Plant Propogation and Nursery Management

Collection and Handling of Scion Wood

For dormant grafting

• The scion wood in winter is to be stored for considerable long time. The labels and identification marks of scion wood should be considerably durable.
• Storage under moist conditions or underground needs rot proof labels and the attachments.
• Non-corrosive zinc metals have proved excellent for this purposes, provided the wire or other connection is rot-proof.
• Painted wood labels or zinc labels with pliable wire are satisfactory for most purposes.
• Bundles of budwood are tied firmly and labels are attached in such a way that they may not slip along and off the ends of scion material. Even the best method of labeling should be supplemented by notes in the gardener nursery book.
• The best method of storage of scionwood is to burry deep in soil with more packing in shady location. It also helps in completion of chilling requirement of the scion wood.
• Storage can also be done in cool chamber at 0-2⁰C but in this case budsticks are kept in well packed condition in moist sphagnum moss.
Disinfection of scion wood: To check the infection accumulated during storage, the scion wood prior to use after storage should be treated with insecticides like chlorophyriphos, tree spray oil and fungicides based on captan, dodine, etc. at convenient concentrations.
Scion for bud-grafting (Budding):

• For summer or autumn budding, shoots are collected, at the time suitable for the operation, from healthy selected progeny plants or hedges of chosen variety.
• It is usual to remove the leaves immediately to reduce water loss. This is done by severing the petiole about 12 mm from its base.
• The soft tip of the shoot may be removed. These defoliated shoots or bud sticks, may be kept in good condition for some days in a cool place. The stipules in many cases abscise after a few days but this is more a sign of viability than detriment and sometimes budder prefers to handle this type of material.
Transport of budwood: To long distances, the budwood should be air transported. The weight of consignment may be kept down by reducing the length of bud sticks to contain only the best buds. Bud sticks are first wrapped closely or heat sealed in thin 50-gauge polythene, no internal packing is used. The wrapped scionwood is then covered with an outer wrapping or waxed for protection against bruising and to receive the address label and any necessary permits.
Petiole retention or removal: The petiole base adhering to the scion wood serves as a convenient handle for grafts in the budding process but it appears to serve no other useful purpose. In subjects having large petiole base, it may prove to be disadvantageous and should be removed. It may be noted that there is no difference in success of petiolated or unpetiolated buds.
Handling of rootstock: There is a wide variation in the rate of growth of various seedlings sown after stratification or pre-sowing treatments. In general, only the most rapid growth will enable transplanting to take place after one season and two years in the seed bed is more usual.
Grading and rouging: Out of the nursery is necessary to lessen seedlings variability problem. This practice is common in various advanced countries. Unfortunately, no care is given to this aspect in our country, and probably the variable planting material is also one of the causes of low productivity in horticultural crops.