Cloning of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Using Juvenile Cuttings

Azadirachta indica A. Juss. of the Meliácea family originates from India. It is considered important in Brazil due to its multiple uses. The plant is usually propagated by sexual reproduction (seeds), however, after harvest the seeds have to be sown as soon as possible because they lose germination viability very quickly. The use of juvenile propagules for A. indica seedlings propagation is a viable option, since there is a high demand in the semi arid regions due to wide use in urban afforestation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of fertilization regimens and environments on obtaining Apical cuttings of juvenile origin and on the quality of cloned seedlings of Azadirachta indica. The research was carried out at the Forest Nursery of UFCG/Patos-PB, Brazil, with vegetative propagules (cuttings) obtained from three environments and two fertilization regimes: Biweekly and monthly, in addition to the control (without fertilization). The experiment was arranged in completely randomized design, factorial 3 x 3 (environments of origin of cuttings x fertilization regimes), with six replications, where each plot consisted of a cutting, totaling 54 experimental plots. Results indicated that propagation of Azadirachta indica through cuttings of juvenile origin is feasible, with an average rooting of 95.2%. It is recommended to use the monthly fertilization regimen, since in general it did not differ significantly from the biweekly regime. Fertilization provided better development and quality of the root system and aerial parts.