NEW GRAFTING TECHNIQUES FOR EXOTIC FRUIT TREES TK. Lim, M. Poffley and L Bowman, Horticulture Branch, Darwin OCTOBER 1992 ISBN 07245 2805 9SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE ‘THE DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY AND FISHERIES IS COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF ‘SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE ‘Sustainable agriculture is the use of agricultural practices and systems which maintain or enhance: the economic viability of agricultural production; the natural resource base; and other ecosystems which are influenced by agricultural activites. Principles: 1. Agricultural productivity is sustained or enhanced over the long term ‘Adverse impacts on the natural resource base of agriculture and associated ecosystems are ameliorated, minimised or avoided. Harmful residues resulting from the use of chemicals in agriculture are minimised. The net social benefit (In both $ and non $ terms) derived from agriculture is maximised. Agricultural systems are sufficiently flexible to manage risks associated with the vagaries of climate and markets. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORYCONTENTS INTRODUCTION PRINCIPLES OF GRAFTING ‘TYPES OF GRAFTING (Cleft Graft (Wedge Graft) Ofer Cleft Gratt Seddle Graft ‘Veneer or Side Venoor Graft Epicotyl Graft Side Graft Splice Graft ‘Whip or Tongue Graft APPENDIX BUD GRAFTING “Modified Fokert Budding Patch Budding Punch Grating hip Budding TBudding Inveried T-Budding GLOSSARYINTRODUCTION ‘The traditional methods of vegetative propagation by marcoting, stem-cutting, intrching or approach grafting, and budding (see the appendix and glossary fora description of these terms and methods) are no longer regarded as entirely satisfactory. Fruit wees developed from marcots of stem-cutings tend to have weaker root systems end may be more suscepdble to soll-bome diseases. Approach grafting isa difficalt and. laborious operation, tnd it can be expensive, especially when the branch of the scion wee is high and Scaffolding has 10 be constructed. Also the union takes a long time to heal. Budcing by the patch-bad technique or by modified Foker budding requires skill and effort and many fruit wees are not amensble 10 these methods. Suocess rates with budding aze therefore low, which can be frustating to the novice. Furthermore, the seedling rootstock has 10 be of a certain age and size for budding, which often means that the seeding becomes bag bound and the roots become clumped or kinked together. When planted out, such seedlings are slow to take-off and become prone to drought and disease streses, leading to high field morality. Budding is still employed for propagating carambola and rambutan 8 the success rate can be sasfactory depending on th time ofthe year, Recenly, newer methods have been developed that give higher sucess rates, are more cos efficient, because of lower maintenance costs, and result in more rapid muliplicaion of vigoroas and healthy grafted seedings. Additionally, there is less root clumping in polybsgs and the seedings do better infield establishment. These methods ae now wisely use in fruit growing areat in the topics, notably in Southeast Asian counties, and are also being used by the Department of Primary Industy and Fisheries. ‘The’ methods include: ‘wedge grafing © cleft grafting, saddle graing, Side veneer or side cleft grafting, pico grafting, side gating, splice grafting, whip or tongue gafing. ‘These methods are more flexible and can be used for seedlings of various ages, from 4: weeks old to 6-months or older; on green, young wood oF brown, mature wood depending fon fruit species. Also, many of these methods can be adapted for tp-working tres or for root grafting. These methods are now being used with great success for propagating mango, durian, sapodila, mangosteen, abiu, mamey sapota, green sapota, star apple, Jackin, cempedak, custan apple or sweetsop, soursep, rollin, rambutan, cashew, guave, carambola, dua and langsat and various citrus fruitPRINCIPLES OF GRAFTING ‘The aim of grafting is 10 join and unite pieces of living tissues from different plants so that they will fuse to form and function as one plan. 1k fs essential 10 have good contaet of the cambium or growing layer of the scion and rootstock as the success of graft depends on this. The cambium is located jut below the bark and is a layer of actively dividing cells responsible for the production of the ‘conducting. vascular system of the stem and for the production of wood and bark, The ‘camibum plays a paramount role in the union between the scion and the rootstock. Thus, it is escendal thatthe cambium of the scion and roostock be aligned well for « good union ‘Only heslihy and vigorous rootstcks and scions should be selected, and the scions should ‘come from selecied, desirable cultivars ‘The scion material should be taken from terminals at the stage of a new flush with buds Which sre swollen but have not opened. For @stubbom scion, in which no bads are forming, precuring is carried out by removal of leaves or by reducing the number and size of leaves while the scion is sill aached tothe mother tee, in order 10 encourage the buds to develop. Removal of the leaves of the scion aids in reducing water loss after grafting. The rootstock should be adequately watered before grafting, ‘Any incision made in the rootsock or scion should be made with a clean, razor-sharp instrument to obtain smooth and flat cut surface. This facilitates rapid union and healing ofthe graft. Finally, the graft should be firmly bound with grafting tape to ensure good cambal contact, and to protect the union from infection and desscation. Immediately after grafting, the plant should be kept in a shaded place, and a polythene bag placed over the graft to maintain s humid atmosphere and prevent the scion from drying (out This bag can be removed after the scion hes begun flushing, ‘The grafied seedlings should be regularly checked, to remove shoots below the graft, and watered adequately but not excessively, as overwatcring ean damage the roots.TYPES OF GRAFTING Cleft Graft (Wedge Graft) (Figs Ia and 1b (se centre plates} ‘The age of seedling to select is dependent on species: ‘dritn four to six weeks bia two to three months ‘mango the to four months ‘mangosteen ten months or olier (because growth rate is much slower) ‘The apical portion is cutoff and a slit 2-4 cm deep or a v-shaped slit is made at the cut ‘end, The scion material about 8-10 em long is detached from temninal shoot of the desired bearing (mature) parent. The leaves ofthe selecied terminal are usually removed a few weeks before grafting to encourage the axillary buds to develop while sill attached to the parent plant, This is called precuring. Some propagators precure the scion wood by removing all the leaves except the lowest pair which are timamed down to one third size, to reduce water loss by transpiration, jut before actual grafting. The scion is tmmed 10 & ‘wedge shape by cutting off the side of the botiom tip, in order wo ft it into the slit or ¥ slit on the rootstock. Whea inserting the scion into the sli, ensare thatthe cambiun on the scion isin alignment with that of the rootstock. The graft is then tightly wrapped sound with grafting tape, and a polythene bag is placed over the graft 10 create the necessary humidity. Afler three to five weeks, when new growth appear, the polythene bag and grafting tape are removed, Ofset Cleft Graft or Offset Wedge Graft Pg. 28 and 2) ‘A variation of the Cleft Graft isthe Offiet Cleft or Offiet Wedge Graft. The top of the rTootsork is cut to form a tapering wedge. Then an offset vertical cutis made from the tip ‘of the wedge on the rootstock, ‘The precured scion is cut into a wedge, with one side longer thin the other, and insered into the cleft in the rootstock. When the graft union has taken the flap (Shaded), which hus now withered, is cxt off. ° ig2a: Pregration of he oss fant sin ig2: xeon of i on ito (igh fr note wetge galt er seeniA variation called Fitroy’s Wedge Graft also works well with many fruit wees, We have had good success with abiu. The cleft is made at the node subsended by @ leaf on the rootstock Saddle Graft Fig. 3) This is the reverse of the cleft graft technique. This method works well for mango four to five months old seedlings can be employed as rootstock, by contast with cleft agrafting where ten montis or older mangosteen seedings are required and longer time is thus expended to obtain the final grafted seedlings. The terminal portion ofa healthy, well-watered, rootstock is cut off. Two slant cuts, 1.5 em long are made tothe cut end to form a tapering wedge. A. healthy two-leaved tenminal about 5-6 em long is transprational water losses, and the cut nd trimmed to ft over the wedge of the roostack. The scion is carefully placed over the wedge like a saddle ensuring that the cambial layers of scion and rootstock sre aligned with each other. The graft is thea tightly taped over with grafting tape and the seedling covered with a plastic bag to create the necessary high humidity, ‘When the scion stars growing or sprouting, the bag is removed and the tape is removed after four to six weeks. Pie: atte gra oa a mango Vencer or Side Veneer Graft (Fig. a and 4b (see centre plate]) AA shallow, inward slant cut, 3-4 om long is made into = healthy rootstock. The stion ‘material, §-15 em long is selected from the teminal of a bealihy, bearing parent. The Jeaves are removed and the cut portion of the scion is trimmed to long end short custo fit the cut in the rootstock. After insertion of the scion into the eut inthe rootsoek, the whole scion is bound tightly tothe roostock with grafting ape. About three to four weeks later, the terminal portion of the rootstock, 3-4 em above the union, is cut away and the grafting tape is removed from the scion just above the union to encourage the scion to sprout. The rest of the grafting tape is removed several weeks Ite.