Influence of IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid) dipping and BA (Benzyle adenine)–GA<sub>3</sub> (Gibberellic acid) spraying on vegetative and biochemical traits of sour orange cuttings

Sour oranges (Citrus aurantium L.) are propagated in two ways: by seed and by semi-hardwood cuttings. Producing sour orange seedlings from seed is time-consuming and expensive. Semi-hardwood cuttings offer a faster method of propagating sour oranges, reducing both time and costs. However, they are considered relatively difficult to root. The present investigation aimed to improve the growth and development of cuttings more quickly and at a lower cost by using growth regulators IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid) , BA (Benzyle adenine), and GA3(Gibberellic acid). The greenhouse experiment was conducted during the 2023-2024 season. A completely randomized design (C.R.D.) was used as a factorial experiment with three factors. The first factor was dipping the tips of sour orange cuttings in an IBA solution at 200 ppm for 2 periods (0,10) minutes before planting. The second factor was the sprayed growth regulator (BA) at three levels (0, 0.5, 1 ppm). Third factor was sprayed by (GA3) at (0.50, 100) ppm. The investigation was performed in three replicates, by six cuttings per experimental unit. The results showed that dipping Sour orange cuttings in IBA was more effective in plant height (52.48 cm), leaf area (31.16 cm²), chlorophyll content (32.42 spad), carbohydrate (36.74%), nitrogen (1.39%), and phosphorus (0.48%) compared to the control. Spraying by BA at 1 ppm and GA3 at 100 ppm had a significant impact on the studied parameters(plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll content, carbohydrate, nitrogen and phosphorus). Double and triple interactions had a significant effect on most of the studied characters.