Standardization of Softwood Grafting in Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) var. TKD1

Abstract

In recent years, Hass avocados (Persea americana Mill.) have become more widely cultivated in Colombia. One of the difficulties facing the nation is boosting orchard output by ensuring graft plants have the best agronomic, genetic, and phytosanitary criteria. In this study, the growth and development of avocado rootstocks derived from seeds of various weight ranges will be monitored for 90 days. Four weights of avocado seeds (S1, S2, S3, S4) (30–40 g, 40–50 g, 50–60 g, and 60-70 g) and four scion maturity of (D1, D2, D3, D4) (60 days old, 70 days old, 80 days old, 90 days old were used as treatments in a factorial completely randomized experimental design. The outcome showed that the best germination rate of 75% for S4 and the highest survival percentage (94.98%) for S4D4. After 90th DAG the maximum number of new shoots per plant (5.75), number of leaves/plants (18.15), leaf area (20.83 cm2), and carbohydrate content (6.57%) were reported. Based on the results of the experiment, it was determined that the optimum method for propagating avocados was softwood grafting using 60–70 g seed size (rootstock) and 90-day-old scion. These plants had better vigor and faster germination rates, all of which could reduce the length of time spent in the nursery while still ensuring the quality of the material, which is influenced by improved seedling growth.