Effect of indole-butyric acid on the rooting of ficus cuttings

• Published in: Glasnik Sumarskog fakulteta - Univerzitet u Beogradu (1987) Vol. 107; no. 107; pp. 87 - 100
• Main Authors: Djukic, Matilda, Djunisijevic-Bojovic, Danijela, Grbic, Mihailo, Markovic, Marija
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Serbian
• Published: Belgrade University of Belgrade, Faculty of Forestry 2013; Faculty of Forestry, Belgrade
• Subjects: cuttings; Ficus benjamina; Ficus elastica; indol-bytric acid; rooting
• ISSN: 0353-4537; 2217-8600
• DOI: 10.2298/GSF1307083D

Propagation by cuttings is one of the most successful methods of vegetative propagation of floral crops. In addition to applications in interior decoration, ficuses belong to the group of plants that will potentially be used in green spaces of Belgrade due to global climate changes. In this paper, the possibility of rooting stimulated by adding different concentrations of the indolbytric acid phytohormone was investigated in the commonly cultivated species Ficus benjamina L. and Ficus elastica Roxb.. This is the most commonly used phytohormone in the propagation of ornamental plants due to its stability and stimulation of the rooting process, i.e. its favourable impact on the formation of adventitious roots, their size, number and weight. In this research, the rooting percent of cuttings was 100 % in F. benjamina and 77.66 % in F. elastica. It was found that the highest dose (2 %) of the phytohormone significantly increased all indicators of rooting success in F. benjamina and that the application of weaker concentrations also showed good success. The rooting of F. elastica cuttings was not successful without phytohormones, and the best results were achieved at the phytohormone concentration of 2 %, which increased the dry weight of the roots of this ficus about 4 times. It would be useful to examine higher concentrations of this phytohormone and also some combinations with other rooting stimulators, to be able to make sound recommendations on the optimal dose for the mass production of these ficuses.