Abstract
This study was carried out in the College of Agriculture and Forestry/Mosul University, between February and November/2006 on Gerbera jamesonii cvs Esstafette (red inflorescence) and Essandre (yellow inflorescence), to investigate the effect of different concentrations of plant growth regulators and stem tip excision on rooting ability of lateral shoots. Hence the factors investigated were: Excision of apical portion of stem (pinch) or without, spraying plants with Benzyl adenine (BA) at 0.250 and 500 mg.l-1 or Cycocel (CCC) at 500 and 1000 mg.l-1 separately, and response of two cultivars of G. jamesonii (Essandre and Estafette). The Factorial Experiment was conducted by using Randomized Complete Block Design, each treatment was replicated three times with four plants in block. The results showed that spraying plants with BA at 500 mg.l-1 caused a significant increase in the number of lateral shoots 1.83 shoots/plant. Lateral shoots taken from Essandre plants gave best results of roots number, root length, fresh and dry weight. Spraying the stock plants with CCC gave best results of roots number, roots fresh and dry weight.
