Enhancing dragon fruit [ <i>Hylocereus undatus</i> (Haw.) Britt and Rose] propagation with indole‐3‐butyric acid (IBA) and cutting techniques

ABSTRACT This study evaluated dragon fruit propagation using various concentrations of indole‐3‐butyric acid (IBA) and cutting lengths over two seasons (March and July 2022). Results revealed that 30 cm cuttings treated with 1000 ppm IBA had the earliest shoot emergence (14.8 days in March) and the highest shoot counts (3.2 per cutting in March, 2.8 in July). The same treatment achieved maximum shoot fresh (222.7 g) and dry weights (66.8 g). Root parameters improved significantly, with a mean root count of 26.8 roots per cutting in 30 cm cuttings and maximum root fresh (6.8 g) and dry weights (1.9 g), along with a root length of 24.8 cm. Chlorophyll content reached a maximum of 6.4 mg/g in IBA‐treated cuttings. Higher IAA (0.5 µg/ml) and GA 3 (13.5 µg/ml) levels were observed in treated cuttings, alongside increased peroxidase activity and reduced IAA oxidase levels. Elevated phenols (1.3 mg/g FW) and carbohydrates (41.9%) also supported rooting. The highest cutting success rate (93.7%) was observed in 1000 ppm IBA‐treated 30 cm cuttings in March, demonstrating that this treatment effectively promotes rooting and shooting growth in dragon fruit.