out regular inspections of all stock daily. In the event of any disease or insect attack apply appropriate fungicide or insecticide immediately. 2.8 Potting Mix It is recommended that potting mix have the following attributes:  Air filled porosity 18 – 25%  pH 5.5 – 6.5  Water holding capacity 50 – 60%  Nitrogen drawdown index 0.75 – 1.00 (Appendix 2 outlines the methodology for measuring these attributes in potting mix). 2.9 Pots and Trays The preferred container for raising exotic pine cuttings is a QNT (Queensland Native Tube), shown in Figure 5. QNTs are arranged in 50 cell black plastic trays at a density of 278/m 2 and are light and durable. An alternative container for raising container exotic pine cuttings was developed by FRC and is shown in Figure 6. These replica pots have the same dimensions as the QNT’s, but use a metal tray, making them considerably heavier than the plastic QNT tray. The currently used local container for raising exotic pine is a black plastic bag, shown in Figure 7. These are less durable than the other containers, do not contain root runners and are more difficult to transport. However they are much cheaper and lighter than the other pots. These pots have potential, but it is recommended that a tray that allows drainage be developed so that they can be placed on racks off the ground. Pot and tray dimensions are specified in Table 2. Figure 5. Queensland Native Tray (QNT) Figure 6. FRC replica pots Figure 7. Circular plastic bags [...]... June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 28 of 31 SETTING CHECKLIST - TWICE DAILY Name Name Name Name ………………………………… Date …………………… Are cuttings set to 4cm depth? Are cuttings straight? Are cuttings firmed in? Are damaged/unacceptable cuttings discarded? Are cuttings shaded in bin & covered? Are cuttings watered every 10-15 mins? Are cuttings covered during breaks?... used in a 30-minute period, as irrigation can fill in the holes Figure 19 Dibbling rack generates 50 centred holes of uniform depth in one action A team of workers progress along each bench setting the cuttings into the pots in a Version 4 June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 18 of 31 ‘one step’ action using the thumb and two fingers on one hand, ensuring... Stage Guide for irrigation of PCH and hybrid pine cuttings Watering regime From Setting to 6 mm per day applied as 2 to 5 minutes watering each hour from 6 am to Version 4 June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 19 of 31 Sorting 6 pm Apply additional water during times of hot/dry/windy/low humidity conditions Conditioning Fully saturate stock, allow drying out until... Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 12 of 31 Mixing surfaces and equipment must be able to be cleaned easily Media needs to be stored in facilities that prevent infestation or reinfestation by root rot organisms Version 4 June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 13 of 31 3 EXOTIC PINE SHOOT PRODUCTION Shoot material for production of Pinus cutting plants are... _ June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 30 of 31 Records of Fertiliser Application Fertilser Use Recording Sheet – Application Record Date & start/finish time Version 4 Location Operator Crop Stage Product Used 2 Total Area (m ) Rate Applied 2 per m Method of Application June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 31... Setting June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 17 of 31 The estimated growing cycle for containerised Pinus cuttings is ten to twelve months, depending on growth rates To permit utilisation of maximum available shoots, set during the months of July to October for Hanoi and the Central Highlands and from November to January for the Central Coast This timing will correspond... act of putting cuttings into potting media Sort To arrange according to class, kind or size; classify Sterilize To make free from live bacteria or other micro-organisms Top To cut the top off hedge plants using a sharp instrument UV Ultraviolet Water holding The quantity of water held by the soil capacity Zn Zinc Version 4 June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam APPENDIX.. .Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Table 2 Page 11 of 31 Pot and tray dimensions Container dimesions Height (cm) Container Tray Dimensions Diameter (cm) Size (cm) No / Tray Pot Volume (cc) QNT 12.5 5.0 60 × 30 × 13 50 220 Replica Pots 12.5 5.0 48 x 35 x 13 48 220 9.0 4.0 - - ~127 Plastic Bag 2.10 Fertiliser The optimum fertiliser for raising Pinus seedlings and cuttings. .. shown in Figures 14 Normally, carry out edging approximately one month following topping This allows the hedges time to recover from the stress of topping before edging commences Cut sides so that a 20 cm buffer is left between the hedge plant and either side of the weed mat, refer to Figure 14 June 2007 Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 16 of 31 Figure 14 Edging... actively maintained to produce the maximum amount of healthy material The following chapter outlines the optimum techniques for achieving this 3.1 Hedge Plant Establishment 3.1.1 Raising stock plants Sow/set seed or cuttings for hedge plants during February Sow seed into sterilised river sand Set cuttings into a sterilised potting mix with fertiliser incorporated (as per Section 2.11) Plants are ready for . express or implied, contained in this document. MANUAL FOR RAISING E XOTIC PINE CONTAINERISED CUTTINGS IN VIETNAM Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 2 of. hybrid pine cuttings Stage Watering regime From Setting to 6 mm per day applied as 2 to 5 minutes watering each hour from 6 am to Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam. setting the cuttings into the pots in a Manual for Raising Exotic Pine Containierised Cuttings in Vietnam Page 18 of 31 Version 4 June 2007 ‘one step’ action using the thumb and two fingers