ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF POPULUS CASPICA AND POPULUS ALBA CUTTINGS UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION INTERVALS

Understanding the function of poplar species under different irrigation regimes is critical for water resources and ecosystem sustainable management. This study was conducted in order to understand the performance (survival and height growth) of two poplar species (Populus alba L. and Populus caspica Bornm.) cuttings in two lengths (15 cm and 25 cm) under three irrigation treatments (7-day, 14-day and 21-day intervals). One trial was established using split-split-plot design with three replications. Every two weeks height and number of remaining cuttings were measured. Results showed the survival average at the end of periods for 7-day, 14-day and 21-day irrigation treatments were 83.33 %, 22.08 % and 0 %, respectively, for P. alba and P. caspica were 25.89 % and 44.39 %, respectively and for cuttings in 15 and 25 cm were 29.61 % and 40.66 % respectively. The results of two-way analysis of variance of the survival among cuttings indicated that the differences survival among cuttings were all marked under the four treatments and analysis of variance of the height growth indicated that except under the size treatment, the differences height growth among cuttings were all marked under the other three treatments.