Rooting of blueberry hardwood cuttings treated with indolebutyric acid (IBA) and pro-rooting

The aim of this study was to develop and adapt propagation techniques as means to assure production of high quality blueberry seedlings.
Experiments were carried out from July to November 2012 using hardwood cuttings, in a randomized complete block design with four replications.
The experimental unit consisted of 12 cuttings.
Eight treatments were employed, resulting from the combinations of three factors: Cultivar (‘Bluegem’ and ‘Powderblue’), IBA (with and without) and pro-rooting (with and without). After 120 days, the cuttings were assessed for percentage of survival, rooting, with callus formation, number of roots, number of shoots, and length of the longest shoot and root.
No interaction effects were found among the treatments for any of the parameters.
The percentage of cuttings with callus did not differ among treatments. ‘Powderblue’ had a greater percentage of rooted cuttings compared to ‘Bluegem’. ‘Bluegem’ had more roots and shoots than ‘Powderblue’, but were shorter than ‘Powderblue’. The results show that using either IBA or pro-rooting did not improve the propagation of ‘Bluegem’ and ‘Powderblue’ blueberries using hardwood cuttings.
Additionally, ‘Powderblue’ has a better ability to be propagated through hardwood cuttings compared to ‘Bluegem’.

XXIX International Horticultural Congress on Horticulture: Sustaining Lives, Livelihoods and Landscapes (IHC2014): II International Berry Fruit Symposium: Interactions! Local and Global Berry Research and Innovation

D.L.O. Fischer, G.W. Fernandes, E.A. Borges, C.F.B Piana, M.S. Pasa

Vaccinium ashei, blueberry, cuttings, propagation

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1117.53