Production of peach grafts under hydroponic conditions

Abstract

The objective of the present work was to study the feasibility of producing Okinawa rootstocks and peach grafts using a hydroponic system. The study was conducted in two phases. The growth and development of Okinawa rootstocks under hydroponic conditions were determined in the first phase, and in the second phase, the viability of grafting production of peach cultivars Aurora and Diamante associated with different types of rootstocks. The parameters analysed were the time required for 60 to 75% plants to reach the stages of transplanting (15 cm height) and grafting (4 to 6 cm stem diameter), the percentage of sprouting grafts determined 20 days after grafting, and the height of the shoots measured every 7 days until grafts were 40 cm high measured from the crown. Although 13% of the Okinawa rootstocks grown under hydroponic conditions presented undesirable genetic segregation characteristics, transplanting was reached at 30 days after transference (DAT) to hydroponic conditions and grafting at 61 DAT. Proximal pruning at 5 cm gave rise to grafts of 47.53 cm in height at 116 DAT, and both cultivar showed 100% graft sprouting with the cultivar Aurora presenting higher growth.