Open Access

Raul Javier Morales Orellana, Thomas Rath, Traud Winkelmann

• In this study was analyzed the effect of the wound geometry on the development of vascular tissue during the propagation phase of rose cuttings of Rosa canina 'Pfänder' in aeroponic conditions. Three laser patterns based on strips were marked on the base of the cutting keeping a constant tissue penetration: a wide single strip (10mm long and 1mm wide), a thin single strip (10mm long and 0.5mm wide) and two thin strips (10mm long and 0.5mm width each). The evaluation of stem sections showed how the development of phloem and xylem was significantly influenced by the pattern geometry. Interestingly, an accelerated xylogenesis during the first days of culture was a common characteristic directly at wounded regions. Through tissue quantification it was determined that a higher presence of xylem was associated with a wider wounded area, while an increase in phloem and less xylem was related to a reduction of area and an increase of wounded borders. The maximum rooting rate in wounded cuttings reached 49% from the pattern with two thin strips compared to the 10% for the control.