Influence of grafting techniques on compatibility and growth of citrus rootstocks in acid lime CV. PDKV Chakradhar

Abstract

An experiment entitled “Influence of Grafting Techniques on Compatibility and Growth of Citrus Rootstocks in Acid Lime cv. PDKV Chakradhar” was conducted during the year 2024-25 at the Fruit Nursery Unit, Department of Fruit Science, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola with the objective to study the response of different citrus rootstock to grafting techniques in acid lime cv. PDKV Chakradhar. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design consisting of different rootstocks as Factor A viz., R1 (Rangpur lime), R2 (Rough lemon) and R3 (Alemow) and grafting methods as Factor B viz., M1 (Chip budding) and M2 (Softwood grafting) with six treatment combinations replicated four times. Observations recorded 180 days after grafting included plant height (cm), number of leaves, leaf area (cm²), fresh weight of roots (g), dry weight of roots (g), fresh weight of shoots (g), dry weight of shoots (g) and shoot-to-root ratio. The results revealed that, R3M2 (softwood grafting in Alemow) produced significantly higher plant height, number of leaves, fresh and dry shoot weight and shoot-to-root ratio, while R1M2 (softwood grafting in Rangpur lime) recorded maximum fresh and dry root weight along with considerable gains in plant height and biomass. The findings indicate that softwood grafting on Alemow and Rangpur lime rootstocks is most effective for producing vigorous and healthy planting material in acid lime cv. PDKV Chakradhar.