Himalayan Yew (Taxus baccata) Conservation : a Vegetative Approach

The Himalayan Yew (Taxus baccata) is an extremely threatened and medicinally important tree, for the use of its commercial extract Taxol, which is being used as an anti cancer drug universaly. Vegetative propagation of the plant was tried, using branch cutting 1-2 cm thick taken from Jageshwar, District Almora. The branch cuttings after given dip treatment using several growth promoting substances (IAA, IBA, Geradix and Seradix) along with control cuttings, in which no treatment was used were planted in raised platform sand beds in the Mist Chamber. The branch cuttings treated with IBA dip treatment were found to be the best method of vegetative propagation of the species. This will go a long way in the conservation of the commercially important Himalayan species of Yew, along with the preservation of its inherent genetic characteristics.