THE INFLUENCE OF INDOLE-3-BUTYRIC-ACID IN PRUNUS LAUROCERASUS VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION

Cherry laurel is very common as an ornamental plant, due to the large glossy leaves, fast growth, and shade and hedging tolerance. The influence of different indole-3-butiric acid (IBA) concentrations (1,000, 2,500, 5,000 and 7,500 ppm) in cherry laurel vegetative propagation was evaluated in early spring 2007. The data was gathered one month after bench cutting plantation. The parameters measured and analyzed were the number of rooted cuttings, the number of cuttings with callus formation and mortality, the mean number of roots (NR) and the mean main root length (MRL), per rooted cutting. The IBA application influenced the rooting percentage, the NR and the MRL regardless of IBA concentration. In P. laurocerasus rooting ranged from 67% to 80%, when IBA was applied, which was significantly higher than 37% rooted cuttings in the control. The highest NR and MRL values were found in the treatment with 7,500 ppm IBA (27.2 roots per cutting) and with 1,000 ppm IBA (MRL was 24.76 mm), respectively. Significantly lower values were obtained in the control: 5.56 NR and 9.4 mm MRL. Thus, IBA application significantly increased rootingwith cuttings planted early in spring.