Abstract:
Fuel wood scarcity in the Himalayan region is
an established fact and mulberry (Morus albaL.) tree has a
great potential in fuel and energy production. This study
determines the role of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for rapid
clonal propagation of mulberry for higher biomass and
large-scale production; and examines the associated biochemical changes during rooting. The non-treated (control)
and treated (1000, 2000 and 3000 IBA mg L
-1
) soft stem
cuttings were cultured in mist chamber. After 50 days the
rooting percentage, root number and root length were
found to be higher in IBA-treated cuttings than in the nontreated ones. The rooting zone of IBA-treated and untreated
cuttings were sampled at day 0 (prior to the culture in mist
chamber), 15, 30, and 45 for estimation of total soluble
indole content, peroxidase (POX), indole acetic acid oxidase (IAA-oxidase) and total soluble sugar (TSS). The total
soluble indole, POX and IAA-oxidase were enhanced due
to IBA. POX increased from day zero to day 45 of culture.
IAA-oxidase kept increasing for 30 days and thereafter
declined markedly. IBA initially increased TSS, which
later decreased with passage of time till the 30th day both
in IBA-treated and control cuttings. Thereafter, TSS content exhibited statistically non-significant variation at day
30 and 45 of culture. On the whole, IBA increased rooting
phenomenon and activated carbohydrate metabolism. IAAoxidase appears to trigger and initiate root primordia,
whereas POX is invo
