ENRAIZAMENTO DE MELALEUCA: INFLUÊNCIA DA ALTURA DE COLETA DAS ESTACAS E APLICAÇÃO DE IBA

Abstract

Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel is an economically important medicinal plant. Its chemical constitution is well known, being rich in terpinen-4-ol, which is the main responsible for its medicinal properties. However, in this species is difficult to obtain good seedlings from seed germination, what makes the vegetative propagation benefic to its commercialization, maintaining the productive characteristics and quality of extracted oil. This study aimed to evaluate the rooting of tea tree cuttings, collected in the apical, middle and basal portions of the stock plant branches, and treated with different concentrations of indolebutyric acid (IBA). Cuttings with a length of 6 cm, with one third of the apex leaves and a bevel cutting on the base, were treated with hydroalcoholic solutions of IBA (0, 1500 and 3000 mg L-1 ) immersing the base for 10 seconds. In the sequence cuttings were planted in tubes containing vermiculite and placed in a greenhouse. After 91 days, the rooting percentage, number of roots, average length of roots, callus percentage, survival and mortality were evaluated. Percentage of rooting cuttings was less than 43.8%, and it was not influenced by the branch type or by tested IBA concentrations.

Keywords

• vegetative propagation
• plant growth regulator
• cone theory