Propagation of Piper carniconnectivum through leaf cuttings

The regeneration of roots and shoots through leaf cuttings is a feasible technique for plant clonal propagation, using a quite available organ, which can be collected without great damage to the plant. A protocol of propagation through leaf cuttings was defined to Piper carniconnectivum, a plant whose compounds have great potential use in medicine and agriculture. Leaves were cut in halves (apical and petiolar) by transverse cutting in the middle of the leaf blade. The petiolar parts were immersed into a solution of indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) at 1000 ppm for 30 seconds, or not submitted to the hormone. Then the cuttings were planted in soil, using two positions of the petiolar halves: petiole down and petiole up. A factorial design was used – 2 times of immersion in IBA x 2 leaf half position x 3 blocs x 6 replications. After 145 days the number of shoots, shoot length, leaf area, dry matter of aerial part, root volume and root dry matter were evaluated. The highest number of shoots was observed in the petiole down position without IBA. In relation to the other aerial characteristics – shoot length, leaf area and dry matter of the aerial part, the highest values were observed both in the petiole down position without IBA and in the petiole up position with immersion in IBA. The characteristics related to the root – root volume and root dry matter were both highest in the petiole up position with immersion in IBA. Leaf cuttings can be a practical method to propagate P. carniconnectivum vegetatively. Both petiole up cutting with immersion in IBA and petiole down cutting without immersion in hormone can be used as propagules