Análise comparativa de tratamentos no enraizamento de clones de Cannabis sativa L.

Abstract

Cannabis sativa L. has gained increasing global prominence for medicinal and therapeutic purposes, and in Portugal it is an expanding crop. Due to the need to produce new plants through macropropagation, a cultivar with a low rooting rate was selected to evaluate rooting performance under different propagation conditions. A comparative analysis involving eight treatments was conducted to determine which treatment achieved the highest rooting success. The treatments were based on three variables: clone size, light intensity from the fifth day of rooting onwards, and the electrical conductivity of the fertigation solution. Throughout the trial, thirty-three clones were propagated for each of the eight treatments in their respective substrate trays. Measurements were taken from each clone at two different time points, and the emergence of new leaves was also monitored. Root development was assessed by counting the number of visible roots on three separate occasions to obtain more reliable results. Each of the eight treatments was replicated three times, with treatments randomly distributed within the propagation room to minimise experimental bias. Following data collection, statistical analyses were performed to determine the effects of the different treatments. Comparison with the control treatment allowed the identification of the factors that most strongly influenced clone rooting success and subsequent plant development.