Zinc Treatment in Combination with Auxin Enhances Rooting of Cuttings in Taiwan Native Strain of Mango (Mangifera indica L.)

摘要

To obtain a sustainable supply of rootstocks, Taiwan native strain of mango (Mangifera indica L.) was propagated by cuttings, using discarded shoots from young seedlings as rootstocks for grafting. Short cuttings (60 cm) were superior in rooting and root length to long cuttings (90 cm). The use of cuttings with a non-lignified base resulted in a higher rooting percentage and length value, compared to that of cuttings with a lignified base. Auxin exerted a beneficial effect on rooting and on the number of roots, while it significantly decreased the number of shoots that sprouted. When the cuttings were treated with zinc (ZnSO4 solution) in combination with auxin, rooting was enhanced and a positive interaction was found in the number of roots generated. A combination of NAA 1000 mgL~(-1) and ZnSCVTHzO 1000 mgL~(-1) resulted in optimum rooting (87.5%), while the application of NAA 1000 mgL~(-1) and ZnSO_4-7H_2O 2000 mgL1 induced the largest number of roots (13.0). This is the first report on the effectiveness of zinc treatment for cutting propagation of mango.