Irrigation Frequency and Leaf Whorl Position Jointly Regulate Axillary Bud Quality of Hevea brasiliensis ‘Reken 628’

DOI: 10.22161/ijeab.112.16

Abstract:
To clarify the regulatory effects of irrigation frequency and leaf whorl position on axillary bud quality of rubber tree ‘Reken 628’, a two-factor split-plot experiment was conducted using 3-year-old single-stem bud sticks. Two irrigation frequencies (once daily and twice daily) and three leaf whorl positions (2nd, 3rd, 4th reverse leaf whorls) were set. Morphological and physiological indices were measured, followed by ANOVA, correlation analysis, TOPSIS and PCA. The results showed that irrigation frequency had significant effects on leaf water content and scale bud eye length, with a significant interaction between irrigation frequency and leaf whorl position. Leaf width was extremely significantly positively correlated with leaf water content, and leaf water content was extremely significantly negatively correlated with scale bud scar thickness. TOPSIS evaluation showed that the highest axillary bud quality was observed under twice daily irrigation + 2nd reverse leaf whorl, with a comprehensive index of 0.7785. Under the same leaf whorl, twice daily irrigation was significantly better than once daily irrigation. This study provides a technical basis for standardized cultivation of ‘Reken 628’ bud sticks.

Keywords:
Hevea brasiliensis, irrigation frequency, leaf whorl, axillary bud quality, TOPSIS

Article Info:
Received: 18 Mar 2026; Received in revised form: 16 Apr 2026; Accepted: 22 Apr 2026; Available online: 30 Apr 2026

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