Propagation response of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) to stem cutting type and rooting medium under pro-tray nursery conditions
1Department of Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thiruvananthapuram, India, 2Department of Horticulture, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, Kerala Agricultural University, Palakkad, India, 3Department of Horticulture, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Palakkad, Kerala Agricultural University, India. Corresponding e-mail: aswathik208@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.44
A nursery experiment was carried out at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, Kerala, India, during November 2024 to January 2025 to standardize an efficient propagation method for peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) under pro-tray nursery conditions. The experiment evaluated the performance of three node stem cuttings with leaves obtained from different portions of the mother plant namely apical (7.5 cm), middle (8.5 cm) and basal (9.5 cm) in five rooting media comprising cocopeat alone; cocopeat + farmyard manure (1:1, w/w); cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1, w/w); cocopeat + farmyard manure + vermicompost (1:0.5:0.5, w/w); and cocopeat + vermiculite + perlite (1:1:1, w/w). The experiment was laid out in a factorial completely randomized design with three replications. The results revealed significant effects of cutting type, rooting medium and their interaction on all growth and rooting parameters studied. Among the cutting types, apical cuttings exhibited superior sprouting percentage, faster root initiation, greater shoot length and higher shoot biomass compared to middle and basal cuttings. With respect to rooting media, the cocopeat and vermicompost mixture (1:1, w/w) was most effective, producing earlier rooting, increased root length and higher root biomass. The interaction treatment involving apical cuttings planted in cocopeat + vermicompost recorded the highest sprouting, earliest emergence, enhanced shoot growth, greater biomass accumulation, improved root volume and overall rooting efficiency. The findings of the study indicate that the use of three node apical stem cuttings combined with a 1:1 (w/w) mixture of cocopeat and vermicompost is the most suitable approach for achieving rapid, uniform, and efficient nursery-scale propagation of peppermint under pro-tray nursery conditions.
