The propagation success of bougainvillea through hardwood stem cutting varied with rooting hormones and rooting media. This experiment was carried out to study the effect of rooting hormone and rooting media on hardwood cuttings of Bougainvillea glabra cv. Double Red during April-July, 2021. The treatments were combination of rooting hormones [Indole-3-Butyric Acid (500 mg L^-1), Indole-3-Butyric Acid (1,000 mg L^-1), Naphthalene Acetic Acid (1,500 mg L^-1), Naphthalene Acetic Acid (3,000 mg L^-1), Rootex C] and different rooting media (soil and farmyard manure, sand and farmyard manure, sand and cocopeat) in 1:1 ratio. Cuttings without rooting hormones served as control. We observed earliest sprouting (10.33 days) of cuttings treated with IBA (500 mg L^-1) and planted in sand and cocopeat. The highest sprouting percent (100%) and length of longest sprout (49 cm) were recorded when cuttings were treated with Rootex C and planted in sand and cocopeat. The highest shoot fresh weight (10.04 g), shoot dry weight (2.09 g), length of root (13.75 cm), number of roots (34.17), root fresh weight (2.33 g) and root dry weight (0.24 g) was observed in cuttings treated with IBA (1000 mg L^-1) and planted in sand and cocopeat. The effect of rooting hormone and rooting media on the diameter of sprouts, rooting percentage, and transplanting success percentage was non-significant. Considering economically important parameters (sprouting percentage and length of longest sprout), this study revealed that sand and cocopeat with Rootex C was the best combination for the propagation of bougainvillea.

An investigation was carried out to study the performance of mandarin grafts during 2017–18 at Banepa, Kavre to standardize suitable grafting time for two mandarin varieties. The experiment was conducted in two factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 10 treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of combinations of five grafting dates (25^th November, 10^th December, 25^th December, 10^th January, and 25^th January) and two mandarin varieties (Dhankuta Local and Ota Ponkan). Scion collected from mother plants of respective mandarin varieties were grafted onto a trifoliate orange rootstock by side veneer method in the screen house. The results showed that grafting dates significantly affect the graft success and subsequent growth of grafted sapling of mandarin varieties. The highest graft success (100%) was observed on the grafts prepared in January. The sapling height (47.58 ± 1.93 cm), leaf area (32.74 ± 2.98 cm²), number of primary branches per sapling (3.16 ± 0.20) and increased in diameter above union (17.78 ± 1.47%) were recorded maximum on the grafts prepared on 25^th January while the number of leaves per sapling (26.81 ± 1.84) was found superior for 10^th January grafted sapling. Most of the important parameters viz., graft success percent, sapling height, and leaf area were found non-significant for varieties but the number of leaves per sapling (23.99 ± 1.51), number of primary branches per sapling (2.72 ± 0.21), increased in diameter above union (16.24 ± 0.88%) and at union (13.72 ± 1.54%) was found maximum for Ota Ponkan. Therefore, the study revealed that late January was the most suitable time of grafting for both varieties of mandarin under Kavre, Nepal conditions.

Grafting is a widely used propagation technique in fruit trees. Anatomical proximity between scion and rootstock is the prerequisite for the successful graft-take and survival of the grafted plants. The success of grafting, subsequent growth of scion shoot and development of the successful grafts depend upon several factors like climatic conditions, the growth stage of scion and rootstock, methods of grafting, etc. The grafting response of fruit crops differs due to seasonal variability and environmental condition where grafting is carried out. A controlled environment with the congenial conditions for faster healing and callus formation results in better graft success, survival and growth of grafted plants.

The cut flower business has been growing rapidly worldwide, with a positive and significant impact on the economies of many countries. Maintaining quality and extending the vase life of cut flowers are crucial aspects of the floral industry. Synthetic preservatives (silver nitrate, silver thiosulfate, nano-silver, hydroxy quinoline, thiabendazole, and aluminum compounds) have been commercially used in the vase to maintain the quality and longevity of cut flowers for a long time. However, these preservatives may persist in the environment, causing severe health hazards and environmental pollution, and are also expensive. Therefore, cut flower industries seek low-cost, eco-friendly, and safer alternatives. In this context, natural preservatives (NPs), including plant extracts (PEs) and essential oils (EOs), offer a promising and sustainable alternative to synthetic preservatives in the vase. This review highlights the potential NPs and their role in enhancing the quality and vase life of cut flowers. We discussed how these preservatives exert their beneficial effects, such as inhibiting microbial growth, reducing ethylene production, and enhancing water uptake, and also explored the potential issues associated with them. We conducted a structured literature review and summarized the most commonly used EOs and PEs, their optimal dosages, efficacy, and combinations, and concluded with future directions to enhance the vase life of cut flowers sustainably.