Apical shoot propagation of Taxus wallichiana Zucc. in Vietnam: a conservation-oriented approach to overcome the limitations of lateral cuttings

Taxus wallichiana Zucc. is an endangered medicinal tree species valued for its production of paclitaxel, but its conservation is constrained by overexploitation and poor natural regeneration. This study evaluated the feasibility of propagating T. wallichiana by apical cuttings under nursery conditions as a conservation-oriented alternative to seed propagation and lateral cuttings. Two-year-old donor plants subjected to apical shoot removal produced a cumulative 25.93 ± 0.84 suitable shoots per plant after 12 months, providing a reliable source of propagules. Rooting performance was significantly affected by IBA concentration, rooting substrate, and cutting length. Among the tested treatments, 1.0% IBA was the most effective concentration for root induction. The best rooting performance was obtained in a substrate containing 25% sand and 75% coir dust, with a rooting percentage of 90.00 ± 5.00%, 8.13 ± 0.12 roots per cutting, and a mean root length of 4.83 ± 0.24 cm. Apical cuttings 10–15 cm in length rooted better than 15–20 cm cuttings. For nursery growth, potting media containing 75% soil + 25% coir dust or 50% soil + 50% coir dust gave the best performance, with 100% survival and plant heights of 30.93 ± 0.66 cm and 30.33 ± 0.56 cm, respectively. After 18 months, cutting-derived plants reached 81.43 ± 2.13 cm in height and 1.15 ± 0.05 cm in basal diameter, outperforming seed-derived seedlings. These findings indicate that apical cutting is a promising propagation approach for conservation and restoration of T. wallichiana.