Innovative Approaches to Increase Grafting Success Rates in Walnut Seedling Production: Grafting Clip and Tongue Grafting Machine

Walnut seedling production is essential in terms of sustainability and commercial value of the agricultural output. However, traditional grafting methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive and have problems such as high cost and low efficiency. This study tested the most preferred method of grafting walnut propagation, the tongue-and-groove graft grafting method. It aimed to accelerate the grafting process, increase efficiency, and reduce production costs. The performance of prototype clips was evaluated using field trials in the study. A portable tongue-and-groove graft machine and manual labor methods were used in the grafting processes. The study results show that the new grafting clip significantly shortens the grafting time compared to traditional methods and increases graft retention rates. In the plastic graft tie application, 75.6% of the grafts made by hand and 62.2% produced by the grafting machine were successful. In the clip application, 86.7% of the grafts made by hand and 68.9% of the grafts made by the grafting machine were successful. Compared with the traditional and modern grafting methods in the literature, it was revealed that the developed clip reduces the need for labor and offers an innovative product with commercialization potential. The study aims to contribute to a more efficient and economical grafting process in walnut cultivation and sapling production.