Colt and Mazzard F 12/1 clonal rootstocks are commercially preferred for raising the cherry trees in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Colt rootstock is easy-to root & can be multiplied through cuttings. 40 cm length of hardwood cuttings with pencil thickness should be taken in Feb. Pre treatment of cuttings should be done with IBA (2,550ppm) for 10-12 seconds. These cuttings should be planted in nursery beds for rooting. Rooted cuttings of cherry tree should be lined out in Dec & grafted with scion variety in Mar. Tongue grafting is recommended during Feb-Mar. For grafting, the scion wood should be collected during winter time when the cherry buds are dormant. Scion wood should be packed in moss grass & then should be wrapped in moist gunny bags. Scion wood bundles should be stored at 2°C – 4°C till the use.
How Clonal Rootstock is used for propagation in Cherry Fruit Cultivation?
