Neog ,ManoranjanBorchetia, Anurag2024-01-192024-01-192021https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810206420An experiment on “Standardisation of stem cutting technique of Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus costaricensis Britton & Rose)” was conducted in the Experimental Farm, Department of Horticulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during 2020 and 2021 to standardise suitable size and time of cutting with optimum concentration of IBA in Dragon fruit. One year old dragon fruit segments (stem) were collected from the Farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jorhat. The experiment was laid out in a three factorial Completely Randomised Design with three replications. The treatments were: two time of cuttings – January (M1) and April(M2); three sizes of cuttings – 10 cm(L1), 15 cm(L2), 20 cm(L3); four IBA concentrations –100 ppm(I1), 250 ppm(I2), 500 pm(I3) and 0 ppm(I4). There were twenty-four treatment combinations in the trial. The cuttings were raised in polybags (20 cm x 22 cm). Observations on root and shoot growth, shoot quality parameters were recorded at 40 and 60 days after planting (DAP). Between the January and April month cuttings, the cuttings taken in the month of April gave better performance in terms of root and shoot growth parameters. April cuttings recorded minimum days required for root formation (18.09 days) and shoot initiation (33.44 days) with 98.13% survival. Among the three sizes of cuttings, the 20 cm cuttings exhibited superior root and shoot growth parameters. The 20 cm cuttings recorded early root formation (18.46 days), shoot initiation (29.58 days) and 99.17% survival. Cuttings treated with 250 ppm IBA professed better root and shoot growth parameters among the four IBA concentrations. The 250 ppm IBA treated cuttings recorded maximum root number (13.97 at 40 DAP; 15.97 at 60 DAP), shoot number (3.18 and 5.01 at 40 DAP and 60 DAP respectively), early shoot initiation (29.44 days) and highest survival percentage (99.17 %). The 500 ppm IBA treated cuttings recorded early root formation (15.06 days) and highest length of the longest root (14 cm at 40 DAP; 17 cm at 60 DAP) which was at par with 250 ppm IBA treated cuttings. Among the treatment combinations, T22 (April cuttings+ 20 cm size + 250 ppm IBA) took minimum days for root formation (days) and shoot initiation (days) recorded the highest root number (18.84 at 40 DAP ; 20.83 at 60 DAP), root length (18.83 cm at 40 DAP ; 20.83 cm at 60 DAP), root dry weight (0.50 g at 40 DAP ; 0.71 g at 60 DAP) and shoot numbers (4.4 and 5.73 at 40 DAP and 60 DAP respectively), length of primary shoots (21.37 cm at 40 DAP ; 22.7 cm at 60 DAP), shoot dry weight (11.93 and 13.43 g at 40 DAP and 60 DAP respectively), nitrogen percentage (2.71 and 2.75 % at 40 DAP and 60 DAP respectively), protein percentage (16.94 and 17.18 % at 40 DAP and 60 DAP respectively), chlorophyll content (0.45 and 0.51 mg/g at 40 DAP and 60 DAP respectively) and vascular cambium thickness (0.12 and 0.15 mm at 40 DAP and 60 DAP respectively) which was followed by T23 (April cuttings+ 20 cm size + 500 ppm IBA). Thus, it may be inferred that 20 cm cuttings of dragon fruit taken in the month of April treated with 250 ppm IBA appeared to be the best treatment combination which registered minimum days required for root formation and shoot initiation, highest root and shoot growth parameters, shoot nitrogen, protein, chlorophyll content and thickest vascular cambium layer with 100% survival.EnglishThesis