Influence of propagation methods and indole butyric acid (IBA) concentrations on root development of Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) O. Kuntze serial cuttings

Abstract

The paper presents an original research study conducted to investigate cost-effective techniques for the mass propagation of the hard-to-reproduce Ipil (Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) Kuntze) at the Clonal Facility of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), located in Upper Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga Del Sur. A 2 × 6 factorial experiment in Split-Plot Design was conducted with twelve (12) treatment combinations replicated three times. The research investigated two propagation techniques (mist and non-mist) and six (6) IBA concentration levels. The study revealed significant differences among propagation systems and concentration levels. The longest roots were observed in non-treated samples (10.36 cm), while the shortest were observed in the 2000 ppm concentration (7.74 cm). The highest number of roots (12.83) was observed at 2000 ppm, whereas non-treated samples had the fewest (2.50). Additionally, both propagation methods and concentration levels showed significant differences in rooting percentage. The non-mist method combined with IBA concentrations (300 ppm and 1000 ppm) resulted in a 100% rooting percentage. Furthermore, the non-mist method exhibited significantly higher root biomass (1.98 g) compared to misting (0.51 g).No significant difference was observed in root length between the propagation methods. Similar results were found in the interaction effects between propagation methods and concentration levels. Therefore, the results indicate that Ipil (Intsia bijuga) can be most effectively propagated using the non-misting technique combined with IBA growth hormone, which is considered a cost-effective method for its mass propagation.