Propagation Studies in Dracaena reflexa Lam. Under the Effect of Seasons, Media and Growth Regulators

Aims: Present experiment was aimed to address the challenges in dracaena propagation and come up with effective conditions for its commercial cultivation as it is grown widely but suffers from propagation constraints. Effect of different seasons growing media and rooting hormones was studied on propagation of Dracaena reflexa Study Design: Experiment was conducted in completely randomized block design. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted at the experimental farm of Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana in the year 2019-2020. Methodology: Experimental treatments included different seasons (spring and rainy), growing media (sand and water), and rooting hormones (NAA and IBA @100-500 ppm). Results: Data recorded was analysed using SAS 9.3 Software and critical difference was calculated at 5% level of significance. Among seasons, rainy season was found better for rooting parameters whereas as spring season was better for early sprouting and shoot length. Among media, better rooting performance was observed in sand. Among growth regulators, IBA 200 ppm followed by NAA 300 ppm was found to be the most effective for improving propagation potential in Dracaena reflexa. Conclusion: Successful propagation of dracaena can be achieved if cuttings are treated with IBA @ 200 ppm before planting in sand during spring or rainy season.