Horticulture :: Propagation :: Introduction
Propagation through grafting
  • Grafting is a propagation technique usually employed to improve the quality of the nursery stock or to produce seedlings that carry the plus qualities of a mother plant.

  • It is carried out by bringing together two vegetative parts from two different plants of a same species and joining them together to grow as a single plant.

  • Usually the stem branches are used for the purpose of grafting
Graft Union
Grafted Plant



  • The plant part that receives another plant part is called the stock, while the plant part that serves as the graft is called the scion

  • When these two are joined together, graft union takes place.

Selection of Stock
Splitting of roots Stock
Preparation of Sicon
Tying of graft union
Sprouting of sicon
Removal of Plastic cap
Ready for Planting Material

  • The scion always carries the positive qualities of the mother plant while the stock serves as the root system for the seedling.

  • After the graft union is taken place, scion becomes the upper part while the stock becomes the basal part of the new plant.

  • The stock plant is usually a plant that is already established and growing.

  • During the process of grafting, certain portion of the stem from the stock plant is removed.

  • The selected scion is brought either as a whole plant or as a part and inserted on to the stock plant so that the cut portion of the stock and the scion remain in contact.

  • The stock and scion are tied together with the help of a tape to ensure the union

  • The graft is maintained in that condition for a specified time period.

  • After the graft union is ensured, the remaining portion of the stock plant above the graft union is removed and the scion is encouraged to grow After this, the graft is ready for planting

Pepper Grafting

Different techniques of grafting are seen in use for propagating different plants. The commonly followed techniques are the following

Approach grafting
  • The method involves causing the graft union between the two selected branches of Stock and Scion while the branches are still growing on the parent plants
Wedge grafting
  • The method involves causing the graft union by inserting the scion, which is in the form of a wedge, on to an incision on the stock plant. The scion is usually a branch excised from the mother plant

Epicotyl grafting
  • Grafting is done on the tender shoot of about 5-7 days old of a germinated seed with its epicotyl seeds still intact
Softwood grafting
  • Grafting is done on the soft shoot of the stock plant which is a seedling of about 6 months

However in the case of medicinal plants grafting is seen only with selected species of the genera Artocarpus (Panasa), Syzygium (Neredu), Myristica, Garcinia (Tamalamu) etc

Cleft Grafting
Tongue Grafting


Update on: July 2015

 

 

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