Effects of Different Rooting Media and Cutting Lengths on The Rooting Performance and Quality of Pepino (Solanum Muricatum) Cuttings

Abstract

In this study, the interactive effects of 16 different rooting media/hormone combinations and three different cutting lengths (3, 7, and 10 cm) on the adventive rooting performance and shoot morphology of pepino (Solanum muricatum) were investigated in order to increase seedling production efficiency under greenhouse conditions in Diyarbakır. The experiment was conducted with five replications according to a split-plot randomized complete block design and automatic high-pressure misting was applied under a stable temperature regime to preserve the turgor pressure of the cuttings. As a result of the research, the rooting rate was 100.00% across all tested rooting media and cutting lengths. Although the rooting rate remained constant among the groups the parameters of root number, root length, shoot length, and shoot number exhibited a linear increase as the cutting length increased , and the 10 cm long cutting groups containing rich nutrient reserves provided the highest morphological values. The highest root number value was obtained from the 10 cm cuttings in Treatment 7 (Sawdust/With Hormone) with 32.40 roots , whereas the highest values for root length were determined in the 7 cm (10.04 cm) and 10 cm (10.00 cm) combinations of Treatment 6 (Peat/With Hormone). In contrast, "Pure Gravel" media with low water-holding capacity and "Sawdust" media containing a high carbon load (C/N) generally restricted root and shoot development, causing the data to cluster in the lowest statistical groups. When shoot length, shoot number, and root development balance were evaluated as a whole, propagating 10 cm long cuttings in Peat-Perlite mixtures with optimized aeration and water-holding capacity or in nutrient-rich garden soil substrates under high-pressure misting without an absolute need for external hormone supplementation in commercial seedling cultivation is recommended as the most economic, practical, and high-quality seedling production model.