TY - JOUR AU - José Saúl Padilla-Ramírez AU - Ernesto González-Gaona AU - Luis Reyes-Muro AU - Efrain Acosta-Díaz AU - J. Luis Maldonado-Ramírez AU - Ana Ma. Acosta-Zamarripa PY - 2026 DA - 2026/08/03 TI - Evaluation of Substrates And Indolbutiric Acid Concentration in The Propagation of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) By Air Layering JO - Japan Journal of Research VL - 7 IS - 5 AB - Guava (Psidium guajava) crop is economically important in many countries with tropical and subtropical climates. Internationally, Mexico ranks fourth in importance, following India, Pakistan, and Sudan. This crop is highly valued for its nutritional properties, as it contains various functional compounds with antioxidant activity. Guava propagation can be carried out by seeds (sexual reproduction) or through asexual or vegetative methods. The former results in high variability in the progeny, whereas vegetative propagation preserves the characteristics of the mother plant; consequently, the latter method is the most widely used. Although various methods of asexual propagation exist, air layering is the most commonly used in the study region. However, there is no information regarding the best type of substrate and/or on the application of phytohormones that promote greater root development. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of different substrates (coconut husk, peat moss, and rock wool) combined with the application of three concentrations (0%, 50%, and 100%) of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA; RADIX 10000®) on the propagation of guava by air layering. The air layers were carried out on a productive guava 15-year-old plant, typical of the region, located at the INIFAP "Los Cañones" Experimental Site in Huanusco, Zacatecas, Mexico. Fifty-one days after the layering process, the layers were separated from the mother plant, and the number and length of roots were recorded. The data were analyzed using a factorial experimental design (3 x 3), with 10 replications and one layer as the experimental unit. The results showed that substrates had a differential effect on root number and length: the highest number of roots was observed with coconut husk, while the greatest root length was obtained with peat moss, in both cases, at the 100% IBA concentration. Number and length of roots increased as the IBA concentration increased, as compared to the control that showed the lowest values. Based on the overall effects, it can be suggested that coconut husk is a suitable substrate for propagating guava via air layering, besides it is less expensive than the other two substrates. According to the results, the use of coconut husk with IBA (10,000 ppm) at 100% concentration is recommended for greater efficiency in the rooting of air layers. SN - 2690-8077 UR - https://dx.doi.org/10.33425/2690-8077.1243 DO - 10.33425/2690-8077.1243