Influence of Root-Inducing Substances and Time Intervals on the Rooting of Acerola Cuttings

Abstract

Because of the high ascorbic acid content of the pulp of its fruit, the acerola (Malpighia punicifolia L.) has good potentialities as an economic crop for Puerto Rico. The Agricultural Experiment Station therefore, has selected clones of a high ascorbic acid content of which B. 15 is one of the best. The best and most rapid type of true-to-type propagation for the selected clones is by means of cuttings. In this experiment cuttings of acerola clone B. 15 were treated with indolebutyric and naphthaleneacetic acid and left in the sand beds for 6, 8, and 10 weeks. The major results were: 1. Indolebutyric acid significantly increased the number of cuttings that rooted. 2. Leaving the cuttings in the sand beds for 8 weeks proved this to be the optimum time interval for the rooting of the cuttings. 3. The use of the plant hormones significantly increased the number of roots per cutting.