Pattern of Rooting and Growth of Cuttings of Some Species of Insecticidal and Medicinal Importance as Affected by Growth Promoting Substances

This study was designed to examine the effects of promoting substances on bud retention, rooting and plantlets survival of rooted cuttings on selected tree species using growth promoting substances. Stem cuttings were treated with rooting-promoting substances, planted in plastic pots filled with top soil and arranged using a completely randomized design (CRD) in a screen house. Stem cuttings of pepper fruit, guava, bush mango and cashew were obtained from the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. The experiments were conducted in 2010. The effects of growth promoting substances namely indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) applied 50 μM concentration and coconut water (50% dilution ) were evaluated on adventitious root formation, shoot growth (bud retention) and survival of plantlets of hardto semi-hardwood cuttings of tested tree species. The effects of growth promoting substances were significant on emergence of plantlets (rooting), growth and survival of plantlets. Number of sprouts (plantlets) produced were highest in guava and pepper fruit followed by bush mango and cashew. The cuttings from guava and pepper fruit treated with coconut water and NAA promoted the survival of plantlets. Coconut water and NAA were found better than IBA and IAA in terms of bud retention and rooting, leaf development and survival of plantlets. In most of the tested species, wilting of leaves commenced 6 weeks after planting (WAP) and attained 100% mortality thereafter except for pepper fruit cuttings dipped in coconut water. The treatments modified the rooting response among species by promoting percentages of rooting, reduction in bud abscission and plantlet survival. The results affirmed the possibility of propagating plantlets from stem cuttings of the tested species using growth promoting substances.