Influence of Rooting Hormones on Root Induction in Diospyros lotus L. Branch Cuttings

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during 2024–2025 at the Experimental Farm of the Division of Silviculture and Agroforestry, SKUAST-Jammu, Chatha, to evaluate the effects of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) on the rooting and early growth of Diospyros lotus L. branch cuttings. The study used a completely randomised design with a factorial arrangement comprising seven rooting-hormone treatments and two planting seasons, giving 14 treatment combinations. Each combination had three replications of 10 cuttings. Cuttings were soaked for 24 h in IBA and NAA at 25, 50 and 100 ppm, while untreated cuttings served as the control. Planting was undertaken during spring (March–April) and the rainy season (July–August). Sprouting percentage, rooting percentage, fresh root biomass, average shoot length, and average root length were recorded. Rooting-hormone treatments significantly improved all measured parameters compared with the control. IBA at 100 ppm produced the highest sprouting percentage (52.58%), rooting percentage (44.45%), fresh root biomass (1.21 g), average shoot length (9.25 cm), and average root length (4.24 cm). Spring planting produced higher mean values than rainy-season planting for all assessed traits. The hormone × season interaction was non-significant, indicating that the relative treatment responses were broadly consistent across the two seasons. Under the conditions of this study, soaking branch cuttings in IBA at 100 ppm for 24 h was the most effective treatment for improving nursery establishment of Diospyros lotus L.