fungal outbreak in the substrate. Utilizing a better-draining substrate, such as a sand or perlite mixture, could prevent water-logging and rotting problems. Wounding of shoots could provide an entry point for these fungal organisms; girdling of shoots using a metal ring could be a viable method of girdling shoots while not causing an open wound. Breakage of shoots was also a problem when shoots were wounded too deeply.

Although we were not successful in optimizing rooting using wounding and IBA application, the discovery of an easier-to-root pawpaw genotype (row 6, tree 71) is also important. This particular genotype could be used in future clonal propagation studies and may be examined as a potential clonal rootstock due to its ease in rooting. Since rooting occurred closer to the ground in R6T71, wounding and auxin applications closer to the ground, where plant tissue could be more juvenile in character could also enhance rooting in other genotypes. Pawpaw has proven extremely difficult to root, and has so few options in clonal propagation, therefore discovering a genotype that has greater ease in rooting may be just as important as finding new methods or treatments to enhance rooting. We do not know what fruiting characteristics this genotype possesses, but this selection could serve as a consistent rootstock. Wood (1989) reported that poorly developed root systems of pecan shoots rooted by mound layering could lead to poor field establishment rates. Solar et al. (1994) also found that while 40% of layered hazelnut shoots had strong enough root systems to be transplanted into orchards after the first year, another 35-45% of rooted stems required another year in a nursery before they were vigorous enough to be planted in orchards. Optimizing the development of a strong root system in rooted stems of pawpaw could be equally important to field establishment. The stems with roots from row 5, tree 97 and row 2, tree 43 were poorly developed (one root/stem) and would not be desirable for establishment. The rooted stems of row 6, tree 71 that developed outside the treatment areas were also few in number (1-3 roots), however, the rooted shoots were potted in 1 gallon Treepots filled with ProMix Bx and placed in the greenhouse to evaluate survivability. Unfortunately, none of the stems survived; the roots that were present at potting had apparently rotted and no new roots were observed. Although a mound layering study was not conducted in 2004, this genotype was re-covered with ProMix potting medium and rooting of this year's