Effect of Segment Position on Hazelnut Hardwood Stem Cutting Rooting and Survival : One Step Closer to a More Secure Future for Food and Fuel

Abstract

The vast majority of human calories are currently supplied through annual crops; however, large scale annual cropping systems can be environmentally deleterious. Perennial crops can ease some of these environmental pressures. Hazelnuts are a “uniquely multifunctional” perennial crop with exceptional fresh nutritional value, desirable oil, food processing uses, and “waste” products appropriate for biofuels and livestock feed. They may also provide new economic opportunity for Midwestern farmers. However, hazelnuts are currently propagated by seed resulting in undesirable variation in nut quality, disease resistance, plant size, and yields. Hazelnuts are resistant to vegetative propagation and here we trialed various stem treatments in a humidified cooler with and without bottom heat to stimulate root growth. While survival data is pending, we have shown that younger, longer, basal stems and moderate concentrations of rooting hormone are essential to vegetative hazelnut propagation.