Cassava mosaic virus is a growing threat to cassava cultivation, and the rapid propagation of disease-free cassava stems offers an alternative approach to producing planting material. This study investigated the effects of different plant growth regulators and nutrient media on leaf bud propagation among different cassava varieties. A 3 x 4 factorial with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used with three replications. Three cassava varieties, Kasetsart 50 (KU50), Rayong 9 (RY9), and Huay Bong 60 (HB60) were assigned as factor A, and four different media, i.e., control treatment (distilled water), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at 500 mg/L, Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponic (SAH) nutrient solution, and IBA+SAH, were assigned as factor B. Data were recorded for growth and survival traits at 30 days. The results showed that the RY9 variety exhibited superior growth parameters, whereas the KU50 and HB60 varieties showed a higher survival rate. Applying IBA, alone or with SAH, negatively affected cassava plantlet growth and survival rate. On the other hand, applying SAH alone yielded results comparable to the control treatment, significantly differing from the IBA and IBA+SAH treatments. This study also noted that IBA applications enhanced root traits in the RY9 variety but not in other varieties. The HB60 variety outperformed the survival rates and dry shoot weights of RY9 and KU50 under SAH treatment. This finding can be used to select an effective method for leaf bud multiplication in response to the demand for disease-free cassava planting materials.
