AVOCADO SEEDLINGS MULTIPLE STEMS PRODUCTION

• Main Authors: MARCUS VINICIUS SANDOVAL PAIXÃO, JOSÉ CARLOS LOPES, EDILSON ROMAIS SCHMILDT, RODRIGO SOBREIRA ALEXANDRE, CAROLINE MERLO MENEGHELLI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Fruticultura 2016-01-01
• Series: Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura
• Subjects: Abacate; semente; policaulia; enraizamento; auxina; Persea americana Miller
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-29452016000200901&lng=en&tlng=en

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the potential of multi-stems in avocado seeds according to their mass as well as the adventitious rooting of multi-stem budding with or without the use of auxin. The research was carried out at the Vegetation House of Federal Institute of Espírito Santo, Campus Santa Teresa -ES, with seeds of different masses: <60 g, 61 to 80 g, 81 to 100 g and >100 g, in which each experimental unit was made of five seeds, distributed within five repetitions, under a completely randomized design. The seeds were put to germinate and the percentage number of emergence and multiple stems were evaluated. After 150 days, the following evaluations were carried out: survival of rooted cuttings; number of leaves; stem diameter; root length; root volume; root and shoot fresh mass; root and shoot dry mass; shoot height; absolute growth and shoot growth rate; shoot dry weight/root dry mass ratio; shoot height/stem diameter ratio; shoot height/root length and Dickson's quality index ratio. Avocado seeds with mass over 100 g and between 81-100 g presented higher percentage of multiple stems. Rods over 20 cm that were not treated with IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) resulted on avocado plants of better quality. The use of IBA (2000 mg L-1) does not affect the rooting and growth of avocado's multi-stem plants.