Development, rooting and nodulation of mororó (Bauhinia cheilantha) cuttings harvested in different seasons

To increase the establishment options of the tropical forage legume tree, mororo (Bauhinia cheilantha), a native of the Caatinga vegetation in Northeast Brazil, a vegetative propagation study was carried out. In 2 experiments the performance of cuttings taken from 2 different locations on the mother plant (apical and basal branches) was evaluated on 4 different substrates: washed sand (SA); soil (S); soil in a moist chamber (S+MC); and vermiculite (V), in which cuttings were 'eplanted'. The variables analyzed were: bud emergence; presence of expanded leaves; length and width of expanded leaves; and development of roots. For the first experiment, cuttings were taken in the dry season (December), for the second experiment in the rainy season (June). Cutting season had the major effect on all variables, particularly emerging buds (37.90% in the dry vs. 1.34% in the rainy season) and expanded leaves (23.60% in the dry vs. 1.13% in the rainy season). The best results were obtained in substrates S+MC and SA, the latter applying particularly for root development. It seems cuttings can be taken from any part of the mother plant but should be taken in the dry season, when an adequate supply of nutrients exists in the branches. Further studies are warranted to determine how to increase the success of root development on cuttings.