Melatonin and other factors that promote rooting and sprouting of shoot cuttings in Punica granatum cv. Wonderful

The agricultural and medicinal plant pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv. Wonderful) was studied to examine the effects of wounding of cuttings and to test the effects of different concentrations of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), gibberellic acid (GA(3)), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), melatonin (MEL), and ascorbic acid (ASC) on rooting of the shoot cuttings under mist. The data indicated that IBA had a positive influence on the rooting percentage in wounded and nonwounded cuttings. The best rooting was achieved with very thin cuttings (3-4 mm in diameter). The percentage of rooting (100.0 + 0.0) and the number of roots per plant (15.2 + 2.4) were positively affected if the point of severing was at an internode of the cutting. It was found that 17 mg L-1 H2O2 in combination with 1000 mg L-1 IBA produced the longest roots, whereas 500 mg L-1 GA 3 in combination with the same IBA concentration (1000 mg L-1) reduced root length. In addition, the human hormone MEL at an application of 1.16 mg L-1 can be substituted for IBA to produce positive effects on rooting, while 352.24 mg L-1 ASC alone or in combination with IBA also promoted rooting.