Replicated Clonal Planting in the Works for 2014

The division-based cloning has been quite successful allowing us to plan for the first ever block of strictly clonal plants at Badgersett Research Farm in 2014.  We have 6 genotypes that will go in this year with another 6 to follow next year.  Fortuitously, 2 of the clones going out this year are of high interest.  One is of a plant that held the record for production for a while.  The second is nick-named Jackie Chan because if "kicked all the others' butts" in nut production - until it became shaded by our big Northern Pin Oak.

I've been working on both field-to-pot (establishment) and pot-to-pot techniques (multiplication).  It also helps to have everyone on the same page regarding watering.  Our use of pyrethrin sprays and Gnatrol drench to control fungus gnats has been instrumental in keeping advantage to the plant during the winter when the unheated greenhouse can have high temps in the 40s(F) on some gray days.

Unlike others who are keen on clonal plantings for production, we are most interested in having multiple individuals of the same genotype in order to study what proportion of plant performance is due to genetics versus environmental effects.