The Rooting Performances and Some Chemical Constituents of Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Stem Cuttings as Influenced by IBA Concentration and Medium Type

Abstract

A pot experiment was done at glass greenhouse conditions at Egyptian German Company for Agricultural Production (EGAP), Sharkia Governorate, Egypt during the two consecutive summer seasons of 2023 and 2024. This study aimed to enhancing the rooting performance (root length, root fresh and dry weights and root anatomy) as well as some chemical constituents in leaves and roots of rosemary stem cuttings. The main factor was rooting medium (coco peat, coco peat: perlite, coco peat: sand, peat moss, peat moss: perlite, peat moss: sand as 1: 1 V/V), while, the second factor was IBA concentration (0.0, 1250, 2500 and 3750 ppm), beside the combination influence between these two key factor. The obtained results referred to that planting rosemary in Coco peat medium combined with an IBA concentration of 3750 ppm is strongly recommended, as this interaction consistently produced the highest root fresh weight, dry weight, and root length across both seasons. To maximize leaf chemical content in rosemary, utilizing an IBA concentration of 3750 ppm in combination with Peat moss + Sand for total carbohydrates (28.665%) and Coco peat + Sand for potassium (1.923%) or Coco peat alone for nitrogen (2.735%) is recommended. Furthermore, applying 2500 ppm IBA in Coco peat + Sand provides the highest phosphorus accumulation.