Stem Cutting Propagation of Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.)

Vegetative propagation of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) is often desirable to preserve valuable characteristics of ecotypes for use in disturbed site rehabilitation and range research. Previous research is not clear with regard to procedures for sagebrush propagation. Three experiments were designed to define the influence of synthetic auxin rates, plant dormancy and individual source plants on rooting performance of big sagebrush stem cuttings. Cuttings obtained in the winter during plant dormancy showed greater rooting activity than those collected from actively growing plants. Synthetic auxin, Indolebutyric acid (IBA) treatment, increased root formation as a function of increased auxin concentration but was unable to overcome factors causing seasonal dormancy in cuttings. Source plants varied in the rootability of cuttings. Care should be exercised in selecting only plants that have a high capability for rooting of cuttings.