We at Trees That Feed Foundation wanted to experiment with more ways to propagate breadfruit trees. They typically do not grow from seeds so other methods have to be found. Examples in use are tissue culture, root culture, stem culture (also called marcotting or air layering), or grafting onto a compatible root stock.
We’re continuing to look for easier ways for nurseries, farmers or interested individuals to propagate breadfruit trees. We decided to try something new, based on a casual conversation we had in Costa Rica.
Co-founder Mike McLaughlin simply cut off the end of a branch from an existing breadfruit tree and stuck it into a small pot with soil. He cut off most of the existing leaves to minimize transpiration. He kept the pot well-watered and in high humidity. No root stimulant hormone was used in this test.
Sure enough, the little twigs survived and are now sprouting new leaves and roots. Quite a success! This is a very inexpensive way to propagate breadfruit. The main drawback is that the process is slow … 8 weeks for new leaves to sprout. Marcotting is faster (4 – 6 weeks using larger twigs) but more labor intensive.
One photo shows the root development in one of the twigs.
Mike also tested a twig suspended in water only. Rooting hormone was applied in that case. After 8 weeks, unfortunately no root development was to be seen. Perhaps nutrients in soil are necessary for root development.
We will do additional testing with larger twigs and report back at a future date.
