The objective of this work was to verify the effect of indolbutyric acid (IBA) on rooting of cocoa cuttings. The layout used was a complete randomized design in a 3 x 5 x 2 factorial scheme with three clones (Cepec 2008, CCN 51 e TSH 1188), five concentrations of indolbutyric acid - IBA - (0, 1.000, 3.000, 6.000 e 9.000 mg kg-1), two harvest periods (summer and winter), 10 cuttings per plot and five replications. At 120 days after planting, it was analyzed the following variables: survival percentage (SOB), shoot number (NB) shoots dry matter (MSB) and roots dry matter (MSR). The factors period of the year and IBA concentration showed significant effect in the variables studied isolated and in interaction with clones. The obtained data permit to conclude that the mean ideal concentrations (CI) of IBA were 4.169 mg kg-1 and 3.985 mg kg-1 in the summer and in the winter, respectively. It was verified that the clones showed different responses in regard to CI of IBA and year period. In general, the CI's in the summer were higher than in the winter. The results showed that period of the year and IBA concentrations influenced expressively the survival and rooting of cuttings of Cepec 2008 and CCN 51 clones and, with lower intensity, the TSH 1188 clone. There is an ideal IBA concentration for each one of the studied clones.
Theobroma cacao L.; rooting cuttings; propagation; IBA
