Foliar application of supplemental IBA combined with ascorbic acid or quercetin to stimulate rooting in Kalamata and Wardan olive cuttings

Ahmed Abdelhady Rashedy; Omar Thaer Kamil; Ahmed Adnan Mohammed; Wael Mohamed Eldeeb; Hamed Hosny Hamed<sup>1; 4</sup>

ISSN: 0972-1045

Foliar application of supplemental IBA combined with ascorbic acid or quercetin to stimulate rooting in Kalamata and Wardan olive cuttings

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 2026, 28(1): 200-209.

Foliar application of supplemental IBA combined with ascorbic acid or quercetin to stimulate rooting in Kalamata and Wardan olive cuttings

Ahmed Abdelhady Rashedy*¹, Omar Thaer Kamil², Ahmed Adnan Mohammed², Wael Mohamed Eldeeb³ and Hamed Hosny Hamed^1,4

¹Pomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. ²Department of Medicinal and Industrial Plants, College of Medicinal and Industrial Plants, University of Kirkuk, Kirkuk, Iraq. ³Energy and Environment Research Center, Tabbin Institute for Metallurgical Studies, Egypt. ⁴Organic Crop Production Department, Faculty of Organic Agriculture, Heliopolis University, Egypt. Corresponding e-mail: ahmed.rasheedy@agr.cu.edu.eg

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i01.31

Key words: Olea europaea L., peroxidase, catalase, polyphenol oxidase, indole-3-acetic acid oxidase

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Abstract:

Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) is a primary growth regulator that promotes rooting. Quercetin (QC) is a flavonoid antioxidant that has recently been recognized as a co-factor in the rooting of Kalamata olive cuttings. Also, ascorbic acid (ASC) successfully stimulates rooting in some olive cuttings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of foliar application of IBA (0, 1000 ppm) after cuttings planting, combined with either ASC (50, 100 ppm) or QC (50, 100 ppm), on rooting of Kalamata and Wardan olive cuttings. The results showed that the effect of individual IBA on promoting rooting in Kalamata cuttings was minimal, whereas the combined application of IBA+ASC was more effective than IBA+QC. In Wardan cuttings, individual IBA had a negative effect on rooting, while the combined application of IBA+ASC significantly improved rooting %, followed by IBA+QC. In both cultivars, promoting rooting was associated with increased activity of peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), while activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and indole-3-acetic acid oxidase (IAAox) decreased. ASC alone recorded the highest rooting percentage at 12.1% in Kalamata cuttings compared to the control (0%), and 54.4% in Wardan cuttings compared to the control (14.9%). The highest rooting % was accompanied by decreases in IAAox and PPO of 13.33% and 30.16% for Kalamata cuttings and 17.27% and 27.21% for Wardan cuttings. In comparison, it coincided with increases of 28.74% and 497.4% in CAT and POD in Kalamata, and 31.21% and 641% in the Wardan cultivar.