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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Synergistic influence of plant growth regulators and rooting media on clonal propagation efficiency of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14845
Submitted
4 April 2026
Published
14-09-2026

Abstract

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is an important subtropical fruit crop valued for its nutritional and economic significance; however, its large-scale cultivation is constrained by lack of uniform planting material and inconsistent propagation success. The present study was conducted to evaluate the interactive effects of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and different rooting media on clonal propagation efficiency through air layering. The experiment was carried out during 2023–24 and 2024–25 under humid subtropical conditions using a randomised block design (RBD) with 4 IBA concentrations (0, 1500, 2500 and 3500 ppm) and four rooting media (soil, soil + farmyard manure (FYM), soil + vermicompost; and moss grass). Results revealed that rooting and growth parameters were significantly influenced by both IBA concentration and rooting media. The treatment comprising 3500 ppm IBA combined with soil + vermicompost recorded the highest rooting percentage (89.20 %), minimum days to root initiation (21.59 days), maximum root length (17.03 cm), fresh (4.45 g) and dry root weight (1.75 g), total number of roots (40.56), shoot length (29.86 cm) and survival percentage (85.60 %). Principal component analysis (PCA) further indicated that 98.38 % of the total variation was explained by the first component, reflecting a strong positive association among rooting, root biomass, shoot growth and survival. The results suggest that optimal auxin concentration combined with nutrient-rich rooting media promotes a coordinated rooting-growth response, thereby enhancing propagation success. This provides a scientifically validated and practical approach for improving clonal propagation and nursery production of litchi.

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