Introduction

1. Introduction • Ber is important horticulture crop in dry land agriculture which can survive wide range of soil and climatic conditions. • Root stock from local Ber varieties and bud stick from improved ber varieties with pencil thickness and free sap flowing condition should be selected. • The selected local ber plant should be healthy and adaptive to harsh climatic conditions and water scarcity while bud stick plant should be from high yielding plant.

2. Budding methods • T budding: T budding also called as shield budding is most common and successful propagation method in ber. • Procedure: • Make a ‘T’ shaped cut on the bark of root stock with a 2 cm vertical and 1 cm horizontal cut without injuring inner woody xylem tissue. • Remove a shield shape bud from the bud stick in such way that thin portion of wood also accompanies the bud. • Insert the bud in the ‘T’ shaped cut in the bark and tie it with polythene strip without overlapping the bud. Cut the top of rootstock after the grafted bud sprouts.

3. ‘T’ budding in Ber: • T shape cut on rootstock • Shield shaped cut on bud stick / scion • Shield shaped bud with side bark removed from scion • Bud is inserted in T shape cut on rootstock • Well sprouted bud

4. Patch budding: • Patch budding is most successful method of vegetative propagation in Ber. • Procedure: • Remove 1 cm rectangular bark from the rootstock and an identical bark patch with bud from the bud stick. • Mount this piece of bud patch on rootstock from where the similar sized bark has been removed and tie up with polythene strip. • Cut upper part of rootstock after the successful sprouting of the bud.

5. Patch budding: A. Removal of the bark of rootstock in rectangular shape. B. Cutting rectangular shape bud patch. C. Removal of the bud from the bud stick. D. Mounting of bud on rootstock and tying with polythene. E. Successful bud sprouting.

6. Patch budding: Advantages of budding: Produce genetically pure and true to type plants. Facilitate good quality and early bearing of fruits on trees. Mass production of seedlings can be produced. Disadvantage of budding: 1. Highly skilled manpower required for budding operation.