Propagation Training: What Propagation Skills Are Relevant To Your Work?

Plants Plant Propagation
#1

As Propagation Manager at ECHO North America, I teach interns about basic plant propagation skills. Our trainings include:

  • grafting techniques,
  • nursery management skills (irrigation, infrastructure maintenance, inventory-keeping/bookkeeping),
  • seed germination,
  • air layering,
  • cuttings + division.

I’m currently reviewing the learning objectives for intern instruction and want to learn from YOU, our network members. If you work on a farm and/or have a plant nursery, what would be helpful for an incoming missionary or assistant to be competent in to assist your operations? For example, if someone were to come to work alongside you, are there specific plant propagation skills that would be exceptionally helpful for them to know and have experience with? Thank you for your feedback!

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#2

My experience has been lacking on which part of the branch, stem or leaf to use while propagating cuttings. The other challenge has been on seed - which seed conditions(dry or fresh), what amount of water, soils and manuring.
This knowledge would help in improving the quality of my nurseries.

#3

Are there rooting aids that are helpful in establishing a greater number of rootings? For example, when we root cuttings of Gliricidia sepium, we typically only get about a 60% success rate. Could we use something that would improve that? On the other hand, when rooting Chaya or Tithonia diversifolia, we get about a 90% success rate.