Effect of growth regulators on rooting and shooting of stem cuttings in dragon fruit [Hylocereus undatus (Haworth) Britton & rose]

Abstract

An experiment was to conducted to know the influence of growth regulators IBA, NAA and their combination on rooting of stem cuttings in Dragon fruit [Hylocereus undatus (Haworth) Britton & Rose] under low cost polyhouse of the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, UAHS, Shivamogga, during the year 2017- 2018. The experiment was laid out by following Complete Randomized Design with twelve treatments replicated thrice. The stem cuttings of Dragon fruit treated with different plant growth regulators result reveals that, the least number of days taken for root initiation (14.54), the maximum values recorded with respect to percentage of rooting (57.75 %), length of the longest root (23.07 cm), average number of roots per cuttings (46.88), average length of roots per cuttings (12.41 cm), root volume (1.97 cc), root diameter (1.47 mm), fresh weight and dry weight of root (2.28 g and 0.67 g, respectively). The less number of days taken for first sprouting (7.34), sprouting percentage (58.67), number of sprouts per cutting (2.43),number, length of shoot (17.45 cm), diameter of shoot (3.53 mm), maximum fresh and dry weight of shoot (56.66 g and 11.12 g respectively) and maximum to shoot ratio (0.67) was recorded in cutting treated with IBA 7000 ppm.