Effect of growth regulators on sprouting and yield attributes of Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth

Picrorhiza kurrooa commonly known as Kutki/Karru is native to western Himalayan region. This high valued medicinal plant categorized as endangered by the IUCN finds use both in traditional as well as modern system of medicine. Its rootstock (roots and stolon) constitutes the drug and is considered as hepatoprotective, laxative,appetizer, diuretic, anti-diabetic and anti-cancerous. It is used to cure leucoderma, jaundice, viral hepatitis and other ailments. Increasing national and international demand with good market price has led to its indiscriminate and unscientific exploitation from the wild coupled with negligible cultivation has put its existence under threat. In order to find out the best propagation technique so as to encourage its cultivation field trials were conducted to study the effect of IAA, IBA and NAA growth regulators comprising 100, 200 400 and 600 ppm concentrations on sprouting, growth and yield attributes. It was concluded that in order to get higher rootstock yield stolon cuttings should be pretreated with IBA 200 ppm > IBA 600 ppm > NAA 200 ppm in the increasing order of their preference.