Grafting Grapes rootstocksin summer
This technique has been established for dry hot region in Egypt south valley project (Toshka Project).
It’s simple and easy after 6 years of experiments we’ve been got one year agewith hand chip budding in summer.
By following next steps correctly you’ll gain best results:
1 – Prepare callusing and rooting, Richter 110 (110 R)have been suitable for our dry and salty region grafting.
2 – fining and elevate the soil, then establish irrigation hoses 1 meters apart.
3 – In February; plant the rooted cuttings directly on flat land beside the irrigation hose, 7 cm apart and 20 cm deep, this distance give us around 57000 rootstocks per Feddan. Tow months after planting fertigaiton will start from May to September, apply total of 25 Kg of Nitrogen + 10 kg Phosphorus + 20 kg potassium + 7 kg Calcium + 2 kg Magnesium per Feddan. Keep the rootstocks healthy overall the season by follow a suitable for your region, in our region we spray against flower thrips, red mites and powdery mildew all the season.
4 – In the same year in August we start budding by collect the scions from the recent season mature grapevines to graft in the open field, and then graft in same time. One or tow days before grafting, prepare the rootstocks for budding by make suckering and cut all the growth 40 cm above ground, then apply deep irrigation. Then next day with a sharpened knife cut and put the chip bud; 5 cm above ground and before the first shoot, tie with elasticrootstock growth. Ten days after budding a lot of suckers appear above grafted buds, start to remove these suckers immediately and cut the second third of growth.
5 – Tow weeks after budding cut the growth completely 5 cm above the grafted buds, at this time you can check callusing under plastic tapes, and some buds start to grow in the same month. Continue sucker around buds till it has 2 opened true leaves, then you can remove the paper-(in our hot/dry region don’t attempt to remove the paper at green Pallone stage, it will die) - and cut directly 2 cm above grafted buds. It takes around 45 days to complete the callusing process, then the new wood start to mature within the vine to be a new tree after 120 days from grafting date.
6 – When the variety shoots arrive to 15 cm long after budding success, tip them in order to enhance laterals growing, try to keep the variety height not more than 25 long to prevent buds breaking from union and enhance shoots maturation during autumn. With using a special elastic Para film and treated tape for tying after budding you don’t need to cut the tape, the callus and wood will be initiated within that tape during autumn and winter.
7 – The vines are ready to pullout next February to sell or plant them directly in the field, More than 90 % success by expert grafters hand have been gained, in the end you can catch more than 40000 grafted vines ready to sell or plant in field, by using a good manufactured U shape pulling out machine hanged on compact small tractor.
Mokhtar Taha
Horticultural agronomist, Egypt
Agridataserv@gmail.com
For further information visit Grapes nursery and Egypt south valley project issues.
For the heirloom vegetable seed - visit this blog.
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