Effect of months on softwood grafting in carambola (Averrhoa carambola l.)

Carambola is an important fruit of warm tropics and sub tropics region of world. In the Konkan region, carambola flowers and fruits thrice a year, making it a suitable boundary crop that can provide additional income to farmers, though its propagation poses some challenges. Earlier university studies focused on air layering and grafting; considering the crop’s scope and demand, this experiment was undertaken The Experiment was laid out in randomize block design with eight treatments of Ist and IInd fortnight of August to November month. September month especially grafting in Ist Fortnight of September was found significantly superior for most of the parameters including sprouting (%) (80.00%) and subsequent growth parameters like Survival (%) (73.33%), rootstock girth (5.35 mm), graft union girth (7.18 mm) and scion girth (5.39 mm). The average optimum day temperature at 32.64℃, average monthly temperature at 24.17℃ and average relative humidity I at 91 (%) and II at 58 (%) and reduction in the wind speed to 3.06 km/hr with increasing bright sunshine (7.47 hrs) during September to March month resulted in beneficial environmental factors that might boost the physiological and metabolic functions of the plant.