Propagation by cuttings and plant quality in Acer negundo L.

Abstract

The vegetative propagation of Acer negundo represents an option to preserve desired phenotypic characteristics and propagate it in short periods of time. In a completely randomized experimental design with three replications, in which the factors of interest evaluated were the cutting type (hard, soft), the rooting (with and without root starter) and fertilization (high = 150-60-120, low = 100-50-80), 480 cuttings were planted in polyethylene trays, with 54 cavities of 200 mL each; after four months its morphology was observed. The results indicate that the hard cuttings were superior in the diameter of the shoot (2.68 mm), the length of the shoot to the bud (71.85 mm) and the length to the tip of the leaves (214 mm). The root starter application produced higher shoot lengths to the bud (69.4 mm) and length to the tip of the leaves (214.3 mm), as well as leaf weights, fresh (3.78 g) and dry (0.72 g). The interaction root starter* fertilizer had effect on the variables lengths of the shoot to the bud and to the tip of the leaf. There was significance in the interaction of the three factors in the fresh root weight, with the highest (1.56 g) for hard cutting, high fertilization with root starter. The highest value of the Dickson index occurred in hard cuttings (3.12), in which the rooting and sprouts were favored by the possible higher carbohydrate content and the AIB (root starter).