1.2 EFFECT OF AGE OF POLYBAG PLANTS ON SUBSEQUENT GROWTH

Early work have shown that plants at 4 months have good root systems for transplanting and take off immediately to produce good hedgerows quickly. This section investigates the optimum duration for raising container plants in the nursery. Plants raised up to 11, 16, 23 and 51 weeks in the polybags were transplanted into the ground. Weekly examination shows very good regeneration and early growth of root system of 23 weeks and also 16 weeks. Those polybag plants raised for 11 weeks show early growth but was less vigorous. Growth of 51 weeks old material was very poor. Previous experience has also shown that older (70 weeks) polybag plants perform even worse.

The very old container plants are not good for subsequent growth in the field, as the old roots are so bag/bound that they do not regenerate. The optimum duration seems to be 23 weeks, but it may not be economically satisfactory to keep plants for such a song time in the nursery; besides there may be urgent need for quality planting materials.