Cutting size in the vegetative propagation of Dendrobium nobile Lindl

Abstract

The vegetative propagation of orchids allows for the collection of plants genetically identical to the mother plant and reduces their juvenile period. Among the most commercialized orchids in the world, the Dendrobium nobile and its hybrids stands out among. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the propagation of this species through pseudobulb cuttings. Cuttings with two or three buds (knots) were collected from adult plants and stacked in sand, horizontally and vertically, constituting a 2 x 2 factorial scheme, number of buds x cuttings position; with four replications of 15 cuttings. Six months later, the percentage of sprouted cuttings, number and length of shoots per cutting and root length were assessed, but no interaction or diff erences between treatments were found. The use of cuttings with two buds is recommended to optimize the propagation material and further collection of greater number of plants.