Rooting ability of Leucaena leucocephala stem cuttings

Single-node leafy and leafless cuttings harvested from one-year-old, 1.3 to 1.5 m tall Leucaena leucocephala seedlings were successfully rooted in a n on-mist propagator which is suitable for use in the rural tropics. Cuttings with a leaf attached rooted more successfully than those without a leaf (7 1% and 39% respectively) and clones differed significantly (43% to 71%). Th ere was also a clear pattern in rooting ability of cuttings collected seque ntially down the main stem. Cuttings rooted most successfully when taken fr om node five to 13, counting from the apex; this was the region where inter nodes were longest (64 to 109 mm) of moderate diameter (2.9 to 5.5 mm) and all cuttings had a leaf attached.