Sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) presents good economic perspectives for the Brazilian fruit market and its propagation has been held commonly by seeds, however, the vegetative propagation of selected plants is the most appropriate method for the formation of uniform and productive orchards. The use of stem cuttings has advantages including ease of technique and its low cost. The application of synthetic auxins like indolebutyric acid (IBA) at the base of the cuttings ensures its exogenous supply, assisting in the process of rooting. The importance of knowledge of the internal structure of the stem cuttings can reveal the success or failure of rooting that, in some cases, occurs by the presence of anatomical barriers to the emergence of root primordia. This work aimed to establish the best concentration and the method of application of IBA, aimed at stimulate rooting in sugar apple cuttings, and to identify the tissues that they emerged. Independent of the concentration, application of the IBA via powder was significantly more efficient for the formation of roots than liquid form. Anatomical studies reveal that the roots arise indirectly from the callus tissue formed at the base of cuttings.
Auxin; IBA; vegetative propagation; tropical fruit
