Nainsi and Ankan Das
Abstract
The most common way to propagate dragon fruit is by stem cutting, which is widely accepted worldwide. However, genetic studies for creation of new varieties, the multiplication of dragon fruit through seeds become equally important. Thus, in order to help the breeding community, the current study was conducted to determine how the fruit grows from seed and what effects various potting mixes have on its early growth. Vermicompost, compost, tea leaf over leaves, rice husk, and soil were among the many media components mixed together in various medium compositions to generate seven potting treatments for the study. Following the seeding of each treatment, the experiment was set up using a completely randomized design and repeated three times. Numerous characteristics related to the early development of seedlings were observed at various points during the plantâs growth. The analysis of the collected data revealed that the combination of soil, cocopeat, and vermicompost had the highest mean germination percentage (89.53%). The plants cultivated in potting mixtures containing soil, cocopeat, and vermicompost as well as soil, cocopeat, and compost had the longest leaves, measuring 0.97 and 0.93 centimetres, respectively. The maximum length of a seedling in a medium composed of soil, cocopeat, and vermicompost was 8.00 cm. Root length (3.47 cm) and number (17.67 no.) were both superior in the same potting mixture. Blends of soil, compost, and cocopeat as well as soil, cocopeat, and vermicompost showed values over 300 in terms of number of areoles, surpassing those of any other combination of medium. The final measurement of chlorophyll accumulation was 12.631 mg/ml for plants produced in a potting mixture of soil, cocopeat, and compost, and 14.694 mg/ml for plants formed in soil, cocopeat, and vermicompost. Therefore, we can conclude that, taken as a whole, soil, cocopeat and vermicompost as well as soil, cocopeat and compost were both suitable to use as potting mixes for the dragon fruit seedlings