Propagation of beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) from softwood cuttings

Abstract

Beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta Marshall [Betulaceae]) is a characteristic species of some boreal upland plant communities of northeastern Alberta. This shrub is also a desired species for revegetation following oil sands extraction in the region. Limited seed production and competition from wildlife make harvesting sufficient seeds from natural sites a challenge, therefore vegetative propagation is being investigated. We harvested softwood cuttings from 2 sites in Alberta, Canada, in early July, and we tested 4 treatments (control, bottom heat only, 0.8% IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) only, and 0.8% IBA with bottom heat). Root presence, number of roots, maximum root length, and dry root biomass were measured after 7, 9, and 11 wk post-sticking. Application of IBA (with or without bottom heat) was critical to obtain rooting percentages upward of 65% at 9 wk for one site and 90% at 7 wk for the second site as well as increasing root biomass, maximum length, and number of roots. The impact of bottom heat was negligible on its own, but it enhanced rooting of cuttings from one site when combined with IBA.