ABSTRACT
The use of clonal microgardens in soilless cultivation systems in order to produce propagative material of blueberry crop (Vacccinium spp) can bring major advances in the production of the transplants. The objective of this research was to evaluate microcutting production and survival of micropropagated blueberry stock plants of Woodard and Aliceblue cultivars in two crop systems. Semi-hydroponic system (plastic flowers pots containing sand and irrigated daily with nutrient solution) and organicmineral substrate system (polyethylene sacs containing commercial substrate and irrigated with nutrient solution every 15 days) were used. Microcuttings collects began 90 days after mother microplants setting in the systems. The collects were performed every 60 days, exception in winter, when samples were collected every 90 days, corresponding to eleven collects until to the end of the experiment. The experiment was set up as a factorial 2 x 2 x 11 (systems x cultivar x collects) in a completely randomized experimental design with three replications of 12 plants each. Total production of microcuttings at the end of the eleven collects, number of microcuttings produced per mother microplant in each collect, survival of mother microplants at the end of the eleven collects and survival of mother microplants after each collect were evaluated. The results indicated that semi-hydroponic was superior to organicmineral substrate system for microcutting production of both cultivars. The highest total production of 237.67 microcuttings was obtained for cultivar Aliceblue in semihydroponic system. However, in this condition, the mother microplants survival was lower. The microcutting production presented an alternating pattern along the experimental period. The mother microplants survival was reduced after successive collects. After summer collects the mother microplants mortality was increased.
Index terms
microcuttings; mother microplants; Vaccinium spp.
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