CUTTING TYPES AND SUBSTRATES FOR JAMBOLÃO ADVENTITIOUS ROOTING

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of the kinds of cuttings and substrates in Syzygium cumini adventitious rooting. Caulinar cuttings were prepared from apical, medium and basal parts of semi-hardwood branches, 12 cm long, with one pair of half-cut leaves. They were then planted in polypropylene tubes containing fine vermiculite or Plantmax HT^® substrate or in plastic boxes containing sand. The cuttings were kept in greenhouse under intermittent mist and after 120 days were evaluated: the number of rooted cuttings, number of cuttings containing callus, alive (not rooted and without callus) and dead cuttings, length of the three biggest roots and number of roots per cutting. Better rooting was obtained in sand (55,00%), while Plantmax HT^® substrate was 31,25% and vermiculite was 13,75%, in cuttings of the branch middle portion. The death of cuttings was the lowest in sand and in this portion. The number and mean length of roots were higher in Plantmax HT^® substrate. This study showed that Syzygium cumini can be propagated by cuttings from the middle part of the branches rooted in sand.