EFFECTS OF BRASSINOSTEROIDS AND HUMIC ACIDS ON THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTLETS FROM PINEAPPLE CROWNS

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of humic acid and brassinosteroid applications on the production of plantlets from decapitated pineapple crowns. Methods: The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a randomized complete block design in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, consisting of four brassinosteroid doses (0, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 mg L⁻¹) combined with the presence or absence of humic acid. The first shoots emerged 30 days after planting, and plantlets were harvested when they reached a minimum height of 10 cm. Results: After 360 days, the application of 0.5 mg L⁻¹ brassinosteroids without humic acid in-creased shoot production by approximately 20% compared with the control treatment. The application of humic acid alone increased shoot production by 32.4%. Conclusion: These results indicate that the use of humic acids and brassinosteroids can enhance the production of plantlets from pineapple crowns and represents a promising strategy to improve the efficiency of pineapple propagation systems.