Method of diagnostics of softwood cuttings of sea-buckthorn for prediction of their rooting ability
The disadvantages of the traditional method of determination of root system development of horticultural crops are presented. This method is based on the rejection of planting stock and consists in evaluation of root system development of cuttings in several months after planting into protected ground. The aim of the investigation was to determine the possibility of the early prediction of rooting ability of softwood cuttings by the way of measuring the electrophysical parameters of their plant tissues. Researches were carried out on 100 cuttings of sea-buckthorn variety Altajskaya. By means of electrical measuring instruments E7-8 (at a frequency 1 kHz) and E7-12 (at a frequency 1 MHz) with the use of ring flexible electrodes, lubricated by the contact electro-conductive paste and put on cuttings, we measured active and reactive components of impedances of vegetable tissues of cuttings and their ratio. Cuttings were numbered by means of labels and planted to a greenhouse. In autumn after rooting the cuttings were dug out and sorted to the groups according to the development of root system by method of an expert assessment. After rooting were revealed and sorted on groups on development of root system by method of a skilled assessment. For each group mathematical expectation and confidence intervals of the relation of the modules of impedances were determined by statistical methods. For the cuttings of the 1st grade this relation was 7.06; for the second grade - 6.81 and for nonrooted cuttings - 5.85, i.e. there is correlation between cutting quality and its electrophysical parameters.