Assessment of Grafting and Budding Success in Different Varieties of Ber under In-situ Condition

AbstractBer (Ziziphus mauritiana), a valuable indigenous fruit tree of the Rhamnaceae family offers significant nutritional and mineral benefits. However, its cultivation is limited due to the lack of quality planting material, with seed propagation causing variability in plant vigor, delayed fruiting and inconsistent fruit quality. In this context, vegetative propagation, particularly grafting and budding, plays a crucial role in maintaining genetic uniformity and preserving cultivar identity. Successful grafting involves callus formation and vascular union between scion and rootstock. However, graft incompatibility can hinder success when different genotypes or species are involved. This study aimed to identify the best vegetative method and variety for ber propagation under in situ conditions. The results showed that grafting the Dandan variety onto Ziziphus mauritiana var. rotundifolia which is resistant to biotic and abiotic stress gave the best results. The Dandan variety exhibited the highest graft height (29.83 cm, 33.83 cm, and 39.21 cm), graft diameter (0.68 cm, 0.91 cm, and 1.2 cm), number of leaves (28.00, 33.66, and 38.16), graft success (91.16%, 86.00%, and 87.83%) and graft survival rate (91.16%, 88.83%, and 87.83%) 30, 60 and 90 days after grafting respectively. In contrast, the Chhuhar variety grafted onto Ziziphus mauritiana var. rotundifolia showed the lowest performance. These findings underlined the importance of selecting the right root stock and variety to enhance graft success, genetic stability of ber.