Multiplication of pecannut varieties at different times of grafting

Abstract

Pecans are nuts producing tree plants which have high economic importance among horticulture crops. Plain and low hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have the highest future scope for Pecannuts cultivation. For the availability of good quality and maximum quantity of plants, the present study was carried out at Horticulture Research farm, Agricultural Research Institute, Tarnab, Peshawar during the year 2017.The study aimed to find the optimum time for the production of nursery plants of Pecannuts varieties through grafting. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design in split-plot arrangement with two factor and three replications. There were 30 plants per treatment. Pecannuts varieties Habib-96, Wichita, and Mohawk were grafted at different dates i.e. January 15, February 1st, February 15, and March 02. Findings of the study revealed that maximum graft sprouting and plant survival was recorded by grafting on January 15^th. Grafting on first February had higher vegetative growth like stem diameter and number of leaves. Among the Pecan cultivars more sprouting percentage (47.1%), survival percentage (37.5), and stem diameter (1.27cm)were attained by Habib-96. As far as the interaction effects are concerned the maximum values were observed by grafting Habib-96 on February 15 for most of the parameters studied, in contrast to minimum values for all the parameters by grafting the varieties on 2^nd March. Therefore, among the Pecan nut varieties, Habib-96 was best and the optimum time to graftismid-February.