Citrus Growers Advised To Take Grafting Wood From Healthy Plants

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Sep, 2019 ) :Growers have been advised to take grafting wood from healthy plants for a proper grafting of citrus fruit.

Punjab Agriculture department sources told APP on Sunday that during the grafting process, water sprout should not be used, as the fruit which develops with water sprout was not of a good quality to be sold in market.

Sources said before grafting, care of rootstock was necessary and two weeks prior to the grafting urea fertilizer must be administered to the rootstock besides applying water.

"Most conducive time for grafting is during September and October", sources added.

The instruments used in grafting must be cleaned with recommended drugs, sources said.

Sources further said, "If plants are grown with seed their breed gets affected but proper grafting actually helps in maintaining the breed of the plants." Citrus Research Institute Sargodha has introduced a method called "Top Working" which helps to replace poor quality fruit with best quality fruit and to introduce seedless variety, it said.

"Under this method such branches of a tree are selected, in which juice is moving with appropriate pace and the required variety is grafted right on it," sources added.