EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SIZE OF CUTTINGS ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND ROOTING OF CLONAL ROOTSTOCK CUTTINGS OF APPLE

Abstract

The present investigation on effect of different size of cuttings on vegetative growth and rooting of clonal rootstocks of apple was carried out under shade net house conditions in the experimental block of Department of Fruit Science, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan Himachal Pradesh during the year 2018-19. The cuttings of four different rootstocks of apple (Merton 793, MM 106, MM 111, and M 9) and three different cutting lengths (8 cm, 10 cm and 12 cm) were used and cuttings in each treatment were treated with 2500 ppm IBA. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design comprising of twelve treatment combinations which were replicated thrice. The maximum leaf area (29.35 cm 2 ), fresh and dry weight of shoots (37.47 g and 25.46 g, respectively), average length and diameter of shoots (106.36 cm and 14.47 mm, respectively), total biomass (42.60 g) and rooting percentage (73.53 %) were recorded in the treatment combination of 12 cm cutting length of Merton 793 rootstock. Hence it is concluded that the treatment combination of 12 cm long cuttings of Merton 793 rootstock was found best among all treatment combinations in respect of various vegetative growth and rooting percentage.