Studies on Standardization of Propagation Methods of Some Minor Fruit Crops in India

Abstract

Most of the minor or underutilized fruit crops are mainly propagated by seeds, resulting poor production and variable plant population. In most of the regions of India, standard method for vegetative multiplication of elite genotype of minor fruits is not available. With a view to standardize the vegetative propagation method and time of operation, an investigation was made on jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), carambola (Averrhoa carambola), fig (Ficus carica) and star goose berry (Phyllanthus acidus), under red and laterite zone condition of West Bengal. For standardizing the method, inarching was practiced for jackfruit, grafting and air layering for carambola, grafting and ground layering for fig and air layering for star gooseberry in different months under red and laterite zone condition of West Bengal. The results from two consecutive years of investigation for each crop, revealed that inarching on 20th July resulted highest success (80%) with maximum field establishment (70%) of detached plants of jackfruit. It was also noted that 90 days would be required from date of operation to date of detachment of successful inarched plants. In carambola, grafting on seedlings rootstock resulted in highest success of 1 0 0% with good graft growth when operation was made during rainy season Le. 30th June to 15th August while 60% success with 50% field establishment of detached layered was achieved in case of air layering done on 15th June only. In case of fig, highest success of 50% with good graft growth was recorded when grafting was made on 15" and 30th June on local fig rootstock while cent percent success with 50-60% field establishment was noted in ground layering done during 1st July to 15th July. In star gooseberry, 50% rooting success in air layering was achieved with cent per cent field establishment of detached layered when layering was made on 30th July.