Cutting from Campomanesia aurea O. Berg (Myrtaceae): The collection time of propagules and the effects of auxin

Abstract

Campomanesia aurea is a potentially ornamental native species of the Pampa Biome and its vegetative propagation may be an alternative for producing seedlings on a commercial scale. Thus, the goal of this study was to verify the feasibility of vegetative propagation of C. aurea collected at different times under the use of IBA. Cuttings were collected in an in situ in the Municipality of Barão do Triunfo, RS, Brazil, in autumn, winter and spring. IBA at concentrations of zero, 2,000, 4,000, 6,000 and 8,000 mg L-1 were tested. Rooting, callogenesis, leaf retention, mortality and root dry matter were analyzed. There was interaction between the doses of IBA and the collection time of cuttings in relation to rooting. In autumn, there was quadratic behavior with a maximum of 28% rooting with curve inflection at IBA doses above 6,500 mg L-1. The highest callogenesis and leaf retention rates and the lowest mortality rate have been observed in autumn. However, the highest rooting rate and the best root system quality have been observed in spring. We have therefore concluded that the vegetative propagation of C. aurea is feasible and the effects of IBA are dependent on the collection time of propagules.