In-Vivo Propagation of Rosewood (Delbergia latifolia roxb.) Through Stem Cuttings

Abstract

Dalbergia latifolia is a premium-quality timber and medicinal plant species internationally known as "Indian Rosewood”. This valuable plant species is native to India and all the natural strands are fast disappearing due to the higher exploitation. Conventional propagation by grafts and rooted cuttings is time consuming. Seed propagation is not successful due to low viability, not uniform maturity, and genetic variability. Therefore to overcome these problems, alternative propagation technique is essential for mass scale production of planting material of rosewood .This investigation was carried out with the objective of development of in-vivo propagation technique for Delbergia latifolia using stem cuttings. Semi hard wood cuttings were separated from the mother plant and all the cuttings were dipped in coconut water for two hours just after getting cuttings from the mother plants. Potting mixture was prepared by sieved coir dust:sand 1:1 ratio and moistened using fungicide (Topsin) solution. Potting mixture was filled in to 300 gauge and 18cm wide 45cm high transparent polythene bags. Cuttings were dipped in 3000ppm IBA,4000ppm IBA, 3000ppm NAA, 4000ppm NAA, 3000ppm IBA+NAA (1:1 ratio), 4000ppm IBA+NAA (1:1 ratio) rooting hormone solutions for 2minutes before planting. After dipping rooting hormone solutions, Roocta (commercially available rooting hormone) was applied into all the cuttings and carefully planted in single plant propagators. The lowest time taken to rooting showed in the treatment which applied 4000ppm IBA solution (33 days) followed by the treatment of 3000ppm NAA (35days) and the highest time taken for rooting was recorded from the treatment of 4000ppm NAA solution (61.333days). The highest number of shoots was recorded in the treatment of 3000ppm IBA (8.6667) followed by the treatment of 4000ppm IBA and the lowest number of shoots were observed in the cuttings treated with 4000ppm NAA (2.6667). The treatment with 4000ppm IBA+NAA showed the highest shoot length (0.7450) and treatment with 3000ppm IBA showed the lowest shoot length.Findings of the study implies that Rosewood can be best propagated by semi hardwood cuttings using 4000 ppm IBA treatment effectively by initiations the roots by lowest number of days with vigorous highest number of shoots.