Evaluation of different grafting methods to citrus cultivars

Abstract

Citrus is one of the most important fruit crops of the world and are propagated by sexual and asexual methods. Citrus rootstocks are produced by seed (zygotic seedling) while scion cultivars are propagated by asexual methods such as budding, cutting, layering and grafting. In Punjab-Pakistan, mostly T-budding and T-grafting as well as side grafting are used to propagate new plants with low success rate. In the current study, we investigated the effects of different methods of grafting such as ‘side grafting’, ‘wedge (or cleft) grafting’ and ‘tongue grafting’ to propagate mandarin cv. Kinnow and sweet orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] cvs. Succri and Jaffa on rough lemon (C. jambhiri Lush.) rootstock. The experiment was designed as a split-plot in a randomized complete block designed, with three replications, where a single plant was considered as an experimental unit. Thirty plants were grafted in each method of grafting. The results showed that wedge and side grafting had the highest graft take with Kinnow mandarin (90.00% and 86.67%, respectively); tongue grafting had the highest graft take with the Jaffa sweet orange (76.67%); and, the side grafting alone had the highest graft take with the Succri sweet orange. The shoot length was significantly higher in mandarins cv. Kinnow (16.00 cm) followed by sweet orange cv. Succri (11.67 cm) as compared to Jaffa (11.00 cm). In general, the results showed that side grafting was the most effective method of propagation for all evaluated cultivars in the province of Punjab-Pakistan. Index