Etiolation of stock plants affects adventitious root formation and hormone content of pea stem cuttings

Stock pea plants (Pisum sativum L.) were etiolated fully or partially at the third internode that acted as the cutting base. The etiolation started the fifth day after sowing and lasted till cutting preparation. Cuttings derived from partially etiolated plants rooted more than non-etiolated ones while fully etiolated ones rooted more only after treatment with 1% sucrose solution for 4 days. Endogenous IAA in the base of etiolated cuttings was higher during the first 24 h after cutting preparation than in the control. Z/ZR did not show significant differences while iAde/iAdo was higher in the control. Ethylene was increased 24 h after cutting preparation and the increase was greater from partially etiolated cuttings. The results showed that besides IAA and cytokinins, which played a role in the rooting of cuttings, sucrose influenced rooting in the case of fully etiolated stock plants.