Mohammed Billal, M
Standardization of vegetative propagation techniques in dragon fruit( Hylocereus spp.) - Vellanikkara Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture 2023 - 94p.
MSc
Dragon fruit which belong to the family Cactaceae is commonly referred to as Pitaya, Pithaya, Queen of the Night, Night blooming Cereus. It is one among the exotic fruits, cultivated primarily for its attractive and highly nutritious fruit. It is native to Costa Rica, Guatemala and Southern Mexico, and are primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions. Though this can be easily multiplied through seeds, seedlings are not preferred as they have a long pre-bearing age and also not true to type in nature. Among the vegetative propagation methods, cuttings alone are used for mass multiplication of planting materials all over the world, whereas layering, grafting and budding are not in commercial use. Hence, the present study entitled “Standardisation of vegetative propagation techniques in dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.)” was carried out in the Department of Fruit Science during 2022-2023, comprising three experiments: standardisation of length of rooted cuttings for propagation, standardisation of propagation by air layering and standardisation of propagation by grafting with the objective of evaluation of different vegetative propagation methods in dragon fruit.
In the first experiment, the performance of different length of rooted cuttings were evaluated. Rooted cuttings of 120 cm length (T4) were found to be the best as it produced the maximum number of segments (13.10), number of newly emerged segments (3.70), number of spine areoles (556.00), number of roots (14.00), longest root (52.50 cm), duration of flowering (107.80 days), number of fruits (19.2 fruits/pole) and fruit yield (4.96 kg/pole). Flower and fruit morphology did not exhibit any significant variation with the treatments, as the same variety (“Cambodian Red” – red fleshed variety) was used for the study, and the flowering and fruiting characters are associated with the genetic nature of the variety.
In the second experiment, the different rooting media for air layering were evaluated. Coirpith compost (25.00 days) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) with perlite and vermiculite (26.50 days) recorded the minimum number of days for root emergence. Sphagnum moss recorded the maximum number of adventitious roots per air layer (15.30). Longest roots were observed in AMF with perlite and vermiculite (11.04 cm) and sphagnum moss (10.85 cm) and were found to be on par with each other.
The AMF with perlite and vermiculite (5.45 mm) and sphagnum moss (5.38 mm) recorded maximum root diameter. In terms of survival percentage, sphagnum moss recorded the highest survival percentage of 81.25%. Sawdust (3.33 air layers) and sphagnum moss (3.25 air layers) produced the maximum number of rooted air layers after 90 days of air layering.
In the third experiment, different grafting methods were evaluated with two varieties of dragon fruit, Mexican Red and Malaysian Red. When Mexican Red was used as the rootstock, horizontal grafting (T1) (16.00 days), shoot grafting (T3) (18.50 days) and seedling grafting (T6) (18.80 days) recorded the minimum number of days taken for sprouting. Horizontal grafting recorded the maximum number of segments (2.00). V-cut bud grafting (T5) and seedling grafting (T6) did not produce any segments. Shoot grafting recorded the longest segments (101.80 cm) and maximum survival percentage (100%). The girth of the rootstock did not vary in both the rootstocks. The maximum girth of the scion (135.20 mm), maximum scion length (117.40 cm) and taller grafts (158.40 cm) were observed in shoot grafting.
When Malaysian Red was used as the rootstock, the minimum number of days for sprouting were recorded for seedling grafting (15.75 days) and horizontal grafting (16.20 days). Bone grafting (T4) (1.40), horizontal grafting (1.33) and shoot grafting (1.33) recorded the maximum number of segments. Horizontal grafting produced the longest segments (115.50 cm). Shoot grafting and L-grafting recorded the maximum survival percentage (100%). The maximum girth of the scion was observed in shoot grafting (148.50 mm). The length of the scion was the maximum for horizontal grafting (T1) (131.30 cm) and shoot grafting (T3) (116.50 cm). Both horizontal grafting (165.10 cm) and shoot grafting (158.80 cm) produced taller grafts.
Initially, the success percentage was the highest in horizontal grafted plants thereafter shoot grafting recorded the highest percentage throughout the study when Mexican Red was used as the rootstock. When Malaysian Red was used as the rootstock horizontal grafting recorded the highest success percentage at 15 days after grafting. But, 30 to 75 days after grafting shoot grafting recorded the highest percentage. Finally, shoot grafting and L-grafting were found to be the best with maximum success
percentage. The percentage of graft establishment was highest in shoot grafting at 30, 60 and 90 days after grafting when both rootstocks were used. Additionally, L-grafting recorded the highest graft establishment at 90 days after grafting when Malaysian Red was used as the rootstock. The method of V-cut bud grafting (T5) was considered as a failure one with no success percentage.
The present research revealed that using 120 cm long rooted cuttings (T4) (4 feet) is the most suitable planting material for dragon fruit in order to produce the highest yield, longest fruiting period, the largest number of fruits and significant improvement in vegetative characteristics. Sphagnum moss (T3) was found to be the most effective rooting medium for air layering in dragon fruit due to its higher success rate. The best grafting technique for dragon fruit was found to be shoot grafting (T3), which produced maximum scion girth, scion length, graft height and success percentage.
Fruit Science
Hylocereus spp.
Vegetative propagation
Propagation by cutting
Grafting
634.1 / MOH/ST PG
Standardization of vegetative propagation techniques in dragon fruit( Hylocereus spp.) - Vellanikkara Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture 2023 - 94p.
MSc
Dragon fruit which belong to the family Cactaceae is commonly referred to as Pitaya, Pithaya, Queen of the Night, Night blooming Cereus. It is one among the exotic fruits, cultivated primarily for its attractive and highly nutritious fruit. It is native to Costa Rica, Guatemala and Southern Mexico, and are primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions. Though this can be easily multiplied through seeds, seedlings are not preferred as they have a long pre-bearing age and also not true to type in nature. Among the vegetative propagation methods, cuttings alone are used for mass multiplication of planting materials all over the world, whereas layering, grafting and budding are not in commercial use. Hence, the present study entitled “Standardisation of vegetative propagation techniques in dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.)” was carried out in the Department of Fruit Science during 2022-2023, comprising three experiments: standardisation of length of rooted cuttings for propagation, standardisation of propagation by air layering and standardisation of propagation by grafting with the objective of evaluation of different vegetative propagation methods in dragon fruit.
In the first experiment, the performance of different length of rooted cuttings were evaluated. Rooted cuttings of 120 cm length (T4) were found to be the best as it produced the maximum number of segments (13.10), number of newly emerged segments (3.70), number of spine areoles (556.00), number of roots (14.00), longest root (52.50 cm), duration of flowering (107.80 days), number of fruits (19.2 fruits/pole) and fruit yield (4.96 kg/pole). Flower and fruit morphology did not exhibit any significant variation with the treatments, as the same variety (“Cambodian Red” – red fleshed variety) was used for the study, and the flowering and fruiting characters are associated with the genetic nature of the variety.
In the second experiment, the different rooting media for air layering were evaluated. Coirpith compost (25.00 days) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) with perlite and vermiculite (26.50 days) recorded the minimum number of days for root emergence. Sphagnum moss recorded the maximum number of adventitious roots per air layer (15.30). Longest roots were observed in AMF with perlite and vermiculite (11.04 cm) and sphagnum moss (10.85 cm) and were found to be on par with each other.
The AMF with perlite and vermiculite (5.45 mm) and sphagnum moss (5.38 mm) recorded maximum root diameter. In terms of survival percentage, sphagnum moss recorded the highest survival percentage of 81.25%. Sawdust (3.33 air layers) and sphagnum moss (3.25 air layers) produced the maximum number of rooted air layers after 90 days of air layering.
In the third experiment, different grafting methods were evaluated with two varieties of dragon fruit, Mexican Red and Malaysian Red. When Mexican Red was used as the rootstock, horizontal grafting (T1) (16.00 days), shoot grafting (T3) (18.50 days) and seedling grafting (T6) (18.80 days) recorded the minimum number of days taken for sprouting. Horizontal grafting recorded the maximum number of segments (2.00). V-cut bud grafting (T5) and seedling grafting (T6) did not produce any segments. Shoot grafting recorded the longest segments (101.80 cm) and maximum survival percentage (100%). The girth of the rootstock did not vary in both the rootstocks. The maximum girth of the scion (135.20 mm), maximum scion length (117.40 cm) and taller grafts (158.40 cm) were observed in shoot grafting.
When Malaysian Red was used as the rootstock, the minimum number of days for sprouting were recorded for seedling grafting (15.75 days) and horizontal grafting (16.20 days). Bone grafting (T4) (1.40), horizontal grafting (1.33) and shoot grafting (1.33) recorded the maximum number of segments. Horizontal grafting produced the longest segments (115.50 cm). Shoot grafting and L-grafting recorded the maximum survival percentage (100%). The maximum girth of the scion was observed in shoot grafting (148.50 mm). The length of the scion was the maximum for horizontal grafting (T1) (131.30 cm) and shoot grafting (T3) (116.50 cm). Both horizontal grafting (165.10 cm) and shoot grafting (158.80 cm) produced taller grafts.
Initially, the success percentage was the highest in horizontal grafted plants thereafter shoot grafting recorded the highest percentage throughout the study when Mexican Red was used as the rootstock. When Malaysian Red was used as the rootstock horizontal grafting recorded the highest success percentage at 15 days after grafting. But, 30 to 75 days after grafting shoot grafting recorded the highest percentage. Finally, shoot grafting and L-grafting were found to be the best with maximum success
percentage. The percentage of graft establishment was highest in shoot grafting at 30, 60 and 90 days after grafting when both rootstocks were used. Additionally, L-grafting recorded the highest graft establishment at 90 days after grafting when Malaysian Red was used as the rootstock. The method of V-cut bud grafting (T5) was considered as a failure one with no success percentage.
The present research revealed that using 120 cm long rooted cuttings (T4) (4 feet) is the most suitable planting material for dragon fruit in order to produce the highest yield, longest fruiting period, the largest number of fruits and significant improvement in vegetative characteristics. Sphagnum moss (T3) was found to be the most effective rooting medium for air layering in dragon fruit due to its higher success rate. The best grafting technique for dragon fruit was found to be shoot grafting (T3), which produced maximum scion girth, scion length, graft height and success percentage.
Fruit Science
Hylocereus spp.
Vegetative propagation
Propagation by cutting
Grafting
634.1 / MOH/ST PG