Effect of Diagonal Cut Surface Length on Graft Success and Growth of Mangifera indica, Persia americana, and Prunus persica

Abstract

Grafting has been a common propagation method in many fruit trees to achieve fruiting precocity. Its success has depended on proper alignment of parenchymatous tissues of both scions and their respective rootstocks. Although grafting has been practiced for a long time, the right or ideal length of a diagonal cut surface that promotes proper alignment of vascular bundles of both graft partners to ensure fast graft-take and eventually graft success have not been investigated. An experiment was carried out on mango, avocado, and peach trees with an objective of establishing suitable or correct length of a diagonal cut surface when grafting (splice method) to improve graft success. Diagonal cut surface lengths applied to both scions and rootstocks included 5 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, 40 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, or 100 mm with at least three grafters treated as a random component. A significant difference (P < 0.0001) was found among the diagonal cut surface lengths and over 80% of graft success was obtained with 40- to 100-mm diagonal cut surface lengths, especially for mango. Significant differences (P < 0.0001) were also obtained in shoot length and stem diameter size (thickness) for all tree crops studied and also for number of leaves except for avocado plants. It is concluded that improved graft success can be achieved with a diagonal cut surface length of 40 mm long with the need for a few grafting strips.