Synergistic effects of IBA, NAA and growing media on shoot initiation of peach cuttings

Introduction

Prunus persica L. is the scientific name for the fruit-bearing plant that yields peaches. It's fascinating history begins in ancient China, from whence it travelled throughout many regions, changing its development patterns noticeably, especially in the Indian state of Punjab (Noori & Muhammad, 2020) [12] . Renowned botanist Linnaeus gave them the name Amygdalus persica for the first time in the seventeenth century. According to taxonomy, peaches belong to the Prunus genus and Rosaceae family. More specifically, they belong to the Rosales order and the Prunodieae subfamily. One interesting aspect about plants is that they are incredibly diverse, with peaches having a chromosomal count of 2n = 16 (Marwah & Kumar, 2022) [10] . Peaches, being high in antioxidants and dietary fiber, help with constipation relief, digestion, and weight management (Kaur & Kaur, 2020) [5] . Peaches provide a bountiful crop, either through self-pollination or with the assistance of hardworking insect pollinators. Peach trees are propagated using intriguing methods such as clonal propagation, grafting, and budding (Aranzazu & Font i Forcada, 2018) [1] . After pears and apples, peaches are considered the third most valuable temperate fruit in terms of botany. They go by several colloquial names, including "Aaru." In Unani tradition, they are referred to as "Aaaduu" and "Khokh." Because of their versatility, prunus fruits and seeds can be utilized in a range of processing techniques, including jam-making (Le et al. 2018) [8] claim that when it comes to the quantity of phenolic compounds that peaches contribute to our diets, they are superior to stone fruits. Their distinct flavor, aroma, and health-promoting properties are caused by a variety of diverse substances (Zeb & Ahmad, 2019) [17] . These natural resources have significantly more beneficial impacts on our overall health than just satisfying our palates (Singh & Kaur, 2021) [6] . Plant growth regulators, or PGRs, are commonly used in cutting propagation to promote root growth and increase seedling survival. Auxins, the focus of botanical research, play a pivotal role in plant growth. Derived from the Greek term "auxin," which translates to "to grow," these plant hormones regulate various cellular processes (Rubio et al., 2015) [13] , Auxins, like conductors in a complex symphony, orchestrate cell division, expansion, and differentiation. They regulate the growth and development not only of peach trees but also of a diverse array of other plant species (Frick and Strader, 2017) [3] . Cytokinins, essential for plant development, have undergone extensive research regarding their actions, metabolism, and signaling pathways. However, our understanding of cytokinin transit remains limited (Li et al., 2019) [8] . The main goal of this study is to observe the effect of PGRs and growing medias on shoot initiation of peach cuttings.

Material and methods

A research project titled "Synergistic Effects of IBA, NAA, and Growing Media on Shoot Initiation of Peach Cuttings" was examined at the research field of School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Punjab. The primary objective of this study is to investigate how plant growth hormones and cutting maturity affect the growth and development of peach plants. The experiment was laid down in RBD with 9 treatments and 3 replications. The cuttings were taken from the Himalayan temperate region of block Seraj, district Mandi (Himachal Pradesh). The geographical coordinates of LPU fruit nursery site are [31.2196° N latitude, 75.7797° E longitude].

Preparation of cuttings

Cuttings were prepared from the 12 years old wild tree of peach (Kateru or commonly known as Piuni aru). Hardwood cuttings were taken on the end of the January. Year-old cuttings were taken and wrap in a plastic bag and brought to the trial laboratory and field in LPU.

Preparation of growth regulator formulations

A small amount of ethanol was used to dissolve 1g, 2g, 3g, and 4g of IBA and 1g of NAA to create the growth regulators IBA (1000 ppm) and NAA (1000 ppm). After that, distilled water was added to reach a total capacity of 1000 ml. The solutions were prepared by dissolving in 50% ethanol with different concentration of IBA and NAA.

Planting of cuttings

The cuttings treated with different concentrations of chemicals are planted in polybags with three replications in each treatment. A frequent irrigation facility is applied to the cuttings at regular interval from the survival of the cutting from harsh period. The data was taken as 30 days interval for 3 months and then after one year the plants were sown in the main field.

Preparation of growth regulator formulations

A small amount of ethanol was used to dissolve 1g, 2g, 3g, and 4g of IBA and 1g of NAA to create the growth regulators IBA (1000 ppm) and NAA (1000 ppm). After that, distilled water was added to reach a total capacity of 1000 ml. Cuttings were dipped in formulation for 5 minutes before planting.

Calculated by multiplying the total number of cuttings sprouted with hundred and then dividing with total number of cuttings.

The fresh weight of the shoots per cutting was measured using an electronic scale, and the average values were computed.

The shoots were totally oven dried at 60 °C for 48 hours until a steady dry weight was achieved, and the dry weights were recorded using an electronic scale.

Calculated by multiplying dried weight of shoot with hundred and then dividing with fresh weight of shoot.

To identify whether treatments exhibited significant differences in the traits or qualities under study, we statistically analyzed the experimental data. The Panse and Sukhatme (1967) ANOVA technique was applied to find significant changes at the five percent significance level, as advised for the Completely Randomized Block Design. Tukeys and posthoc statistical methods are used for compairing tratments. Treatments T1: soil + IBA@1000ppm, T2: soil + vermicompost + IBA @2000ppm, T3: soil + vermicompost + cocopeat + IBA@3000ppm, T4: soil + vermicompost + cocopeat + sand + IBA@4000ppm, T5: IBA@1000 ppm + NAA@1000 ppm, T6: IBA@2000 ppm + NAA@1000 ppm, T7: IBA@3000 ppm + NAA@1000 ppm, T8: IBA@4000 ppm + NAA@1000 ppm, T9: Control. In control the cuttings were planted directly in soil without application of PGR.

Results and discussion

According to the data shown in Table 1 and Figure 1, the result was obtained by using T2 (soil + vermicompost + IBA @2000ppm) found superior comparatively other treatments in various parameters like days to sprouting, sprouting percentage (%), fresh weight of shoot (g), dry weight of shoot (g), diameter of cuttings (mm), leaf area (cm2). T8 (IBA@4000 ppm + NAA@1000 ppm), showed the least performance in days to sprouting at 30 days (18) took maximum number of days, sprouting percentage at 30 days (57.50%), fresh weight of shoot (6.12 g), dry weight of shoots (2.18 g), diameter of cuttings (8.52 mm) and minimum leaf area was observed in also the same (25.08cm2). The addition of organic amendments, particularly vermicompost and cocopeat, appeared to have a good effect on the number of days it took to sprout. Treatments T2 and T3 (both containing vermicompost) began sprouting earlier than the control group (T9), showing that organic matter may have a function in promoting root growth. The control group (T9) had a days-to-sprouting value of 17.30, indicating the baseline length without any interventions. While some treatments resulted in faster sprouting, it is important to note that the control showed a rather modest time for sprouting commencement. The average number of days required for sprouting was 16.20, with a range of 14.20 to 18.80 days. The earliest sprouting was observed in T2 and T5 (14.20 days), whereas T8 had the longest delay (18.80 days). The percentage of sprouts varied significantly between treatments, with T2 having the most (75.30%), followed by T9 (67.40%), and T1 having the lowest (55.80%). Shoot fresh weight at 30 days ranged from 6.12 g (T8) to 12.18 g (T2), with an average of 7.47 g. At 90 days, dry shoot weight ranged from 1.87 g (T1) to 5.83 g (T2), with an average of 2.69 g. Similarly, dry matter percentages were highest in T2 (47.86%) and lowest in T1 The increased leaf area found in T2 indicates a larger photosynthetic surface, which most likely contributed to the higher dry matter accumulation observed in this treatment. Because leaf area and biomass are closely connected with cutting survival and vigor, the findings suggest that a modest dose of auxin paired with organic supplements is the most successful method for peach propagation. To promote root formation, IBA was sprayed on hardwood branches 20-25 cm long and 0.5-1.0 cm in diameter (Tavares et al., 2019) [16] . Plant development and water status are inextricably linked since the growth of extensions requires turgidity in the cell. Reduced water content leads cells to constrict, resulting in less leaf area (Chhukit, 2009) [2] . As per Table 2 and Figure 2 found the maximum shoot length (31.80 cm), highest number of shoots per cutting (17.71), total number of leaves per cutting (35.30) in T 2 (soil + vermicompost + IBA@2000ppm). The minimum shoot length shoot length was examined in T 1 (soil + IBA@1000ppm) which was (15.42 cm), lowest number of shoots per cutting (8.40) found in T 8 (IBA@4000 ppm) + NAA@1000 ppm), total number of leaves per cutting (18.50) in T 9 (Control) found minimum in T 8 (IBA@4000 ppm + NAA@1000 ppm). The control group T9 (18.90 cm) had moderate shoot length, demonstrating that spontaneous growth of Peach cuttings without the use of plant growth hormones is possible, but it may not match the growth achieved with hormone treatments. Table 2 and Figure 2 found the maximum diameter of shoot (2.70 mm) and plant height (72.90 cm) in T 2 (soil + vermicompost + IBA@2000ppm). The minimum shoot diameter (2.10 mm) and plant height (47.30 cm) is found in T 9 (Control) found minimum in T 8 (IBA@4000 ppm + NAA@1000 ppm). The T1 had the lowest shoot diameter 2.10 mm at 90 days. This highlights the role that organic element, particularly vermicompost, play in encouraging robust branch development in peach cuttings Softwood cuttings from the tips, sides, and bases of peach trees, as well as from different harvesting methods (in early, mid-, and late June), can be utilized to propagate the plants. Shoot length rose steadily from 30 to 90 days across all treatments, with mean values of 1.27 cm, 6.14 cm, and 21.02 cm at 30, 60, and 90 days, respectively. At 90 days, T2 had the longest shoot length (31.80 cm), followed by T3 (22.65 cm) and T4 (23.75 cm), with T8 having the shortest (17.20 cm). There were significant differences between treatments at all phases, with T2 consistently outperforming the others. The number of shoots per cutting varied considerably between treatments, with mean values of 6.83, 8.28, and 10.56 at 30, 60, and 90 days, respectively. At 90 days, T2 produced the most shoots (17.71), while T8 produced the fewest (8.40). Treatments T3 (11.44) and T4 (10.70) outperformed the mean at 90 days. The peach cultivars Shan-e Punjab and Earli Grande sprouted the most when exposed to 2000 ppm IBA. This experiment involves grafting two distinct peach types onto the 'Flordaguard' peach rootstock (Gill et al., 2014) [4] . Leaf output followed a similar pattern, with averages of [6] . The gradual increase in shoot length, number of shoots, and leaf output over 30, 60, and 90 days demonstrates the progressive growth of cuttings, with T2 consistently outperforming the mean values at each stage. T2's higher performance can be due to the combination of IBA at 2000 ppm and vermicompost, which provided hormonal stimulation, resulting in increased sprouting and vegetative development. These findings confirm previous findings that peach cuttings treated with IBA had increased sprouting, rooting percentage, and overall growth vigor (Gill et al., 2014; Kaur, 2015) [4,6] .

Conclusion

Studies conducted on the propagation of peach cuttings demonstrate the significant impact that soil amendments and plant growth hormones have on plant development. The synergistic effects of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) combinations highlight the significance of hormone balance in promoting ideal growth.

Vermicompost is an excellent source of organic amendments that greatly improve shoot weight, diameter, early sprouting, and leaf area all of which demonstrate how important they are for maintaining plant health. These results provide producers with useful information to enhance fruit output and improve cutting propagation processes. Growers can attain sustainable peach output through the optimization of nutrient uptake and the establishment of a favorable growth environment. Additional factors influencing plant development and creative ways for improving productivity in a variety of environmental circumstances could be the subject of future research.

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