Research Article | Published: 07 January 2026

Tissue culture vs. conventional planting materials: Early growth performance of Teak (Tectona grandis) in central India

Pradeep  Mishra

Indian Journal of Forestry | Volume: 48 | Issue: 4 | Page No. 281-287 | 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2026-2ROBVT | Cite this article

Abstract

Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) is a major plantation species in central India, where planting material quality critically influences early establishment and growth. This study compared the early field performance of four planting material types: tissue culture plants raised in polypots (TC–Polypot) and root trainers (TC–Root Trainer) procured from the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu; tissue culture plants procured from Sachdev Nursery and Tissue Culture Lab, Damoh, Madhya Pradesh (TC–MP); and presprouted stumps (PS–MP) procured from the Regional Office, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (MPFDC), Madhya Pradesh. The plantation trial was established at Compartment 877, Beat Kataphod, Range Kataphod, Dewas Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh in the second week of July 2023. Plant height, collar diameter, height-to-diameter (H/D) ratio, and survival were assessed at 28 months after planting using grid-based random sampling across 2,230 plants. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test revealed significant differences among planting material types for all parameters (p < 0.05). TC–Polypot recorded the highest mean height (91.72 ± 1.98 cm) and collar diameter (20.35 ± 0.33 mm), followed by TC–Root Trainer, TC–MP, and PS–MP. Survival ranged from 72.24% (TC–Polypot) to 58.60% (PS–MP). The H/D ratio was comparable across TC types (4.50–4.54) but lower in PS–MP (4.07), indicating sturdier stem form. Tissue culture planting materials, particularly TC–Polypot, demonstrated superior early performance and are recommended for high-productivity teak plantations in central India. Long-term monitoring is needed to confirm whether early growth advantages translate into shorter rotation cycles.

Keywords

Collar diameter, Early growth, Plant height, Planting material, Presprouted stump, Survival, Tissue culture

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How to cite

Mishra, P., 2025. Tissue culture vs. conventional planting materials: Early growth performance of Teak (Tectona grandis) in central India. Indian Journal of Forestry, 48(4), pp.281-287. https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2026-2ROBVT

Publication History

Manuscript Received on 30 April 2025

Manuscript Revised on 22 December 2025

Manuscript Accepted on 24 December 2025

Manuscript Published on 07 January 2026

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