VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF CACTACEOUS SPECIES IN THE ATUNCELA INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (``DAGUA``, ``VALLE DEL CAUCA``)

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.973492412073

• Palavras-chave: Subxerophytic, development, cactus, propagation, endemism, conservation, Extremophilous.

• Keywords: Subxerophytic, development, cactus, propagation, endemism, conservation, Extremophilous.

• Abstract:

  The integrated management district of Atuncela has specific characteristics of the dry forest that allow the presence of unique species within the Chocó biogeographic region, where tropical humid forest vegetation predominates. In this district, 5 species of cacti present in the area of ecological importance were evaluated: Pilosocereus colombianus(Britton & Rose), Melocactus curvispinus Pfeiffer subsp. loboguerreroi (Cardenas) Fern. Alonso & Xhonneux, Opuntia pittieri Britton & Rose, Opuntia bella Britton & Rose and Armatocereus humilis (Britton & Rose) Backeberg), to define adequate parameters for vegetative propagation of endemic cacti as conservation strategies of the dry - subxerophytic forest ecosystem. The behavior of the five species to the healing process and the response to 3 different substrates (unsieved soil, sieved soil, soil enriched with organic matter) was evaluated, with two different sizes of propagule (Tm1, Tm2) in a completely experimental design. random. The five species evaluated presented a differential behavior in the healing process, with material losses from 0% for A. humilis to 100% for M. curviespinus. Variations in the development of the species were observed in relation to the characteristics of each species. A. humilis reached a development of 15 cm at 90 days, unlike the 2 cm reached by P. colombianus. It was possible to determine the type of soil that favors the development of each species, and how the size of the propagule positively affected the development of A. humilis with increases of 55% in regrowth length. The factors associated with the type of soil and propagule size generated effects on the vegetative development of the five species evaluated. Accordingly, four of the five species evaluated responded positively to vegetative propagation and can be considered an efficient propagation method for Opuntia pittieri, Opuntia bella, Armatocereus humilis and Pilosocereus colombianus, however, the negative response of Melocactus curvispinus shows the problem in the rapid spread of this species and its disadvantage.