Propagation of Vitis Champini Planchon CV. Ramsey: Relationship between Carbohydrate Metabolism during Storage and Cutting Performance

Abstract

Propagation of hardwood cuttings of Vitis spp. is known to be influenced by storage practice. In a preliminary investigation of response to storage we have related the effect of no storage, cold storage, and storage in sand at ambient temperatures on carbohydrate metabolism and found that subsequent propagation depended strongly on the extent of allocation of carbohydrate reserves to the soluble fraction. A high content of soluble carbohydrate in the internodes was associated with a low proportion of successfully propagated cuttings. Content of soluble carbohydrates was negatively correlated with starch content, but neither starch content per se nor total content of carbohydrates were statistically associated with proportion of cuttings to propagate or with extent of subsequent growth of shoots and roots.