Abstract:Pomegranate is mainly propagated by air layering. Recently, wilt has emerged as a major threat to pomegranate in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Presently, neither any standard grafting techniques nor suitable rootstock is available by which the wilt problem could be controlled. With this background an investigation entitled “Study of Standardization of grafting techniques in pomegranate (
Punica granatum L.) in Northern Dry Zone of Karnataka” was carried out at Main Horticultural Research and Extension Centre (MHREC), UHS, Bagalkot (Karnataka) during 2018- 2019.
The study included Twelve grafting techniques as treatments viz., T1: softwood grafting on 15th June, T2: softwood grafting on June 30, T3: softwood grafting on 15th July, T4: softwood grafting on 30th July, T5: softwood grafting on 15th August, T6: softwood grafting on30th August, T7: tongue grafting on 15th June, T8: tongue grafting on 30th June, T9: tongue grafting on 15th July, T10: tongue grafting on 30th July, T11: tongue grafting on 15th August, T12: tongue grafting on 30th August. The results revealed that the treatment T3 (softwood grafting on 15th July) proved to be the most effective in increasing sprouting percentage (58.33%) at 150 DAG, grafting success was 75% at 60 DAG, scion length was 57.00 cm at 150 DAG and plant height was 71.71 cm at 150 DAG. With respect to scion diameter T4 recorded the maximum scion diameter 6.83 cm at 150 DAG. Number of leaves per graft was recorded maximum in T6 (125.25) at 150 DAG. When compared between softwood and whip/tongue grafting method in Pomegranate, softwood grafting was more effective with respect to sprouting percentage, grafting success, shoot length and scion diameter.