Technique, Time, and Etiolation Applications Influencing the Grafting Success in Avocado (Persea americana Mill.).

In a two-phase experiment during 2018 and 2021, we evaluated the propagation success of avocado against three types of grafting (cleft, veneer, and splice) and two budding techniques (T and patch) practiced in the 3rd week of February, April, June, August, October, and December, considering the atmosphere of the six seasons (spring, summer, rain, autumn, late autumn, and winter, respectively) in Bangladesh. Cleft grafting was suitable during spring, demonstrating statistical superiority by exhibiting earlier bud sprouting (25.58 days) and better sapling qualities (16.27 cm scion growth and 14.57 leaves sapling^-1). It produced a maximum number of transplantable propagules after ten months of grafting compared to all other combinations. However, commercial multiplications could not be satisfied with only a 48.00% success rate at the best combination. A post-grafting etiolation was therefore applied to the spring season's cleft grafts. Out of 72-hour, 120-hour, 168-hour, and 216-hour etiolation and control (non-etiolation), etiolation up to 120-hour significantly augmented the success rate compared to the control treatment. The 216-hour etiolation treatment failed to produce any successful grafts. The earliest bud sprouting (21.37 days) with maximum bud sprouts (86.00%), transplantable grafts (78.67%), and superior quality grafts was obtained from the 120-hour etiolation compared to the other treatments, while the control treatment produced only 49.33% transplantable grafts. Thus, the 120-hour etiolation made 59.46% more transplants than the non-etiolation treatment. T-budding in winter was the worst technique and time for avocado grafting. Veneer grafting and the autumn season were the second-best options. Therefore, post-grafting treatment appeared best for avocado vegetative propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]