Grafting is the union of tissue from two different plants and can be done in several ways. There are two main uses. One of them is when the soil has bacteria and fungi, and only the rootstock resists pests, and the other is when you want to produce a fruit with more quality. What the techniques have in common (see below) is that the cross needs two plants: the scion and the rootstock. The first plant is usually called the fork or horseman (it is the tree that, in the end, will produce the fruits) and the second plant is called the horse or little horse (it is the one that will support it, providing water and nutrients). The main advantage of this method is that the rootstock allows cultivation in regions where it would not happen under normal conditions, either due to climatic conditions or the presence of pests.
How “surgeries” work to make grafts in vegetables
pimple technique
WHAT TYPE OF PLANT IS IT SUITABLE FOR – Citrus fruits (orange, tangerine and clove lemon)
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REVENGE – One month
1. With a penknife, cut a piece of the graft bark, the pimple. Another cut of equal dimensions is made in the rootstock to accommodate the bud. Fit the bud into the receiving branch very delicately, with the bud facing upwards
2. Next, tie with plastic to prevent air and water from entering. The mooring must be done more or less 20 cm from the ground. It is necessary to remove all the buds from the horse so that it does not overlap with the grafting
fork technique
WHAT TYPE OF PLANT IS IT SUITABLE FOR – Vineyards and vegetables such as tomatoes
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REVENGE – One week
1. The graft and the rootstock need to be the same diameter, because the first fits into the second. The fork (which is the graft) is cut very precisely, in the shape of a V, and it is fitted into the rootstock. One of the disadvantages of this technique is that the rootstock cannot be too old.
2. With the fork inside the rootstock, it is tied with a kind of rope. All the branches of the rootstock must be cut, leaving only two or three, to let the graft “breathe”, if the technique is carried out in the field
leaning technique
WHAT TYPE OF PLANT IS IT SUITABLE FOR – Orange and papaya
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REVENGE – Ten days
1. This technique is usually used when the other two techniques don’t work. An incision is made in the two plants and they are placed against each other so that there is an exchange of sap and, finally, the union of the tissues. It is necessary to fasten with tape so that the union between the parts is stronger.
2. When there is a proper union of the fabrics and the backrest sets, the horse begins to be cut little by little. This technique is often used to replace the horse of a plant that has already undergone grafting.
Sources – Nozomu Makisima, agronomist and researcher at Embrapa Technology Transfer