Time of permanence and rooting quality of minicuttings of eucalypt clones

Abstract

Establishing the optimal time for rooting permanence and evaluation of the rooting quality of eucalypt clones allows us to optimise the production process and increase the quality of the seedlings produced. This study aimed to determine the optimal time for rooting permanence and the rooting quality of three eucalypt clones. Minicuttings from the clones AEC 0144, GG100 and VM01 were propagated in a greenhouse and evaluated for six weeks. The percentages of callus-rooted, rooted and live minicuttings, the number of roots, root system length, and root dry mass were evaluated. The selected clones differed in the speed and rate of rooting, reflecting differences in the optimal time in the rooting house for the minicuttings. Clone VM01 presented the lowest rate and speed of rooting. We conclude that optimisation of the rooting process can be achieved using logistic model fitting and noting the intercept between the daily current increment and daily average increment curves of the rooting percentage, since the other variables are dependent on this.

Keywords: adventitious rooting; clonal seedlings; Eucalyptus camaldulensis; Eucalyptus urophylla; root formation; rooting efficiency