Submitted:
14 January 2026
Posted:
23 January 2026
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Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different exogenous reagents on the propagation efficiency of Acorus tatarinowii rhizome cuttings, thereby providing a reference for its asexual reproduction and contributing to the large-scale cultivation of this species. Methods: Wild Acorus tatarinowii rhizomes excavated from mountainous areas were used as experimental material. Rhizome cuttings were treated by dipping in solutions of gibberellic acid (GA3) at 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg·L-1; naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg·L-1; indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 mg·L-1; and potassium indole-3-butyrate (IBA-K) at 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 mg·L-1. Distilled water (CK) served as the control. After treatment, emergence rate, rooting rate, number of fibrous roots, number of root tips, root length, plant height, number of leaves, and width of the second simple leaf were recorded to evaluate the effects of these exogenous reagents on asexual rhizome cutting propagation of Acorus tatarinowii. Results: Compared with the control, all exogenous reagents enhanced cutting performance to varying degrees. Treatment Tr19 (IBA-K at 100 mg·L-1) yielded the highest emergence rate (74%), followed by Tr14 (IAA at 100 mg·L-1) with an emergence rate of 68%. The best rooting rate was observed under Tr14 (IAA at 100 mg·L-1), which reached 68%. Tr12 (IAA at 20 mg·L-1) produced the greatest plant height (27.20 cm), followed by 24.39 cm under Tr13 (IAA at 50 mg·L-1). The highest average number of leaves was recorded under Tr14 (IAA at 100 mg·L-1) and Tr2 (GA3 at 100 mg·L-1), at 7.07 and 6.53 leaves per plant, respectively. Leaf width of the second simple leaf was greatest under Tr16 (IBA-K at 10 mg·L-1), at 0.61 cm. All four reagents exhibited similar effects on fibrous root number, root tip number, and root length, with growth traits under these treatments significantly superior to the control; optimal performance for these root traits occurred under Tr11 (IAA at 10 mg·L-1) and Tr14 (IAA at 100 mg·L-1). Correlation analysis showed strong positive relationships among leaf number, width of the second simple leaf, fibrous root number, root tip number, and root length; a strong correlation was also observed between rooting rate and emergence rate. Conclusion: The application of exogenous reagents of suitable types and concentrations, particularly IAA at 100 mg·L-1 and IBA-K at 100 mg·L-1, significantly enhanced the emergence rate, rooting rate, and subsequent growth performance of Acorus tatarinowii rhizome cuttings. These findings provide practical implications and reliable technical support for efficient asexual propagation and large-scale cultivation of Acorus tatarinowii.
