Influence of rooting media and indole butyric acid concentrations on growth and development of dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus L.) cuttings

Abstract

The experiment entitled “Influence of rooting media and IBA on growth and development of dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) cuttings was carried out at the Dr. YSRHU – College of Horticulture, Venkataramannagudem, Andhra Pradesh during the year 2023- 2024. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replications comprising sixteen treatment combinations having two factors recorded i.e rooting media at 4 levels (red earth + rice husk, red earth + sand, red earth + vermicompost, red earth) and 4 levels of IBA concentrations (IBA @ 1000, 2000, 3000 and no IBA concentration) recorded at 120 days interval. Both media and IBA had significant impact on rooting performance of dragon fruit stem cuttings. The treatment combination T11 (red earth + vermicompost + IBA @ 3000 ppm) recorded maximum average number of roots (53.40), average length of the root (45.89 cm), length of the longest root (56.03 cm), fresh weight of the roots (14.39 g/cutting), dry weight of the roots (3.77g/cutting) and root thickness (0.31 mm) compared to other treatment combinations.