Studies on novel method of propagation in guava through leaves

Abstract

In the present study, an attempt at the propagation of Lucknow 49 guava was made during 2020-21 through leaves. The tender just matured leaves (3rd and 4th leaves from the shoot tips) were collected. The petiole portion of the leaves was dipped in 1,000 and 2,000 ppm of Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for 1 and 2 minutes; after that, the treated guava leaves were planted in 50 cavities (4.5 cm top diameter, 3.2 cm bottom diameter, 4 cm depth, 50 ml capacity) protrays containing well-decomposed cocopeat (pH-6.7, EC- 0.5 mS/cm, nitrogen - 0.36 %, phosphorus - 0.75 %, potassium - 1.13 %) mixed with Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma viride and kept under 50 % shade net. The leaf age and concentration of IBA significantly affected the rooting, shoot formation, and survival of plants propagated through the leaf. Just matured leaves dipped in 2,000 ppm IBA for 1 minute (T11) were found best for rooting (35.17 days), rooting percentage (78.67%), root length (21.67 cm), number of roots/leaf (34.83), time taken for shoot formation (65.33 days), shoot length (12.77 cm) and survival percentage (80.56) of leaf propagated plants. If guava leaf multiplied plants are similar in growth and yield to other vegetatively propagated plants, leaf propagation would be a novel, easy, innovative, and best method of mass multiplication to escape from guava root-knot nematode caused by Meloidogyne enterolobii.