Optimization of Indole Butyric Acid (IBA) in the Propagation of Miracle Fruit ( Synsepalum dulcificum ) by Stem Cutting

Abstract

This study looked into the best concentration of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) to use while propagating Synsepalum dulcificum , or miracle fruit, from stem cuttings. IBA concentrations ranging from 0 to 500 mg/L were applied to cuttings of semi-hardwood and hardwood in a split-plot Randomized Complete Block Design experiment. The findings indicated that at four weeks after planting, both cutting types started to produce calluses, and at eight weeks, roots started to sprout. For both kinds of cuttings, 400 mg/L was the ideal IBA concentration, resulting in the greatest rooting percentages of 70% for hardwood cuttings and 83.3% for semi-hardwood cuttings. In all treatments, semi-hardwood cuttings showed consistently better rootability than hardwood cuttings. At 400 mg/L IBA, the semi-hardwood cuttings exhibited the largest mean number of roots (8.33). For root length, dry weight, and number of roots, there were no statistically significant variations between treatments. Hardwood cuttings, on the other hand, demonstrated a significant difference in each of these parameters between the control and all IBA treatments; at 400 mg/L IBA, the highest mean number of roots (7.00) was also seen. For both cutting types, the rooting percentage increased from 0 mg/L to 400 mg/L IBA, then decreased at 500 mg/L, indicating an upper limit to the positive effects of IBA. The rooting percentage of semi-hardwood cuttings showed a notable trend, rising from 3.3% (control) to 83.3% (400 mg/L) and then falling to 63.3% at 500 mg/L. These results offer information about the vegetative propagation of Synsepalum dulcificum , showing that the best way to root is using semi-hardwood cuttings treated with 400 mg/L IBA. Through the development of effective multiplication techniques, miraculous fruit’s potential for large-scale cultivation and a range of uses in the food and pharmaceutical industries is supported.