Vol. 9, Special Issue 9, Part A (2025)

The present experiment entitiled “Effect of growth regulators on air layering in Litchi (Litchi chinensis) under agroclimatic conditions of Prayagraj”, was conducted at Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj. Prayagraj during the session 2024-2025. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications, and the study consists of 9 treatment combinations as follow control, IBA (2000ppm), IBA (2500ppm), NAA (2000ppm), NAA (2500ppm), IBA (2000ppm) +NAA (2000ppm), IBA (2000ppm) + NAA (2500ppm), IBA (2500ppm) +NAA (2000ppm), IBA (2500ppm) +NAA (2500ppm). The parameters observed includes days to root initiation, root length, rooting percentage, number of roots per layer, fresh and dry root weight, shoot length, number of leaves, and survival percentage of layered plants. The results revealed that the treatment T₈ combined application of IBA @ 2500 ppm + NAA @ 2500 ppm significantly outperformed all other treatments across most parameters. This treatment recorded the earliest root initiation (26.75 days), highest root length (10.70 cm), maximum rooting percentage (89.5%), and the highest number of roots (28.5), highest fresh weight (8.67 g) and dry root weight (1.065 g). Furthermore, it also produced the tallest shoots (45.15 cm) and highest number of leaves (41), with a maximum survival percentage of 86.19%. The study confirms that the synergistic effect of IBA and NAA at higher concentrations considerably enhances rooting and overall success of air layering in litchi. The findings suggest that this method can be effectively used by growers to improve propagation efficiency and productivity of litchi under the agroclimatic conditions of Prayagraj.