VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF Toona ciliata M. Roemer BY THE MINICUTTING TECHNIQUE

Sexual propagation is the method commonly used for the Australian Red Cedar Toona ciliata. However, seasonal seed availability and short viability are a concern for the continuous offer of seeds for implantation. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the viability of vegetative propagation of this species through minicutting and to test indolbutiric acid (IBA) application for rooting of minicuttings. Sprouts for clonal minicutting production were obtained from a miniclonal garden established from seeds, in three different harvest times (2.5; 4.5 and 5.5 months after seedling cut). Before staking, the minicutting base was immerged at four IBA concentrations (0; 1500; 3000 and 4500 mg L-1). Minicutting survival and rooting rate were 100% in the three harvesting dates, without quantitative differences between root lengths by auxin dose application. The longer the time interval between the two minicutting production harvests, the greater the speed of minicutting growth was. Australian Red Cedar minicuttings have a high rooting capacity and the cut seedlings present sprout production,, allowing cloning by the minicutting technique.