Propagation studies in fig (Ficus carica L.) as influenced by planting time and IBA concentration

Introduction

Fig ( Ficus carica L.) is an economically important fruit crop belonging to the family Moraceae and is valued for its fresh and dried fruits. Production of healthy and uniform planting material is an important prerequisite for successful establishment of fig orchards. Vegetative propagation through hardwood cuttings is particularly useful because it permits multiplication of plants while retaining the desirable characteristics of the mother plant. However, rooting of hardwood cuttings may be slow and irregular, and poor rooting can adversely affect nursery establishment and survival. Application of exogenous auxins, particularly indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), is therefore widely used to enhance adventitious root initiation and development. Studies on fig have demonstrated significant improvement in rooting, survival and subsequent vegetative growth following IBA application. Kumar et al., (2023) [1] reported improved sprouting, rooting and growth of Ficus carica cuttings with IBA application, with 2000 ppm IBA performing particularly well under their nursery conditions. The response of fig cuttings to auxin is influenced not only by concentration but also by the physiological condition of the cutting and environmental conditions prevailing during propagation. Planting time therefore becomes an important factor in determining rooting success. Kumari et al., (2020) [2] reported significant variation in rooting and survival of Brown Turkey fig hardwood cuttings planted at different times and treated with different IBA concentrations. Similarly, recent studies have confirmed the importance of IBA in improving rooting and survival of fig cuttings. Nale et al., (2024) [3] reported superior rooting and vegetative growth with IBA treatments, while Kumar et al. demonstrated improved rooting and survival following exogenous application of IBA and NAA. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to determine the influence of planting time and IBA concentration and, particularly, their interaction on rooting, shoot development and survival of fig hardwood cuttings under Rahuri conditions.

Materials and Methods

The experiment was conducted during 2025-26 at the Instructionalcum-Horticulture Farm, Department of Horticulture, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Maharashtra, with the objective of standardizing the suitable time for rooting of fig (Ficus carica L.) cuttings and the appropriate IBA concentration for successful propagation. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD) comprising five planting times and four IBA concentrations, resulting in 20 treatment combinations. The planting-time treatments consisted of T 1: first fortnight of April, T 2: second fortnight of April, T 3: first fortnight of May, T 4: second fortnight of May and T 5: first fortnight of June, while the IBA treatments comprised C 1: 0 ppm, C₂: 1500 ppm, C₃: 2000 ppm and C₄: 2500 ppm. Hardwood cuttings measuring 15-20 cm in length and having 4-5 nodes were selected for propagation. The basal portion of the cuttings was treated with the respective IBA concentrations by the 15-second basal quick-dip method and subsequently planted in polybags containing a growing medium consisting of soil, vermicompost and neem cake in a 2:1:1 ratio. Observations were recorded on average root length at 90 days after planting (DAP), fresh weight of roots at 90 DAP, number of roots per cutting, root-to-shoot ratio and survival percentage at 90 DAP.

Results and Discussion

Average root length

Planting time significantly affected the average root length of fig cuttings (Table 1). The maximum mean root length of 42.42 cm was recorded in cuttings planted during the 2 nd fortnight of April (T 2 ), followed by the 1 st fortnight of April (T 1 ) with 37.49 cm and the 1 st fortnight of June (T 5 ) with 33.76 cm. The minimum root length of 27.31 cm was recorded in the 2 nd fortnight of May (T 4 ). The superior rooting during the 2 nd fortnight of April may be associated with relatively favorable temperature and humidity conditions that supported callus formation, root initiation and subsequent root elongation. The cuttings during this period may also have benefited from adequate stored carbohydrate reserves and active physiological processes in the mother shoots before exposure to severe summer conditions. IBA concentration also significantly influenced root length. The maximum mean root length (40.33 cm) was recorded with IBA @ 2000 ppm (C 3 ), followed by 2500 ppm (C 4 ) with 37.27 cm and 1500 ppm (C 2 ) with 33.81 cm. The untreated control (C 1 ) recorded the minimum root length of 25.66 cm. The enhanced root elongation under IBA treatment may be attributed to the role of auxin in stimulating cambial activity, cell division and elongation associated with adventitious root development. Similar responses to IBA application have been reported in fig and other fruit crops, including lemon and pomegranate. A significant interaction between planting time and IBA concentration was observed. The combination T 2 C 3 (2 nd fortnight of April + IBA @ 2000 ppm) produced the maximum root length of 49.84 cm, followed by T 1 C 3 (44.87 cm) and T 2 C 4 (44.12 cm). The minimum value (21.40 cm) was recorded in T 4 C 1 . The superior performance of T 2 C 3 suggests that an appropriate IBA concentration combined with favorable planting conditions provided a conducive environment for rapid root initiation and elongation.

Fresh weight of roots

Planting time significantly influenced fresh root weight at 90 DAP. (Table 2). The maximum mean fresh root weight (2.89 g) was obtained from cuttings planted during the 2 nd fortnight of April (T 2 ), whereas the minimum (2.52 g) was recorded in the 1 st fortnight of May (T 3 ), which was statistically at par with the 2 nd fortnight of May (T 4 ). Favorable temperature and relative humidity during the 2 nd fortnight of April may have promoted early root establishment and sustained metabolic activity, resulting in greater root biomass accumulation.

Among IBA treatments, IBA @ 2000 ppm (C 3 ) produced the significantly highest mean fresh root weight (4.13 g), followed by 2500 ppm (3.67 g) and 1500 ppm (1.62 g). The untreated control recorded only 1.23 g. The increase in root biomass under IBA application may be associated with enhanced adventitious root formation and mobilization of stored reserves towards the basal portion of the cuttings. The present findings are consistent with earlier observations reported for fig and pomegranate cuttings. The interaction effect was significant, with T 2 C 3 recording the highest fresh root weight (4.50 g). This was followed by T 1 C 3 (4.16 g), T 5 C 3 (4.03 g) and T 4 C 3 (4.02 g). The lowest value (1.08 g) occurred under T 3 C 1 . Thus, the combination of the 2 nd fortnight of April and IBA @ 2000 ppm resulted in greater root biomass than the other treatment combinations.

Number of roots per cutting

Root formation was strongly influenced by both planting time and IBA concentration (Table 3). The maximum number of roots (22.00 roots per cutting) was recorded under T 2 C 3 , i.e., second fortnight of April combined with 2000 ppm IBA. This was followed by T 2 C 4 (21.80 roots), T 5 C 3 (20.48 roots) and T 3 C 3 (20.20 roots). The minimum number of roots (10.80 roots per cutting) was recorded under T 4 C 1 , i.e., second fortnight of May without IBA. Thus, the maximum interaction treatment produced approximately twice the number of roots observed under the poorest treatment combination. The improvement in rooting under IBA treatment may be attributed to the role of auxin in stimulating cell division and differentiation at the basal region of cuttings, thereby promoting adventitious root initiation. Reddy et al., (2019) [4] also reported that auxin application substantially improved the percentage of rooting, number of roots of fig hardwood cuttings, demonstrating the importance of auxin in developing a vigorous root system. Similar responses have been reported in guava, where IBA-treated cuttings exhibited superior rooting and survival compared with untreated cuttings (Bhusari et al., 2023) [5] .

Root-to-shoot ratio

Root-to-shoot ratio differed significantly among the treatment combinations and data represented in Table 4. The highest root-to-shoot ratio (0.39) was recorded under T 2 C 3 , i.e., second fortnight of April + 2000 ppm IBA. The next highest values were observed under T 2 C 4 and T 5 C 4 (0.38 each). The lowest ratio (0.12) was recorded under T 5 C 1 , i.e., first fortnight of June without IBA. The higher root-to-shoot ratio under T 2 C 3 indicates that the treatment promoted comparatively greater root development and favourable balance between underground and above-ground growth. Varssini et al., (2025) [6] also demonstrated that the interaction between rooting media and auxin treatments significantly influenced root initiation and subsequent morphological growth of fig stem cuttings. Kumar et al., (2025) [7] further reported that combined application of IBA and NAA improved rooting attributes and survival of fig hardwood cuttings, with the most effective treatment producing 26 roots per cutting and 87.35% survival at 90 DAP.

Survival percentage at 90 DAP

Survival percentage was one of the most important indicators of successful propagation data illustrate in Table 5. The highest survival percentage (89.00%) was recorded under T 2 C 3 , i.e., second fortnight of April combined with 2000 ppm IBA. This was followed by T 2 C 2 (84.00%), T 2 C 4 (82.00%), T 1 C 3 (80.12%) and T 1 C 4 (72.00%). The lowest survival percentage (40.00%) was recorded under T 4 C 1 , i.e., second fortnight of May without IBA. Thus, the difference between the best and poorest interaction combinations was 49 percentage points. The markedly higher survival under T 2 C 3 may be associated with superior root formation and a favourable root-to-shoot relationship. Similarly, Korche et al., (2023) reported that fig hardwood cuttings treated with 2000 ppm IBA in combination with soil + PSB + VAM recorded superior rooting characteristics and the highest survival percentage at 90 DAP (78.44%), demonstrating the beneficial role of IBA in successful establishment of fig cuttings. Supporting ev idence from another fruit crop was reported by Bhusari et al., (2025) [8] , who found that IBA application improved rooting attributes and survival of guava softwood cuttings, with IBA @ 4000 ppm and growing media recording the highest survival among the growth-regulator treatments.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated that planting time and IBA concentration significantly influenced the rooting and establishment of fig cuttings. Among the treatment combinations, planting during the 2 nd fortnight of April in combination with IBA @ 2000 ppm (T 2 C 3 ) consistently produced superior results for root length, fresh root weight, number of roots, root-to-shoot ratio and survival percentage at 90 DAP.

References

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11. How to cite this article: Pawar V, Magar S, Patil R, Jambhale V, Doshi J, Dalve P. Propagation studies in fig (Ficus carica L.) as influenced by planting time and IBA concentration. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research. 2026;SP10(9):1919-1922. doi: https://www.doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2 026.v10.i9Sx.10127