Effect of different cutting on asexual propagation of feral tea tree
The effect of two-leaf cutting and one-leaf cutting on asexual propagation was studied for 24 feral tea germ-plasms in three different periods. The results showed that the cutting survival rate, root length, root mumber, cutting height and number of new leaves significantly increased by using two-leaf cutting. The survival rates of two-leaf cuttings of most of the wild plants were higher than one-leaf cuttings. The cutting survival rate of 20 feral tea plants reached > 90% by using two-leaf cutting , whereas only 3 feral tea plants reached > 90% by using one-leaf cutting in the fifth month. Most of 24 feral tea plants were suitable for two-leaf cutting, such as large-leaf varieties (plant NO. 4, NO. 6, NO. 7, NO. 21 etc. ) and middle-leaf varieties (plant NO. 1, NO. 8, NO. 11, NO. 16, NO. 18 etc. ).