Vegetativ förökning av frilandsväxande köksväxter - en experimentell undersökning av förökningsmetoder för kronärtskocka, brysselkål, purpurkål och mangold

Abstract

This bachelor thesis investigate different possibilities for vegetative propagating of some outdoor growing biennial and perennial vegetables; artichokes, brussels sprouts, kale and swiss chard. These cultures were selected because they often remain in the soil until next spring, after they have been harvested. The harvested part is above ground, which makes their root system untouched. All of these cultures are usually propagated from seed, but in situations when seed is not available, alternative method can be useful. To keep a cultivar genetic constant the vegetative propagation method is necessary and among the cultures for this study it especially regards the artichoke cultivar 'Herrgårds', which traditionally has been propagated vegetatively in Sweden. This study addresses gardeners, therefore practical methods, that are possible for the craftsman to go through with, are used. Eight propagation experiments with 25 different cutting types were conducted during 35 days in mars 2015 at the university's nursery in Mariestad. Plants were exhumed with there entire root system and different cuttings were prepared and added to substrate in mini propagators with bottom heat. The aim of this study was first to explore if vegetative propagation methods are possible to practice for these cultures. Secondly to find out what parts of these plants that are suitable to use and how these parts should be formed and positioned in the substrate. When the experiment was aborted the following results could be declared: Root cuttings from brussels sprouts had good capacity to generate both adventitious roots and shoots. Stem cuttings from brussels sprouts and root cuttings from both artichoke and swiss chard generated new adventitious roots but during this period of time they did not generate any green shoots. Leafy cuttings taken from the stem of kale generated adventitious roots and new vegetative above-ground growth. The experiments in this thesis show that it is possible to regenerate new plant growth for some of the ingoing vegetables by using vegetative propagation method, though it did not show if the new growth will develop into a new plant. In the case of cuttings from kale and brussels sprouts the question remains if they continue to grow vegetative or if they have passed over into the flowering phase.