Effect of scion maturity and season on softwood grafting in jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.)

Abstract

The present investigation entitled, “Effect of scion maturity and season on softwood grafting in jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.)” was conducted at Nursery No. 10, College of Horticulture, Dr. B.S.K.K.V. Dapoli, Dist-Ratnagiri during the year 2024-2025. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with eighteen treatment combinations and two replications. The study involved three scion stages (Softwood, Semi-hardwood and Hardwood) and six grafting months (November, December, January, February, March and April). The data obtained in the present investigation revealed that among the three scion stages, the softwood scion (S1) had shown promising response in terms of sprout height (27.39 cm) and graft girth (4.58 mm). Among the grafting season, April (T5) month was found superior in sprout height (30.55 cm), graft girth (4.77 mm) and number of leaves (10.67). In the interaction effect, the treatment combination T5S1 (April + softwood scion) showed significantly superior results regarding sprout height (32.80 cm), graft girth (4.83 mm) and number of leaves (11.10).