Bench top omega grafting optimization in guava trees propagated by means of herbaceous stem cutting

• Grant number: 19/07063-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Henrique de Almeida Teixeira
• Grantee: Pedro Augusto Nicolete Bordin
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the Scientific Initiation (IC) project of the Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica (PIBIC), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), entitled "Viabilidade da enxertia de mesa tipo ômega em goiabeiras propagadas por estaquia", this technique was not, initially, viable for grafting guava trees propagated by means of herbaceous stem cutting due to the rapid browning of the grafting region and, consequently, graft death. However, the immersion of the grafts and cuttings in solutions containing 2.0% citric acid (m / v) and 1.0% ascorbic acid controlled the browning and allowed the successful grafting of 28.6% to 37.5% of the grafts from 'Paluma' and 'Pedro Sato' cultivars, respectively. Therefore, due to the presence of the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne mayaguensis Rammah & Hirschmann) as a limiting factor for the production and quality of guava fruit worldwide and the need to produce rootstocks using cuttings resistant to this nematode and grafting them with susceptible root-knot nematode guava cultivars, the objective of this study is to optimize the bench top omega grafting in 'Paluma' and 'Pedro Sato' guava cultivars. Thus, herbaceous stem cuttings of the cultivar tolerant to root-knot nematode ('Tailandesa') will be used as rootstocks. These cuttings and grafts of table fruit cultivars will be immersed in solutions containing 2.0% citric acid (m / v) and 1.0% ascorbic acid, prior to grafting using omega tools. The grafted cuttings will be treated with indole butyric acid (IBA) and placed to root in a mist chamber, following the procedures commonly adopted by commercial nurseries. After 90 days of the experiment set up the following parameters will be evaluated: I. Grafting success (%), II. Cuttings rooting (%), III. Root fresh and dry weight (g), IV. Number of roots per cutting, V. Root's length (cm), VI. Surviving rate (%) and VII. leaf retention (%).