PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON Ficus benjamina PLANTS 1 :EFFECT OF CUTTING COLLECTION, IBA AND NOFATREIN ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ROOTABILITY OF CUTTINGS AND TRANSPLANTS GROWTH

Ficus benjamina L. plant represents an important component of the foliage
interior landscape. This study was carried out during 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 to
investigate the effect of date of cutting and cutting dipping for 10 min. in. 3 gIL of
Nofatrein (a foliar fertilizer) andlor 3000 ppm SA or a mixture of both on rooting and
growth of F. benjamina cuttings. Terminal cuttings were collected and planted on first
day of each month along the year.
Cutting date significantly affected total carbohydrates. soluble suqars, free
indoles and total phenol contents. Rootability was paralleled with cutting content of
total carbohydrates. soluble sugars and free indoles. Rootability had an adverse
relationship with total phenol concentration. None of cuttings planted in Jan .. Nov. or
Dec. developed roots. Soth dates of cuttin~1 and cutting treatments significantly
affected raotability and transplants growth. Nofctrein and/or ISA significantly improved
raotability as well as the growth of developed transplants over the other untreated
cuttings. Rootability was gradually increased from 34 for February planted cuttings to
87% for June planted cuttings thereafter roolability decreased to 27 % for cuttings
collected in October. Hundred percentages of cuttings collected on June and treated
with Nofatrein + ISA developed transplants. The tallest transplants with the highest
leaf number and heaviest leaves and root dry weights were obtained when cuttings
were collected in June and treated with both ISA and Nofatrein.
Correlation coefficient values exhit ited significant positive correlation
between rootability % and each of total carbohydrates and total free indoles, while
rootability % was negatively correlated with total free phenols in both seasons.