This work aimed to compare the rooting capacity of cuttings of the somatic hybrid 'Caipira' sweet orange (C. sinensis L. Osbeck) + 'Volkamer' lemon (C. volkameriana V. Tennore et Pasquale) with those of their progenitors treated with indol butyric acid (IBA) (0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg L-1). Cuttings of 'Caipira' sweet orange and 'Volkamer' lemon were collected from seed derived plants, whereas those of the somatic hybrid were obtained from recently pruned grafted plants. The experimental design was a completely randomized block 3 x 4 factorial (genotypes x IBA concentrations), with four replications (10 cuttings per replication) in a total of 480 cuttings. Cuttings were cultivated in expanded polystyrene trays filled with commercial potting mix, inside an intermittent mist chamber, for 90 days. The production of the rooted plants was highly efficient for the three genotypes evaluated, considering most of the variables related with rooting and cutting vigor, regardless the use of IBA. 'Volkamer' lemon cuttings had higher root length and root dry mass than the other genotypes. However, percentage of live cuttings, rooted cuttings and sprouted cuttings were high (above 90%) for all evaluated genotypes, indicating the great potential of this material to be used in nursery tree multiplication through cuttings.
biotechnology; Citrus; cutting propagation; root induction; rootstock
