Alternative substrates in the rooting of cuttings bougainvillea spectabilis

The present work aimed to evaluate different proportions of decomposed babassu stem in the composition of substrates for vegetative propagation of bougainville. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD), with six treatments and four replications totaling 24 plots. The substrate (S) used was soil based with decomposed babassu stem (DBS), in the following proportions: 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of DBS, plus soil. At the end of the experiment, 98 (ninety-eight) days after planting, the following variables were evaluated: I) number of leaves; II) plant height (cm); III) stem diameter (mm); IV) root length (cm); V) root volume (cm3); VI) fresh root and shoot mass (g). The data were submitted to analysis of variance by the “F” test, for diagnosis of significant effect, and the treatments compared to each other by the Tukey test at 5% probability, through the InfoStat® computer program. According to the analysis of variance, there was no significant effect for any of the variables studied, but the substrates composed of 20 to 100% DBS provided the highest averages for the variables studied. Since for most variables, the substrate with 80% DBS + 20% soil presented the highest average, therefore the most recommended, in the vegetative propagation of bougainville.