Incision in the base and indolebutyric acid to promote the rooting of 'Bengal' litchi cuttings

Abstract

A alternative to producing litchi (Litchi sinensis Sonn.) seedlings is by cuttings. However, the main drawback of using this method is related to the difficulty of rooting presented by this species. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the rooting of semihardwood cuttings of litchi ‘Bengal’ at different concentrations of indolebutyric acid, with or without incision in the base. The experimental design was completely randomized with five replicates of 10 cuttings in a factorial 3X2 (three IBA concentrations: 0, 1.000 and 2.000 mg L-1; with or without incision in the base). After 126 days, the variables evaluated were: cutting survival, leaf retention, cutting with callus not rooted, rooted cutting, number of roots per cutting, length of major roots per cutting and dry weight of roots per cutting. For rooting, the IBA application was efficient only when the cuttings were not injured. In addition, there was no influence of the types of cuttings in the IBA concentrations. However, in those with incision at the base, the means were higher without the application of the plant growth regulator. Thus, the 'Bengal' litchi can be multiplied by semihardwood cuttings with incision at the base of the cuttings, without the use of IBA.