Influence of Propagation Media Type and Rooting Promoters on Rooting and Shoot Growth of Yellow Pitaya (Hylocereus Megalanthus) Cuttings

Abstract

A pot experiment conducted at net house in Horticulture department roof, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt, during the two consecutive summer seasons of 2024 and 2025. The aim of this experiment was to examine two of the key factors likely to influence rooting ability and shooting growth i.e.; rooting media type (sand, sand: clay or sand: clay: peat moss, at equal volumes), rooting promoters (control, indole butyric acid, chitosan and hydrolyses chickpea protein) and their combinations on Hylocereus megalanthus stem cuttings. Root fresh and dry weights/cutting (g), aerial root number, root length (cm), number of pneumatic roots, number of branches/cutting, maximum branch length (cm), stem diameter and thickness (cm) and total plant fresh weight (g) were recorded. Results pointed out that the highest values of the above mentioned traits were obtained by culturing stem in sand + clay (1: 1, V/V) mixture medium, in most cases. The maximum values of most of the above traits were detected when cuttings were treated with rooting substances promoters with significant difference with control treatment. In general, among various combination treatments, treating stem cuttings with IBA at 3000 ppm as well as chitosan at 8 ml/l before planting cuttings in sand: clay (1:1, v/v) appeared to be the best promising combination treatment in this connection.