Determining the Effect of Different Growing Media on Root Development of Dragon Fruit Cuttings [Hylocereus undatus L. (Haworth Britton & Rose)]

Abstract

Vegetative propagation through stem cuttings is important for producing uniform planting material in dragon fruit. This study evaluated the effects of eight growing-media treatments on the root development of dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus L.) cuttings under polyhouse conditions at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, during 2022–2023. The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design with three replications and two cuttings per replication. The treatments comprised soil, sand, farmyard manure (FYM), vermiculite, perlite, soil + sand + FYM, soil + sand + vermiculite, and soil + vermiculite + perlite. Root initiation and root growth traits were assessed at 120 days after planting. Growing media significantly affected all recorded root parameters. The soil + sand + FYM treatment produced the earliest root initiation (25.37 days), the highest average number of roots per cutting (10.25), the greatest root length (24.67 cm), root thickness (0.346 mm), and root volume (2.99 cc), and the highest fresh (3.32 g) and dry (0.983 g) root weights. Soil alone generally produced the lowest values, whereas the combinations containing FYM or vermiculite performed better than the single-component media. The findings indicate that a 1:1:1 mixture of soil, sand, and FYM provides a favourable rooting environment for dragon fruit cuttings under the conditions of this study.