Effect of Different Times and Methods of Budding in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) using Seedling Rootstock of Peach
Abstract
The present investigation on effect of different times and methods of budding in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) using seedling rootstock of peach was conducted under field conditions at the Fruit Nursery and Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, VCSG Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, Bharsar, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, during 2019. The experiment consisted of twenty-four treatment combinations which were replicated thrice in Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design. Apricot cv. Newcastle was budded at 15-day intervals from 15th July to 30th September using four budding methods: T-budding, Patch budding, Chip budding, and Ring budding. Observations were recorded on days to sprouting, sprout length, sprout diameter, number of branches, number of leaves, leaf area, dead plants after sprouting, dead plants without sprouting, survival percentage, and saleable plant percentage. Earliest bud sprout (78.588 days), maximum sprout length (48.25 cm), thickest sprout diameter (0.878 cm), highest number of branches (25.333), maximum number of leaves (115.7), and highest survival percentage (71.25%) were observed for plants budded on 15th July. Among methods, chip budding resulted in earliest sprouting (135.3 days) and highest survival (67.9%), while T-budding produced longer shoots (29.8 cm) and better saleable plants (79.7%). The combination of 15th July with chip budding (T1M3) performed best across most parameters with earliest sprouting (70 days), longest sprouts (53.3 cm), thickest sprouts (0.95 cm), highest branches (27.3), most leaves (129), highest survival (85.0%), and highest saleable plants (91.7%). Budding in late September resulted in poor performance across all parameters. The study concludes that mid-July budding with chip budding is most suitable for apricot propagation on peach rootstock under Garhwal Himalayan conditions.
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Introduction
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) belongs to family Rosaceae and is mostly grown in the temperate regions of the world i.e., Western and Central Asia, Europe, North Western Himalaya and Western Tibet. In origin it is said to be native to China and in India it is mostly grown in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand and to a limited extent in the Nilgiries with an annual production of 24.94 lakh metric tonnes from an area of 3.38 lakh ha (Sheikh et al., 2021). In Uttarakhand, it occupies total area of 8065.02 hectare with an annual production of 28026.62 metric tonnes (Anonymous, 2019). Almora district has maximum area and production of apricot with some cultivars like Shakarpara, Nugget, and Ladakhi etc. which have better fruit quality and are grown in higher hills (Naithani et al., 2018). New Castle is the most commercially accepted cultivar of apricot for the mid hills area of Uttarakhand (Sharma et al., 2014).
Conclusion
In this study, we found that when and how you bud apricot scions makes a significant difference in plant performance, especially under the mid-hill conditions of Garhwal Himalaya. Budding in mid-to-late July (15–30 July) clearly gave the best results across most parameters. Plants budded in this window sprouted the fastest (around 77–79 days), grew the longest shoots (up to 48 cm), had the thickest stems, produced more branches and leaves, and ended up with higher survival rates (71%) and a larger percentage of good-quality, saleable plants (up to 81%). The early monsoon timing—with good moisture, warm weather, and active sap flow—gave the buds the perfect chance to heal quickly and grow strong before winter.
When we compared the budding methods, chip budding stood out for getting sprouts to emerge quickly and keeping more plants alive. T-budding was better for longer shoots and more leaves. Ring budding, on the other hand, did not perform well in most cases.
The clear winner overall was chip budding done on 15th July (T1M3)—it sprouted the fastest (70 days), grew the strongest shoots (53.3 cm long, 0.95 cm thick), produced the most branches (27.3) and leaves (129), and delivered the highest survival (85.0%) and saleable plant percentage (91.7%). Budding later in September, by contrast, led to slow sprouting, weak growth, more dead buds, and far fewer plants worth selling.
References
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