Current propagation options to establish Arundo donax L. in Mediterranean environment

The influence of transplanting time of Arundo donax L. in relation to vegetative clone plant propagation systems was studied in 2009 at the Experimental farm of Catania University (Italy). A factorial experiment was carried out combining three times of transplanting (November 5th 2008, March 17th 2009, April 30th 2009), three clone propagation methods (rhizome cuttings, horizontal stem cuttings and vertical stem cuttings ) at two soil water availability (irrigation only at the planting dates and irrigation from planting dates to end of summer). At each planting dates 23 mm of water were applied; in the irrigated treatment, from May to end of August, other 250.0 mm of water were applied. The time span between planting to emergence of the first stems has been 172.8 days (first planting dates), 50.3 days and 40.1 days for second and third planting dates respectively. Horizontal stem cuttings produced the significantly highest stem density (4.2 stem m-2); horizontal stems have shown, in all planting dates, a positive effect on planting density due to supplementary irrigation whereas rhizomes and vertical stems did not. Generally speaking the second planting dates was the best for all propagation methods. Horizontal stems have shown a good plant establishment in the first and second planting dates; on the contrary rhizomes in the second and third while vertical stems have shown the worst establishment rate.