Discovering the Best Willow Cuttings for Field Planting

Willows are becoming quite popular for big ecosystem recovery projects. But there's a question: which size of willow cuttings fares best when planted in the field? Scientists compared the survival of willow cuttings from different places, diameters, and lengths over two growing seasons in Alberta, Canada. They created 15 groups of cuttings based on diameter (0. 5, 1. 0, 2. 0, and 3. 0 cm) and length (15, 30, 50, and 100 cm). They noticed that bigger cuttings, especially those from low-lying areas, were more likely to survive and grow leaves.

By the second year, survival rates dropped significantly, especially for cuttings from higher areas. This could be because bigger cuttings have more stored energy to grow leaves and roots. The better survival of cuttings from low-lying areas might be due to differences in species. Further research could check if these differences are genetic or species-specific. Maybe flooded areas provide cuttings that do best in the field.

Actions