Desiccation tolerance of Cissus quadrangularis assessed in a greenhouse experiment

Cissus quadrangularis is a succulent vine that degrades forests where it is not native by growing over trees and causing them to break or by impeding regeneration. Methods for its control have been tried but no satisfactory approach has been found yet. Thus, we carried out an experiment to analyze how much desiccation Cissus can endure before losing its ability to grow when rehydrated, using fragments of 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 internodes to test if desiccation tolerance was affected by fragment length. Additionally, we tested whether chemical treatment to break down the cuticle facilitated desiccation. We found out that Cissus remains viable after losing up to 80% of its weight, with shorter fragments losing viability at 70% weight loss. Acetone treatment did not accelerate desiccation time. Cissus has a remarkable tolerance to desiccation. Therefore, management strategies should ensure complete desiccation of Cissus fragments to prevent its regrowth. Reducing fragments to smaller sizes could amplify the effectiveness of control measures, but risks of increasing propagule numbers should be considered.

Methods
This data is a product of two controlled experiments in the greenhouse. The available data is the data gathered during the course of the experiments. The data has not been transformed.