Vegetative propagation studies were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of grafting and air-layering on indigenous fruit trees in Zambia. Rootstocks from three indigenious fruit tree species were grafted using whip, whip and tongue and wedge. Air-layers were also set on different indigenous and exotic fruit trees on-farm. The highest graftt take (85%) was obtained in Andasonia digitata and the lowest (15%) was obtained in Strychnos cocculoides, Uapaca kirkiana grafted in-situ yielded a graft-take percentage of 74%. Air-leyers set on indigenous fruits were poorly rooting, with Uaspaca kirkiana (23%), Flacourtia indica (9%), and Parinari curatellifolica (3%), and the remaining species did not root at all. Very high rooting percentages were attained in some exotic fruits with guava and coffe (100%), peach (71%) and mango (50%), whereas avacado and custard apple did not root. Whilst in indigenous fruit trees the non rooting air-layers were in various physiological states including dead, dormant, healed and callusing, in the exotic species they were either rooted or dead.
Publication year
2001
Authors
Mkonda A; Akinnifesi, F.K.; Mafongoya P L
Language
English
Keywords
fruit trees, grafting, indigenous forests, propagation by cuttings, rooting
Geographic
Zambia
