Multiplication performance of monkey jack by cleft grafting on single source seedling rootstock

The present research work was undertaken to study the fate of cleft grafting of five potential monkey jack genotypes during 2020-2021 at the Germplasm Center, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Bangladesh. Scions from five in situ conserved promising mother plants named as Dumki-Al-S1, Dumki-Al-S2, Dumki-Al-S3, Dumki-Al-S4 and Kalapara-Al-S5 were cleft grafted on seedling rootstock (Dumki-Al-R1) of single genotype. A pot experiment was set in two-factor (Scions and Days after grafting) RCBD with 10 replications. The time required to break bud varied significantly among the treatments and ranged from 14 to 20 days. Dumki-Al-S1 required the maximum time to bud break (20 days) followed by Dumki-Al-S3 (18 days). Dumki-Al-S2 took minimum time (14 days) for bud breaking. The maximum increased length of rootstock found in Dumki-Al-S2 which were 55.00, 55.70, 56.44 and 65.30 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 days after grafting (DAG), respectively, followed by Kalapara-Al-S5 (61.80, 54.80, 55.30, and 57.12 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 DAG, respectively). Kalapara-Al-S5 showed maximum diameter of rootstock (1.44, 1.70, 1.80 and 1.94 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 DAG, respectively) followed by Dumki-Al-S4 (1.08, 1.24, 1.34 and 1.42 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 DAG, respectively). The length and diameter of scion of Dumki-Al-S4 and Kalapara-Al-S5 were higher and statistically identical at 84 DAG. The maximum graft height was recorded in Kalapara-Al-S5 (70.60, 73.40, 76.00 and 77.10 cm at 21, 42, 63 and 84 DAG, which was statistically similar with Dumki-Al-S2. Kalapara-Al-S5, Dumki-Al-S3 and Dumki-Al-S4 showed maximum number of leaves per graft at 84 DAG. The maximum graft success of 40% was observed in both Dumki-Al-S1 and Dumki-Al-S3 at 84 DAG, whereas, other treatments had less than 20% graft success. Kalapara-Al-S5 and Dumki-Al-S2 showed significantly higher and identical number of sprouted shoots at 84 DAG. Dumki-Al-S1 showed the maximum lengths and diameters of shoot at 84 DAG. The overall performance of the stionic combinations indicated that Dumki-Al-S1 and Dumki-Al-S3 were found promising for further grafting trials with seedling rootstocks.