With the objetive to propagate avocados vegetatively by means of stem cuttings, branches of cultivars Ouro Verde and Baronesa were forced to etiolate. Grafted avocado plants were prunned 10 cm above of the grafting point. Half of those plants were covered with black polyethylene and placed in a darkroom. The other half of those plants were transfered to a greenhouse. The branches formed were girdled at the base. One month after the plants had been pruned, stem cuttings 20 cm length, with 4 mature leaves, were taken from each plant. These stem cuttings were imersed in a 2000 mg L-1 indolbutiric acid (IBA) solution for 10 seconds and placed, singly, in 500ml black plastic bags, containing carbonized rice husk. After 2 months, they were transfered to 5 L black polyethylene bags. At the moment of transplant, 62.5% and 12.5%, of etiolated and non etiolated branches of cv. Ouro Verde, respectively, had formed roots. Cv. Baronesa did not emit roots in any situation. After transplanting, the percentage of root formation on cv. Ouro Verde stem cuttings remained the same, increasing, however, the total number of roots. For Cv. Baronesa, non etiolated stem cuttings had 12.5% of root formation, while the etiolated ones continued without root formation.
Persea sp.; etiolation; girdling
