Effect of Growth-Regulating Chemicals on Walnut Budding Under Controlled Environmental Conditions
摘要
The present investigation was conducted during 2021–2022 under protected conditions in the Himalayan hills of the Srinagar district, which is located at an elevation of 1587 m above mean sea level between 35°.5′ and 35°.7′ N, 74°.8′ and 74°.9′ E. The experiments consisted of two factors, i.e., rootstock and scion wood. The rootstock treatment comprised four treatments: R0, (control); R1, rootstock treated with 6‑benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) at 500 ppm; R2, rootstock treated with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at 500 ppm; and R3, rootstock treated with ascorbic acid and 500 ppm. The scion wood treatment comprised five levels: S0, (control); S1, defoliation of the scion 20 days before budding, DFS S2: DFS + 6-BAP at 10 ppm, (dip for 10 min); S3, DFS + IAA at 10 ppm (dip for 10 min); and S4, DFS + ascorbic acid at 10 ppm (dip for 10 min). The rootstocks were treated 1 week before budding, and the scion wood was treated at the time of blossoming. The experiment was designed using a completely randomized layout with three replications. Budding was carried out during the third week of September 2022 under protected conditions. The result revealed that the combination of defoliated scion wood and rootstock treated with ascorbic acid at 500 ppm had the highest budding success (58.33%), bud sprouting percentage (66.66%), bud take percentage (83.33%), and total chlorophyll content (0.41 mg/g FW). By contrast, the combination of defoliated scion wood and rootstock treated with IAA at 10 ppm and IAA at 500 ppm had the lowest number of days taken for bud swell (20.34). We conclude that defoliated scion wood treated with growth-regulating chemicals may be preferable for increasing the success rate of budding.