Standardisation of the technique of stone grafting in cashew and management practices for field establishment

Abstract

The studies on the propagation of cashew by stone – grafting was carried out at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during June, 1982 to May, 1983 to find out the season for stone – grafting, to study the effect of procuring of scions, to standardise the best method of grafting and to find out the proper size, thickness and age of the rootstock on percentage of success of grafting. The studies revealed that the months of August and September were most suitable for stone – grafting under Kerala conditions. The period from October to December was most unsuitable. Of the different treatments tried the treatment TI, where grafting was done by the cleft method using scion sticks defoliated 10 days ahead of the grafting operation was found to be significantly superior to all the other treatments. Defoliation 10 days prior to the grafting operation was definitely superior to five days procuring and non – curing. Similarly the cleft method was found to be better than splice method. There was no significant correlation between the percentage of success and the various weather parameters like quantity of rainfall, number of rainy days, maximum and minimum temperatures and relative humidity. The mist condition did not improve the ultimate take of the grafts. There was linear growth rate for the different growth parameters tested such as the girth of the stock and scion and height of the scion. Also the girth of the stock and scion exhibited the same growth rate giving a ratio of about one for all the treatments except for the treatment T1 (grafting by the cleft method using 10 day procured scions) of the grafts produced in the month of June. There was apparently no difference in the percentage success in stone – grafting prepared from 10 days old and five days old stocks. Stocks and scions of girth 2.1 to 2.4 cm was found to give better success than those of above 2.4 cm. Scions of length 8.6 to 10.5 cm was found to be better than those with a length of 4.5 to 6.5 cm, 6.6 to 8.5 cm and above 10.5 cm.