Growth and quality of Mollar pomegranate tree seedlings propagated by cuttings

Abstract

The seminiferous propagation of the pomegranate tree is dramatically affected by the presence of a sarcotesta, which often makes this method of propagation unfeasible. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the production of rootstocks for Mollar pomegranate cuttings under different management techniques in the dry and wet seasons. Two experiments were performed, one in the dry season (August to December 2012, Experiment I), and another in the rainy season (January to June 2013, Experiment II). The experiments used a completely randomized design with four replications and five seedlings per plot. To monitor plant growth and physiology, a factorial scheme using two factors, management of softwood cuttings (cuttings with leaves; cuttings without leaves; and cuttings without leaves, but with an incision at the base) and evaluation times (60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 days after planting [DAP] in Experiment I and 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 DAP in Experiment II) was adopted. The propagation material was collected from commercial plants, from the median portion of the branch. The cuttings were approximately 15 cm long. Cuttings without leaves with an incision at the base were more suitable for vegetative propagation of Mollar pomegranate trees, regardless of season (dry or wet). Seedlings grown in the rainy season had higher survival rates and higher root and shoot growth. The use of cuttings with leaves for the vegetative propagation of the Mollar pomegranate tree in the dry season is not feasible. The best time to transplant Mollar pomegranate tree seedlings, in the rainy season, is at 130 DAP, at an average height of 45 cm.