Response of Indole 3 butyric acid during air layering on root and shoot induction behavior in Guava (Psidium guajava L) CV Sardar (L-49)

Abstract

Air layering is practiced as it has assured to produce true to type plants and early and better rooting is observed when treated with Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). A field experiment was conducted to study the Rooting and shooting behaviour in Guava (Psidium guajava L.) air layering under different concentrations of IBA during 2019 in guava orchard located at Maheru, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab. A total of ten treatments with three replications comprising T₁ –Control, T₂- IBA@ 5 g, T₃- IBA@ 6 g, T₄- IBA@ 7 g, T₅- IBA@ 8 g, T₆- IBA@ 9 g, T_7- IBA@ 10 g, T₈- IBA@ 11 g, T₉- IBA@ 12 g, T₁₀- IBA@ 5000 ppm (Liquid) were applied. Thirteen observations of the root and shoot characters were recorded and analyzed in factorial design of RBD. The results indicated that IBA@ 8 g (T₅) performed better than control and produced the best results in root parameters and shoot parameters such as the number of days to root (31.7), primary roots (59.30), primary root length (8.74 cm), primary root diameter (0.89 mm), secondary roots (45.57), secondary root length (5.73 cm), fresh root weight (0.93 g) and dry root weight, (0.81g) number of side shoots (6.87), length of side shoots (4.10 cm), length of longest side shoots (6.01 cm) and number of leaves per air layer (33.93). The existing guava production is not able to meet our present demand of guava fruits to the increasing population of the country. It is commonly propagated by seed. However, the seedlings produced are not true to type and they also take much longer to bear fruits than asexually propagated materials as the juvenile phase is eliminated in asexually propagated plants. Therefore, in the present study,  guava air layering plants treated with the IBA@ 8 g are true to type and do not take much time to bear fruits, thus contributing to quality guava production.