Development of elements of olive (Оlea europea L.) propagation technology in the conditions of the vegetation module

Crimea is one of the few regions of our country, which has a mild subtropical climate and historical traditions, and the most favorable conditions for cultivation of olive (Olea europaea L.) To develop this crop, planting material must be produced from the most adapted varieties. Rooting cuttings during the vegetative propagation of olives is a slow process because olives are hard-to-root crops. The aim of the study was to develop methods to increase the rootability of European olive cuttings. Various humidity and temperature regimes, the use of indolyl butyric acid (IBA), and different substrate compositions were studied in the conditions of the vegetation module. Three temperature regimes were tested: +15°C, +20°C, and +25°C. Within each temperature regime, three humidity levels were tested: 80%, 85% and 90%. Each temperature and humidity level included options with and without IBA treatment. The repetition is fivefold, with 20 cuttings per repetition. The effect of various substrate compositions on the rootability of olive cuttings in the vegetation module was also studied. All the factors studied–temperature regime, humidity level, substrate composition and treatment with BMI solutions–had a significant effect on cutting safety, budding, and rooting. The effect of the temperature regime on the rootability of cuttings depended on the air humidity. At a relatively low temperature of +15°C, the rootability decreased slightly with increasing air humidity. At +20°C, the optimal humidity level was 85%. At +25°C, a higher rooting rate was observed at higher air humidity levels. The highest rooting percentage was found in the variant using BMI at a temperature of +25°C with 85% humidity. Cuttings that were rooted in a vegetation module with an optimal substrate composition (peat and coconut substrate at a ratio of 1:1) exhibited accelerated growth when grown in protected soil conditions. This made it possible to rapidly obtain seedlings that met the standard.