VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF SWEET CHESTNUT AND MARRONS

selected varieties of sweet chestnut called manor's are cultivated for their large and exquisite fruits. Most of the countries with native sweet chestnut populations have their au tochthonous varieties that were arduously created through selective breeding over many centuries. Marron cultivation has a long history in Croatia, mostly in the Lovran area and its surroundings. Although threatened by pests and diseases, as well as land abandonment, some growers still practice the traditional cultivation methods. This paper provides an overview of the most common vegetative propagation methods utilized for the sweet chestnut and manor's sapling production, as well as a shorter overview of cultivation Me thods, breeding, and the importance of manor' plantations in Croatia. Identical fruit characteristics can be inherited by progenies only through faithful passing on of the parent's genotype, thus manor's are propagated vegetatively. Grafting is the most common method of vegetative propagation of marrons in tree nurseries. Other vegetative methods discussed are propagation by layering, cuttings and tissue culture, occasionally used in the reproduction of sweet chestnut.