ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate, throughout the seasons, the minicutting technique as a cloning method for Eucalyptus benthamii × Eucalyptus dunnii hybrids regarding minicutting survival and rooting. The ministumps of H12, H19 and H20 clones were cultivated during 352 days in a clonal minigarden in a semi- hydroponic system in a sand bed, where the nutritive solution was supplied by drip irrigation. During the experiment, 27 successive minicutting samplings were performed in 4 seasons of the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The minicutting basal portion was immersed in hydro-alcoholic solutions containing 2,000 mg L-1 of IBA during 10 seconds. The experiment was conducted using an entirely randomized design with 5 replications and 20 minicuttings per replication. The minicutting rooting varied in function of the clone and presented high sensitivity to seasonal and temperature variations. The best rooting indices occurred in the cooler seasons (19.59% to 56.20%) and the lowest in warmer seasons (4.62% to 8.50%). The H19 and H20 clones presented the greater indices for rooting in all 4 seasons.
Keywords:
cloning; vegetative propagation; seasonality; rooting