ROOTSTOCK AGE AND GROWTH HABIT INFLUENCE TOP GRAFTING IN Araucaria angustifolia

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Rozimeiry Gomes Bezerra Gaspar
Ivar Wendling
Carlos Andre Stuepp
Alessandro Camargo Angelo

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical viability and influence of rootstock age and growth habit on Araucaria angustifolia top grafting. Two rootstocks (8 and 35 years old) were used, with grafts originating from two growth habits (orthotropic and plagiotropic). The grafting was carried out using patch grafting, in the middle and upper third of the crown of 8-year-old trees and in the middle and lower third of 35-year-old trees, always near the apex in primary branches. The experiments were performed during the autumn and spring of 2015. The treatments consisted of: T1: 8-year-old rootstocks and orthotropic grafts; T2: 8-year-old rootstocks and plagiotropic grafts; T3: 35-year-old rootstocks and plagiotropic grafts; T4: 35-year-old rootstocks and orthotropic grafts. We evaluated graft survival throughout the experiment and at 16 months we evaluated their survival, emission, and number and average length of shoots. Top grafting is technically feasible for araucaria.  Younger rootstocks (8 years) favored graft survival, especially with plagiotropic propagules and grafting in autumn (71.9%).

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