Vol. 10, Issue 9 (2021)

Author(s):
AG Wakle, SJ Shinde, Sonal D Jadhav and PS Gharate

Abstract:
As fig is gaining greater importance and is preferred in dry land Horticulture, perpetuation of the crop needs immediate attention. Although, it is possible to propagate this crop from stem cuttings and by air layering, commercially it is propagated through stem cutting. Reports on systematic investigation into various aspects of propagation of fig from stem cutting and air layering is scanty and sporadic. The experiment on effect of different levels of growth regulator on air layering in fig (Ficus carica L.) cv. Dinkar was carried out at Central Nursery, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani during kharif season in year 2018-19. This investigation facilitates easier, quicker and successful method of propagation with easy and profuse rooting of cutting and air layering in fig. The objective was to find out suitable concentration of growth regulators for rooting and success of air layering. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design in Nine treatments with three replications. The treatments were T₁ (IBA-2500 ppm), T₂ (IBA-5000 ppm), T₃ (IBA-7500 ppm), T₄ (IBA-10000 ppm), T₅ (NAA- 2500 ppm), T₆ (NAA-5000 ppm), T₇ (IBA-2500 + NAA-2500 ppm), T₈ (IBA-5000 + NAA- 5000 ppm) and T₉ (Control). The result indicated that, treatment T₃ (IBA-7500 ppm) was found significantly superior for early and profuse rooting and success per cent over the rest of treatment followed by treatment T₇ (IBA-2500 + NAA-2500 ppm). The air layers made with treatment T₃ (IBA-7500 ppm) significantly influence in regards to root growth parameters as it recorded minimum days taken to root initiation (12.44), highest rooting percentage (91.11%), fresh weight (3.34 g), dry weight (1.11 g), length of root (5.64 cm), number of root (17.77). The treatment T₃ (IBA 7500 ppm) also significantly influenced in regards to shoot growth parameters as it recorded minimum number of days required for first sprouting (10.10), length of shoot (6.67, 13.67 and 18.67 cm), number of leaves (6.22, 7.99 and 9.88), number of sprouts (2.87, 4.77 and 6.66), number of shoots (3.54, 5.44 and 7.33), stem girth (2.13, 3.13 and 4.28 cm), seedling height (14.67, 21.68 and 27.66 cm) at 30, 60 and 90 days after transplanting respectively. The treatment T₃ (IBA 7500 ppm) also recorded the maximum success percentage (96.33%) and benefit cost ratio (1.81) after 90 days of transplanting.