Rooting of Mesquite (Prosopis) Cuttings

Abstract

Natural mesquite stands and other seed-propagated mesquite are extremely variable because of mesquite's obligately outcrossed breeding mechanism. Clonal propagation methods are required to reduce genetic variation in controlled experiments and for propagation of ornamentals. Cuttings of six species of Prosopis (mesquite) representing Hawaiian, North American, and South American germplasm were successfully rooted using a translucent high humidity chamber, greenhouse-grown cutting stock, a foliar dithane (fungicide) spray, and a 3 sec. 100% dimethylsulfoxide dip containing (mg/L):indolebutyric acid (6,000), napthaleneacetic acid (9,000), boric acid (100), calcium chloride (200), thiamine (100), and Banrot (100).