ABSTRACT

Mini-grafting is a type of grafting that has been indicated to increase efficiency of forest and fruit species propagation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mini-grafting technique as a method for propagation of guava grafted on intra or interspecific rootstock. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with four treatments, five replications and plots consisting of ten plants, in a 22 factorial arrangement, and factors consisted of rootstocks and canopy cultivars. Rootstocks used were Psidium guajava and Psidium guineense. The canopy used was Paluma and Cortibel 1 cultivars. Only thecanopy used had an effect on the percentage of grafting success of 52, 54, 82 and 84%, respectively, for ‘Cortibel 1’/P. guineense; ‘Cortibel 1’/P. guajava; ‘Paluma’/P. guineense; ‘Paluma’/P. guajava combinations. Mini-grafting was effective for guava propagation on intra or interspecific rootstocks. The average production time for ‘Paluma’ and ‘Cortibel 1’ saplings grafted on P. guajava or P. guineense, for mini-grafting, was 351 days, so that ‘Paluma’ seedlings were more vigorous than those of ‘Cortibel 1’.

Index terms
Psidium guajava; P. guineense; vegetative propagation; softwood grafting