International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 279-289 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 284 3.4 Effect of growth hormones on diameter of shoots per cutting Significant variations were observed among the treatments, with the F-test indicating statistical significance at the 5% level at 30 DAP and at the 0.1% level at both 60 and 90 DAP (Table 5). The combined treatment of IBA 400 PPM + NAA 200 PPM consistently resulted in the thickest shoots across all stages, recording 7.8 mm at 30 DAP, 15.7 mm at 60 DAP, and 20.7 mm at 90 DAP. This was closely followed by NAA 400 PPM, which also promoted considerable stem thickening (7.3 mm, 14.8 mm, and 19.8 mm at respective intervals). Meanwhile, the control treatment showed the lowest shoot diameter values, particularly at 60 and 90 DAP (8.4 mm and 13.4 mm), clearly reflecting the advantage of hormone application. Intermediate performance was noted for treatments such as IBA 7,500 PPM and NAA 200 PPM. The coefficient of variation (CV) showed a decreasing trend from 19.07% to 6.79%, suggesting more consistent treatment effects over time. SEM values ranged between ±0.293 and ±0.545, supporting the reliability of the measurements. Overall, these results affirm that shoot diameter development in dragon fruit is significantly enhanced by the application of growth hormones, especially the IBA 400 PPM + NAA 200 PPM combination. Table 5 Effect of growth hormones on diameter of shoots per cutting Treatments Average shoot diameter per cuttings (mm) 30DAP 60DAP 90DAP IBA-7,500 PPM 6.2ab 13.0bc 18.0bc IBA-6,500 PPM 5.9ab 12.7c 17.7c NAA-200 PPM 6.6ab 14.1abc 19.1abc NAA-400 PPM 7.3a 14.8ab 19.8ab IBA-400 PPM +NAA-200 PPM 7.8a 15.7a 20.7a Control 4.9b 8.4d 13.4d Mean 6.45 13.11 18.11 CV(%) 19.07 9.37 6.79 SEM(±) 0.293 0.535 0.545 F-test * *** *** Note: ***Significant at 0.1 % level of significance, **Significant at 1% level of significance, *Significant at 5 % level of significance., DAP: Day After Planting, CV: Coefficient of variance, SEM: standard error mean 3.5 Effect of growth hormones on average number of roots per cutting The results demonstrate highly significant differences (***) among treatments at all observation intervals (Table 6). At 30 DAP, the highest number of roots was observed in the IBA 7,500 PPM treatment (9.72), followed closely by IBA 400 PPM + NAA 200 PPM (8.80) and IBA 6,500 PPM (8.40), all of which were significantly superior to the control (3.47). Similar trends continued at 60 and 90 DAP, with IBA 7,500 PPM maintaining the highest root count (14.72 and 20.22, respectively), while the combination of IBA 400 PPM + NAA 200 PPM also performed well (13.70 and 19.20). In contrast, the control consistently produced the fewest roots at all time points, indicating limited rooting without hormonal support. NAA treatments (200 and 400 PPM) showed moderate effectiveness but were significantly less productive than IBA-based treatments. The coefficient of variation (CV) declined over time from 15.16% at 30 DAP to 6.89% at 90 DAP, indicating increasing consistency in root development among treatments. Standard error of mean (SEM) ranged from ±0.474 to ±0.708. Overall, these findings clearly show that the application of rooting hormones, particularly IBA 7500 PPM and the IBA 400 PPM + NAA 200 PPM combination, significantly improves root proliferation in dragon fruit cuttings over time. 3.6 Effect of growth hormones on length of roots per cutting The analysis shows highly significant differences (*** at 0.1% level) among the treatments at all three stages (Table 7). At 30 DAP, the longest roots were recorded in the IBA 400 PPM + NAA 200 PPM treatment (7.82 cm), followed by IBA 7,500 PPM (6.82 cm), while the shortest root length was observed in the control (4.02 cm). This trend continued through 60 and 90 DAP, with IBA 400 PPM + NAA 200 PPM consistently achieving the longest root lengths (12.82 cm and 18.82 cm, respectively). The IBA 7,500 PPM and IBA 6,500 PPM treatments also performed well, significantly outperforming the control. NAA treatments (200 PPM and 400 PPM) showed
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