Effects of cutting origin and exogenous auxin treatment on the rooting of Rosa damascena (Mill) cuttings from the M’goun-Dades valleys in Morocco

The Rosa damascena (Mill), commonly known as Damask rose, is one of the most important Rosa species with great economic interest on a national and international scale. In Morocco, especially in M’goun and Dades valleys, the Damask rose is mainly propagated by replanting rooted shoots. However, this method is presenting several constraints. Considering this fact, this study was undertaken to investigate the influence of two major factors: the origin of cutting and the effect of the auxin treatment on Rosa damascena cutting. For this purpose, the cuttings from seven localities were cultivated in a greenhouse under controlled conditions after soaking treatment in different concentrations of Butyric Indole Acid (0; 2000 and 4000 ppm). The obtained results revealed a significant (P<0,01) difference between the seven localities for the focused parameters. In fact, the individuals belonging to the same morphotype act in the same way with regard to cutting. The rooting rate varies between 10% and 70% depending on the origin of cuttings and the applied concentration of IBA. The results of this study showed that propagation of Rosa damascena by cuttings can promote this culture. However, the optimization of this method is linked to the choice of the plant, the origin of cuttings in particular to the chosen ecotypes.