Persian Yellow Rose (Rosa foetida Herrm.) is native to Iran and is one of the wild species in the Rosa genus. Beyond its ornamental value, this plant possesses countless medicinal properties, yet it has attracted little attention despite its potential for cultivation due to both aesthetic and therapeutic benefits.In this study, propagation of Persian Yellow Rose via softwood cuttings was investigated using the plant growth regulators auxin (IBA) and salicylic acid (SA). Softwood cuttings, 15 cm long and approximately 0.5 cm thick, were collected in August 2023. All leaves except one were removed. Cuttings were treated with either indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or SA at concentrations of 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg L-1, with distilled water as a control. They were then placed in a substrate of 70 % sand and 30 % perlite.After three months, once rooting had occurred and new shoots emerged, the cuttings were evaluated for root and shoot traits. Results showed significant differences among treatments (except for stem diameter). The highest rooting percentage (95 %) was achieved using 2,000 mg L-1 SA (36 % higher than the control). While the treatment with 2000 mg L-1 IBA showed 60 % rooting, it exhibited 10 % less rooting compared to the control and had a higher decay percentage. However, cuttings treated with 2,000 mg L-1 IBA showed the highest values in fresh and dry root weight, root volume, shoot length, fresh and dry shoot weight, and leaf number. Meanwhile, cuttings with 2,000 mg L-1 SA exhibited the greatest main-root length and diameter, though in most traits they did not differ significantly from the control. Overall, applying IBA and SA especially at high concentration (2,000 mg L-1) proved effective at enhancing rooting characteristics and rooting percentage, respectively, in Persian Yellow Rose cuttings. It appears that combining both growth regulators may yield even more effective results, which future research should investigate. |
