METABOLIC CHANGES DURING ROOTING IN STEM CUTTINGS OF CASUARINA-EQUISETIFOLIA L - EFFECTS OF AUXIN, THE SEX AND THE TYPE OF CUTTING ON ROOTING

Rooting in terminal shoot and lateral shoot cuttings from 10-year-old elite trees of Casuarina equisetifolia L. in different sex groups was achieved after 20 days when the basal ends of the cuttings were dipped for 3 h in 20 ppm indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Shoots derived from ma le plants rooted better than their female and monoecious counterparts, and the lateral shoots were more responsive to rooting than the termi nal shoots. During rooting, the metabolic activities varied in both la teral shoot and terminal shoot cuttings derived from plants under diff erent sex groups. Peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities were hig h during root initiation and showed a sharp decline thereafter. The po lyphenoloxidase activity was higher in the lateral shoot than the term inal shoot cuttings. The rooted plantlets survived and established wel l in the held.