PLANTING OF Ipomoea pes-caprae ON BRAVA BEACH DUNES (ITAJAÍ, SC): COMPARING TWO TECHNIQUES

Abstract

This work aimed to compare survival of Ipomoea pes-caprae planted with two vegetative propagation methods: direct planting of cuttings and planting of cuttings rooted in a green house. Leaves and shoots were cut off of stolons with short distance among nodes. Stolon fragments of 20 and 30 cm were kept in a green house for rooting (rooted cuttings; treatment 1) or planted directly on the dune (non-rooted cuttings; treatment 2). Each cutting was marked and all were randomized and planted in a fenced area of Praia Brava (Itajaí, SC). Survival was monitored along two months. Higher mortality was observed in the first three weeks for all treatments, but it was different among treatments. The 30cm-cuttings of both treatments presented higher survival than 20cm-cuttings. It occurs in the first three weeks (survival of 83 and 76 % to rooted cuttings and non-rooted cuttings, respectively), and also after 60 days (survival of 74 and 62 % to rooted cuttings and non-rooted cuttings, respectively). Despite the high mortality of 20cm-cuttings in the first three weeks, survival after 60 days was still relatively high (survival of 41 and 44 % to rooted cuttings and non-rooted cuttings, respectively). We concluded that 30cm-cuttings are better than 20cm-cutting, and rooted cuttings are better than non-rooted cuttings, especially when rainfall is low.