Effects of substrates and exogenous hormones on rooting of rubber seedling cuttings

DOI: 10.22161/ijeab.114.26

Abstract:
An orthogonal experiment (three factors × three levels) was designed to establish a cutting propagation technique for Hevea brasiliensis rootstock seedlings. The effects of substrate, exogenous hormone type, and concentration on rooting were evaluated across nine treatments. Rooting rate, four root traits, and mineral element contents were measured, and rooting performance was comprehensively assessed using the membership function method. Substrate was found to be the dominant factor, significantly affecting rooting rate, total root length, primary root number, and K, Ca, Mg, Fe, and Zn contents. Neither hormone type (IAA, IBA, NAA) nor concentration (100–500 mg/L) exhibited significant effects on rooting. The soil yielded the highest mean membership value, with the soil + 500 mg/L IAA treatment ranking first (0.984). Overall, the highest rooting rate and root traits were obtained with soil and 500 mg/L IAA, which is recommended as the optimal protocol for rooting of rubber tree seedling cuttings.

Keywords:
Hevea brasiliensis; cutting propagation; substrate; orthogonal design; membership function

Article Info:
Received: 23 Jun 2026; Received in revised form: 20 Jul 2026; Accepted: 26 Jul 2026; Available online: 03 Aug 2026

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