Tamanho e maturação fisiológica do ramo na propagação vegetativa de ora-pro-nóbis

Abstract

Barbados gooseberry is an unconventional food plant known for its high protein content, making it important in fighting hunger and food insecurity. Its propagation occurs mainly by cuttings, so the present study aimed to evaluate the vegetative propagation as a function of the size and physiological maturation of the branch. The experiment was carried out in the municipality of Santo Cristo-RS, with the treatments consisting of: 5cm basal cut, 5cm central cut, 5cm apical cut, 10cm basal cut, 10cm central cut and 10cm apical cut. A completely randomized statistical design was used, with 6 treatments and 4 repetitions, totaling 24 experimental units. Each experimental unit consisted of 3 stakes. The evaluated variables were the percentage of rooting, the number of roots, the length of the largest root, the volume, weighted diameter and area of the roots, the green and dry mass of the roots, the percentage of sprouting, the number of shoots and the number of leaves per shoot and the green and dry mass of the shoots with the leaves. The evaluation took place 60 days after planting, in the Agroecology laboratory of the Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS). For the variables rooting percentage, sprouting percentage, root area, root volume, weighted diameter of the roots, length of the largest root and size of the shoot, there was no significant difference. The treatment with 10 cm basal cuttings showed the highest averages for the variables green mass, dry mass of roots, number of roots, green and dry mass of shoots and number of leaves. In the variable number of shoots, the central and apical 10 cm cuttings presented the highest means.