EFFECT OF TYPE OF CUTTINGS ON ROOTING OF ANACARDIUM

Vegetative propagation method through induction of adventitious rooting in both softwood and semi- hardwoodhypocotyl plus stem (HpS) and juvenile stem (JS) was reported in Anacardium occidentale, an average size tropical evergreen tree belonging to the Anacardiaceae family. The induction of adventitious roots is an essential process in vegetative propagation. Adventitious rooting in above cuttings was induced by exogenous application of root promoting substances (RPS) viz. Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 1-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) in four combinations under mist house condition (T1-T4) that is, IBA1.0 + NAA2.0 (T1), IBA1.0 + NAA5.0 (T2), IBA3.0 + NAA2.0 (T3) and IBA3.0 mg/l +NAA5.0 mg/l (T4) with a control (T0) where no RPS was applied. Significant increase in rooting response (68%), root number (1.4) and root length (4.04cm) was recorded in treatment T4. However, JS cuttings under the same condition shows only callous formation but did not root, more than one seedling were observed to emerge from the plane of cut below the cotyledons. The study highlighted a viable process of adventitious root formation by analyzing anatomical evidences. This method will open a new avenue for mass production of planting materials through clonal propagation using hypocotyl of A. occidentale.

Key words: Anacardium occidentale, Softwood, Semi-hardwood, Adventitious rooting, root primordia, root promoting substances, clonal propagation,