Diameter of cuttings and substrates in the vegetative propagation of maniçoba Manihot glaziovii Muell. Arg.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate substrates and cuttings diameter influence in the vegetative propagation of Manihot glaziovii Muell.Arg. A design in randomized blocks using a 10 x 3 factorial scheme was used, being 10 substrates and 3 cuttings diameter, totaling 30 treatments, from the combinations between substrates and cuttings diameter, with 4 replications and 8 cuttings per plot. Diameters corresponded: 0.5 to 1.0 cm (D1); 1.1 to 2.0 cm (D2) and 2.1 to 3.0 cm (D3). Substrates used were: soil (S1); sand (S2); soil + sand: 1:1 (S3); soil + sand: 2:1 (S4); soil + sand: 1:2 (S5); soil + manure: 1:1 (S6); sand + manure: 1:1 (S7); soil + manure: 2:1 (S8); sand + manure: 2:1 (S9) and soil + sand + manure: 1:1:1 (S10). Woody cuttings were collected from matrix plants in vegetative rest. It was evaluated: percentage of rooted cuttings; roots number; shoots number; shoots length and diameter; leaves number; shoots dry matter and roots dry matter, obtained 70 days after experiment installation. Treatments influenced the analyzed variables. The best results to all studied variables were obtained in cuttings with diameters D2 and D3 and substrates which included sand + manure in their composition. Such treatments provided rooting percentage in the order of 70 to 80%.