Rooting of japanese apricot mini-cuttings with indolebutyric acid

Abstract

The use of rootstocks originated from sexual propagation results in serious problems for peach culture, being vegetative propagation an important alternative to minimize these problems partially. Among vegetative propagation methods, the use of mini-cuttings constitutes an innovation against the conventional mini-cutting method, which, in some species, have promoted an increase in productivity, uniformity and rooting percentage. Thus, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the viability of Japanese apricot propagation through herbaceous mini-cuttings, by testing different concentrations of IBA (0, 1.000, 2.000 e 3.000 mg.L-1) and types of mini-cuttings (apical, median and basal), in a completely randomized design with four replications. Prepared with two buds and a leaf cut in half, with two lesions on the basis, they were immersed in IBA solution, for 10 seconds, and placed in transparent, articulated plastic packages with vermiculite growing medium. Next, they were placed in a greenhouse under controlled temperature. Sixty days after installation, the percentage of rooted mini-cuttings, number and length of the three largest roots were evaluated. During rooting, the apical, median and basal mini-cuttings showed higher percentage using 1.000 mg.L-1 of IBA.