Graft transmission of malformation in mango.
Tripathi P. C., Sant Ram
Author Affiliation: Department of Horticulture, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar 263?145, Nainital, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Recent Horticulture 1 : 1-3
Abstract : Between 1989 and 1991, malformed mango seedlings were planted for observation of their survival, growth and health under field conditions. Establishment of malformed seedlings after transplanting was poor (?67%). About 50% of malformed seedlings died within one year of planting, 25% became healthy and the remainder continued to show malformation (to varying degrees). In grafting experiments carried out in 1989 (veneer grafting) and 1990 (cleft grafting), the survival of healthy scions on malformed rootstocks (10 and 17.77% with veneer and cleft grafting, respectively) was much lower than that of healthy scions on healthy rootstocks (64 and 70% with veneer and cleft grafting, respectively) and the growth of scions on malformed rootstocks was also poor. Survival was zero in malformed scions on malformed rootstocks. Possible physiological reasons for the poor performance of malformed seedlings and scions on malformed rootstocks are discussed, but the transmission of malformation via grafting is dismissed as no symptoms of vegetative or floral malformation were detected in healthy scions on malformed rootstocks, even after 3 years.