Interaction effect of age and curing of scion on success rate of softwood grafts in sapota (Achras zapota L.)

An experiment was conducted on the interaction effect of curing of scion and age of scion on success rate of grafts in sapota with 18 treatments replicated thrice adopting factorial randomized block design from 2014 to 2015 at the College Research Farm, Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture (UAHS), Mudigere, Karnataka. The interaction effect on the age and curing of scion revealed that minimum number of days for sprout initiation (9.33 days), 50% sprouting (19.677 days) and 100% (30.677) sprouting occurred when 3 months age old with 10 days cured scions were grafted. The same interaction also recorded maximum sprouts at 30 (1.60), 60 (2.23) and 90 (2.43) days after grafting, maximum number of leaves and leaf area index was observed at 60 (5.13 and 2.13) and 90 (5.50 and 2.70) days after grafting and maximum length and breadth of leaves was observed at 60 (5.52 cm and 3.68 cm) and 90 (6.17cm and 3.88 cm) days after grafting. The maximum height of the graft at 30 (36.67 cm), 60 (36.77 cm) and 90 (37.11 cm) days after grafting, maximum scion girth at 60 (4.72mm), maximum per cent graft success at 30 (66.66%), 60 (65.33%) and 90 (64.00%) days after grafting and maximum survival percentage (80.88) was registered with 3 months age old scion, which was cured for 10 days. The 10 days cured scion with 3 months age old scion resulted in maximum net income (₹ 22, 250 per 1000 grafts) and maximum cost: benefit ratio (2.06). This high benefit ratio is mainly because of interaction effect i e, by using the 3 months age old scion with 10 days curing which helped in giving the higher success rate because of their actively growing stage.