Effect of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on vegetative propagation of a rare medicinal plant Moringa concanensis Nimmo ex Dalz & Gibson using stem cuttings

A method for vegetative propagation of Moringa concanensis was developed in the present study. Stem cuttings were collected from wild populations in Tamil Nadu. The cuttings with 2-4 nodes were treated with various concentrations of Indole Butyric acid (IBA), Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) and α-Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) for 5 min. The effectiveness of auxins on shoot bud induction and rooting response of stem cuttings was in the order of IBA>NAA>IAA. The auxin treated cuttings were planted on planting media and placed in the greenhouse. The survival rate and relative growth rate of stem cuttings were analyzed at every 4 week interval for 24 week. Stem cuttings treated with 250 mg/L IBA was responded better and survived for two years. Indole-3 acetic acid treated stem cuttings initiated branches within 7 weeks but very few branches arose. The cuttings treated with NAA responded with less relative growth than IBA. This method proves the rooting ability of IBA and growth performance of stem cuttings, which can be used for the mass propagation and conservation of this rare medicinal plant to prevent the exploitation from the wild.