Iranian Journal of Forest

Iranian Journal of Forest

Effect of IBA Hormone and Planting Medium on the Rooting of Cotoneaster kotschyi (C.K.Schneid.) G.Klotz Cuttings

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
D Kartoolinejad
Associate Prof., Dept. of Arid land Forestry, Faculty of Desert Studies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
10.22034/ijf.2025.490148.2019
Abstract
Introduction: Species of Cotoneaster are deciduous shrubs belonging to the Rosaceae family, distributed exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere, predominantly across the steppes and grasslands of temperate Eurasia. The shrub species Cotoneaster kotschyi (C.K.Schneid.) G.Klotz. demonstrates remarkable drought resistance, attributed to its extensive root system and small leaves densely covered with fine pubescent trichomes. This species frequently appears as a pioneer shrub on the dry and semi-arid slopes within the southern Alborz ecosystems, particularly in the lower rangelands associated with juniper communities. Traditional propagation methods for most Cotoneaster species are often hindered by the presence of double seed dormancy (both physical and physiological) and the low rooting efficiency observed in cuttings.
Materials and Methods: In this study, cuttings were prepared from two-year-old branches of C. kotschyi in the highland forests of the Kordmir vilage and were planted under uniform greenhouse conditions with uniform temperature and humidity regimes. Four levels of IBA hormone treatments (0, 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm), along with seven different rooting media (sand, perlite, humus:perlite, vermicompost:perlite, sand:perlite, vermicompost:sand:perlite, and soil of the region), were applied to evaluate the rooting response of this species. Notably, all substrate components in the rooting media were combined in equal proportions. A factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design (CRD) with two factors—root-inducing hormone and rooting medium—was used with four replications. Hardwood cuttings approximately 25 cm in length were obtained from healthy, mature shrubs and, after disinfection with a 2% Benomyl fungicide solution, were treated with different hormone concentrations and planted in the respective media.
Results: In this study, the concentration of 2000 ppm Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) hormone induced the highest shoot growth of cuttings (6.7 cm), root length (17.2 cm), number of lateral roots (27), and survival rate of cuttings (72%). The 3000 ppm hormone concentration produced the highest percentage of rooted cuttings (76.7%) , while exhibiting no statistically significant differences in most of the aforementioned variables compared to the 2000 ppm treatment. The best rooting medium treatment in the present study was the combination of vermicompost:sand:perlite (1:1:1), which resulted in the highest average shoot growth (6.11 cm), longest root length (15.5 cm), number of lateral roots (24.8), percentage of rooted cuttings (63.3%) , and survival rate of cuttings (88.3%). Regarding the hormone treatments, different levels did not show significant differences among themselves, but all were significantly different from the control. The vermicompost:perlite (1:1) rooting medium treatment ranked second in most of the evaluated variables.
Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, the 2000 and 3000 ppm concentrations of Indole-3-butyric acid, in combination with the vermicompost:sand:perlite (1:1:1) rooting medium, had the greatest effect on rooting, growth, and survival variables of the cuttings. Therefore, the use of these treatments is recommended for the propagation of Cotoneaster shrubs native to Iran, which are generally low-maintenance and drought-tolerant, particularly for the restoration of mountain rangelands and for use in urban landscape.
Keywords
">Auxin plant hormones, ">Cotoneaster, Indole-3-butyric acid, lateral roots, vermicompost

Subjects

 
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Iranian Journal of Forest
Volume 17, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
Autumn 2025
Pages 469-484

  • Receive Date 25 November 2024
  • Revise Date 23 August 2025
  • Accept Date 21 October 2025