Propagation of Tropical Almond (<em>Terminalia catappa</em> L.) through Stem Cuttings in Sri Lanka

Terminalia catappa L. is a multipurpose crop regenerated through seeds. The seasonal nature of seed production limits the spread of the plant due to the limited plant materials. The present study was aimed to identify the most promising cutting type and IBA concentration for propagation of Terminalia catappa L. The experiment was conducted at a protected house located at the University of Colombo Institute for Agro-Technology and Rural Sciences, Hambantota, Sri Lanka. The completely randomized design was used as a two-factor factorial with the cutting type (softwood, semi-hardwood and hardwood) and IBA concentrations (0 ppm (control), 1000 ppm, 2000 ppm, 3000 ppm and 4000 ppm) as the tested factors. There were fifteen treatment combinations. The percentage of rooted cuttings from two weeks after planting up to twelve weeks after planting, the maximum length of roots and the number of primary roots after 90 days of planting were collected. According to the results, the semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings showed a significantly higher percentage of rooted cuttings, maximum length of roots and number of roots compared to the softwood cuttings. Application of 4000 ppm IBA concentration showed a significant increment of number of roots and maximum length of roots compared to the control (non-treated cuttings). Thus, semi-hardwood cuttings and hardwood cuttings treated with 4000 ppm IBA are suitable for the propagation of Terminalia catappa L. This finding could lead to the providing a substitute for seed propagation.