STUDIES ON DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROPAGATION OF MANGIFERA INDICA L. WITH RESPECT TO SUCCESS, SURVIVAL, GROWTH AND THEIR CLONAL MULTIPLICATION BY STOOLING

Rooting of cuttings of mature plants and production of uniform clones by stooling and air-layering have been recently made successful at this laboratory (1, 2, 3). The present studies were, therefore, undertaken to produce uniform homozygous clones of selected rootstocks through stooling of cuttings, air-layers, veneer grafts and inarched plants.

The material prepared by different methods was planted in the 'stooling' plot where the veneer grafts and seedlings started to grow faster as compared to air-layers, cuttings and inarched plants (figure 1). Plants under other three treatments made very little growth during the first eight months. At the end of 20 months, veneer grafts made the maximum growth. Seedlings proved to be the second in order of merit in these aspects. There was very little difference between cuttings and inarched plants so far the growth in length and diameter was concerned.

Observations on stooling ability of plants obtained by different methods of propagation are presented in table 1. The average number of shoots available for stooling was significantly higher in seedlings as compared to air-layers, inarched plants and cuttings. However, there was no significant difference between seedlings and veneer grafts.

As regards the average number of rooted shoots per clone, seedlings proved to be significantly superior to the rest of the treatments. Veneer graft was significantly better than air-layer, inarched plant and cuttings in this respect. Establishment of average number of stooled plants per clone was significantly high in seedling when compared to those of other treatments. But there was no significant difference between air-layers and veneer grafts in this aspect (table 1).

Rooting was more profuse in stools obtained from seedlings and veneer grafts (figure 2) as compared to that under any treatment. Average number of primary roots of stools obtained from seedlings was significantly higher (8.90) than that of the rest of the treatment (2.50 to 4.10). The average length of primary roots of stools obtained from veneer grafts was, however, significantly superior to that under any other treatment.