Effect of Organic Amendments and Indole-3-butyric Acid (IBA) on Growth and Root Development of Fruitless Morus alba L. Cuttings

Abstract

Morus alba L., the fruitless mulberry, is an economically important species, and efficient vegetative propagation is necessary for rapid multiplication and establishment. This study assessed the effects of organic amendments and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on the rooting and growth of fruitless Morus alba cuttings. Semi-hardwood cuttings were subjected to five treatments: the control (T0), farmyard manure (FYM; T1), vermicompost (T2), FYM combined with 1000 ppm IBA (T3), and vermicompost combined with 1000 ppm IBA (T4). The experiment was arranged in a randomised complete block design with five replications. Growth parameters, including shoot thickness, shoot length, root length, and total plant height, were recorded at 60, 90, and 120 days after planting. All parameters increased with growth duration, although the magnitude of the response varied among treatments. Treatment T3 produced the highest growth values, especially at 120 days, when it achieved a shoot thickness of 3.58 mm, a shoot length of 39.38 cm, a root length of 12.20 cm, and a total plant height of 57.08 cm. Treatment T4 also resulted in relatively greater rooting and vegetative growth, whereas FYM alone produced a moderate improvement compared with the control. Vermicompost alone produced inconsistent responses across the measured parameters. The performance of T3 indicates that combining FYM with 1000 ppm IBA creates favourable conditions for rooting and subsequent vegetative development of fruitless mulberry cuttings. The findings suggest that combining organic amendments with IBA may improve the early establishment of Morus alba cuttings. Further research involving IBA alone and different IBA concentrations is recommended to optimise propagation methods.