Author Topic: Air layering Marang  (Read 2355 times)

vipinrl

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Air layering Marang
« on: December 21, 2019, 03:53:36 AM »
Is it possible to Air layer Marang?

fruitlovers

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2019, 05:39:45 AM »
I haven't tried it, but would guess that it is. It's possible to air layer breadfruit, so probably marang would also work. But breadfruit air layers are slow to root, so that might also be the case with marang. Anyway, it's worth trying if you don't have another sure fire way to propagate it. You might also want to try root cuttings. Breadfruit can also be propagated from root cuttings.
Oscar

Finca La Isla

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2019, 06:23:46 AM »
I think it could work but we have tried it a couple of times and no luck.  I will probably try again.  Actually breadfruit layers pretty easily for us and that’s how we propagate it for my nursery.  Marang really should be possible.
Peter

vipinrl

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2019, 08:12:09 AM »
Thanks Finca n Oscar for the replies.
Anyway, I am going to layer Marang (probably on the Christmas day).

Mike T

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2019, 08:27:31 AM »
Its pretty common to air layer breadfruit but probably easier just to chop off root suckers. I do wonder whether breadfruit being seedless in most varieties has any bearing on its ease with air layering.

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2019, 04:17:26 PM »
Its pretty common to air layer breadfruit but probably easier just to chop off root suckers. I do wonder whether breadfruit being seedless in most varieties has any bearing on its ease with air layering.
Yes i use breadfruit root suckers, let nature do most of the work for me.  ;) I've only very rarely seen marang root suckers.
Oscar

Finca La Isla

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2019, 04:48:57 PM »
There’s a belief here that taking root suckers of breadfruit endangers  the tree. I don’t dismiss that belief.
Mostly we make layers on the root suckers themselves which is very convenient. I think it is easier than digging up the root pieces and the rate of take, assuming you got roots in your layer, is better than from the roots alone.
I’ve never seen a marang root sucker.  Grafting seedlings of the same marang is more typical.
Peter

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2019, 08:08:54 PM »
There’s a belief here that taking root suckers of breadfruit endangers  the tree. I don’t dismiss that belief.
Mostly we make layers on the root suckers themselves which is very convenient. I think it is easier than digging up the root pieces and the rate of take, assuming you got roots in your layer, is better than from the roots alone.
I’ve never seen a marang root sucker.  Grafting seedlings of the same marang is more typical.
Peter
I don't believe that taking root suckers endangers the tree in any way. That is the traditional Polynesian way to propagate the tree, and they been doing it that way for at least a thousand years.
Purposefully nicking the roots and taking a whole lot of root suckers that way perhaps could damage the tree.
Oscar

Finca La Isla

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2019, 08:20:53 PM »
I have a lot of respect for the knowledge of Pacific Islanders when it comes to breadfruit, cocos, taro, etc. the thing is that I’ve seen breadfruit get sick and die after the root suckers were dug up. Now, the trees were able to produce other suckers that survived so it wasn’t a total loss. Caribbean people have only been cultivating breadfruit for a little more than 200 years. Perhaps they have a point when it comes to growing here. I am aware that root cuttings are traditional and that’s the way I started here but it did affect a tree of mine and then I heard of this risk.
Despite all this the most common way to reproduce breadfruit in the caribbean is to dig up root suckers. Most local farmers do not understand layering or grafting onto bread nut

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2019, 02:57:06 AM »
I have a lot of respect for the knowledge of Pacific Islanders when it comes to breadfruit, cocos, taro, etc. the thing is that I’ve seen breadfruit get sick and die after the root suckers were dug up. Now, the trees were able to produce other suckers that survived so it wasn’t a total loss. Caribbean people have only been cultivating breadfruit for a little more than 200 years. Perhaps they have a point when it comes to growing here. I am aware that root cuttings are traditional and that’s the way I started here but it did affect a tree of mine and then I heard of this risk.
Despite all this the most common way to reproduce breadfruit in the caribbean is to dig up root suckers. Most local farmers do not understand layering or grafting onto bread nut
It's possible you have some soil disease that is not present here that enters the roots?
Oscar

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2019, 07:26:47 AM »
I have a lot of respect for the knowledge of Pacific Islanders when it comes to breadfruit, cocos, taro, etc. the thing is that I’ve seen breadfruit get sick and die after the root suckers were dug up. Now, the trees were able to produce other suckers that survived so it wasn’t a total loss. Caribbean people have only been cultivating breadfruit for a little more than 200 years. Perhaps they have a point when it comes to growing here. I am aware that root cuttings are traditional and that’s the way I started here but it did affect a tree of mine and then I heard of this risk.
Despite all this the most common way to reproduce breadfruit in the caribbean is to dig up root suckers. Most local farmers do not understand layering or grafting onto bread nut
It's possible you have some soil disease that is not present here that enters the roots?

That's exactly what I tought!
Something in the soil might afect the tree if a wound is created in the roots.
Life is all about learning, but sometimes, the more you learn, the less you seem to know...

Vernmented

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2019, 09:21:36 AM »
I have a lot of respect for the knowledge of Pacific Islanders when it comes to breadfruit, cocos, taro, etc. the thing is that I’ve seen breadfruit get sick and die after the root suckers were dug up. Now, the trees were able to produce other suckers that survived so it wasn’t a total loss. Caribbean people have only been cultivating breadfruit for a little more than 200 years. Perhaps they have a point when it comes to growing here. I am aware that root cuttings are traditional and that’s the way I started here but it did affect a tree of mine and then I heard of this risk.
Despite all this the most common way to reproduce breadfruit in the caribbean is to dig up root suckers. Most local farmers do not understand layering or grafting onto bread nut

It's possible you have some soil disease that is not present here that enters the roots?

That's exactly what I tought!
Something in the soil might afect the tree if a wound is created in the roots.


I have heard of issues with breadfruit in Costa Rica. I was told they perform better on A. camansi rootstock so that would make sense.
-Josh

Finca La Isla

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2019, 10:34:33 AM »
It’s interesting.  Breadfruit readily produces root suckers, often pretty far from the tree so you don’t get wiped out very easily.
There is a program currently in CR to get small farmers to each plant out a hectare or so of breadfruit.  The fruits will be bought, taken to a facility where they will be dried and converted into flour for export.  Paul Zink brought micro propagated material from a collection in Hawaii in association with the EARTH, a CR horticultural school.  There have also been problems with some of that material that, not knowing more, would appear to be root disease.
It could be that there is some pathogen in the soil that creates problems for breadfruit here although the early material brought by Bligh to Jamaica and then to CR by Caribbean immigrants is well established.
Peter

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2019, 12:14:29 PM »
It’s interesting.  Breadfruit readily produces root suckers, often pretty far from the tree so you don’t get wiped out very easily.
There is a program currently in CR to get small farmers to each plant out a hectare or so of breadfruit.  The fruits will be bought, taken to a facility where they will be dried and converted into flour for export.  Paul Zink brought micro propagated material from a collection in Hawaii in association with the EARTH, a CR horticultural school.  There have also been problems with some of that material that, not knowing more, would appear to be root disease.
It could be that there is some pathogen in the soil that creates problems for breadfruit here although the early material brought by Bligh to Jamaica and then to CR by Caribbean immigrants is well established.
Peter

I’m pretty sure it was the tissue culture stuff that they were talking about. Another issue could be just flat out planting in the wrong sites akin to not mounding avocado trees. As long as the genetic material is there even in reduced quantities it should be easy enough to airlayer and get things going. Do you know how many local cultivars are around and have any been properly ID’d? I saw some stranger looking oblong fruit being sold on the roadside on the way to Arenal. I’m hoping to get lots of propagation going in the future with Daniel and get to hang out some more with you. I would love to find a good interstock to topwork rambutan with pulasan.
-Josh

Finca La Isla

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #14 on: December 22, 2019, 02:45:27 PM »
There’s a lot of work to be done on many fronts.
Until recently you only saw true breadfruit in areas of CR settled by Caribbean peoples. Oddly, breadnut existed on the pacific coast and nurseries frequently mislabeled it as breadfruit.
I have never heard of any study to id 'criollo' breadfruit but I’ll ask around.
Saludos,

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #15 on: December 22, 2019, 06:12:39 PM »
It’s interesting.  Breadfruit readily produces root suckers, often pretty far from the tree so you don’t get wiped out very easily.
There is a program currently in CR to get small farmers to each plant out a hectare or so of breadfruit.  The fruits will be bought, taken to a facility where they will be dried and converted into flour for export.  Paul Zink brought micro propagated material from a collection in Hawaii in association with the EARTH, a CR horticultural school.  There have also been problems with some of that material that, not knowing more, would appear to be root disease.
It could be that there is some pathogen in the soil that creates problems for breadfruit here although the early material brought by Bligh to Jamaica and then to CR by Caribbean immigrants is well established.
Peter
Breadfruit in Hawaii grows almost like a weed. Almost all the plants being planted now are from tissue culture propagation being done by Breadfruit Institute in Maui. What they are distributing is all Ma'afala type, also called Samoan breadfruit. It might be that this culitvar is more susceptible to the soil disease you have there. I'm guessing what Bligh brought over was not Ma'afala as the original introductions were from Tahiti, not Samoa.
Oscar

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #16 on: December 22, 2019, 07:40:33 PM »
Cutting of a few roots should not impact the health or vigour of the mother tree from the mechanical damaged caused.Suckers an inch high can be grown even if not yet producing their own roots.

Finca La Isla

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #17 on: December 22, 2019, 09:26:40 PM »
Should  not damage is what I thought too but...
Air layers of suckers is our current practice and we’re happy with that.

There are two Samoan types that have been introduced. We planted two and one died. The other doesn’t look great, has sparse foliage. Meanwhile my criollo breadfruit look great. Really, it’s hard to keep them from growing to tall and they are very full of green foliage.

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Re: Air layering Marang
« Reply #18 on: December 22, 2019, 09:47:04 PM »
Should  not damage is what I thought too but...
Air layers of suckers is our current practice and we’re happy with that.

There are two Samoan types that have been introduced. We planted two and one died. The other doesn’t look great, has sparse foliage. Meanwhile my criollo breadfruit look great. Really, it’s hard to keep them from growing to tall and they are very full of green foliage.
Do you know the names of the 2 Samoan types you have? I believe there are guidelines on how to prune breadfruit in the Breadfruit Institute website. The good thing about Ma'afala is that it is low and more umbrella shaped than most breadfruit cultivars. Much easier to pick, even if you don't prune it. Some call it dwarf, but just really lower in height, and wider.
Oscar