Abstract

Pinus roxburghii Sargent (Chir pine) is one of the important species among the six Himalayan pines. Like other forest species, Chir pine is a wind-pollinated conifer characterized by a considerable variation. Since clonal multiplication through grafting is one of the best techniques to provide viable, improved propagating stocks in large quantities for further utilization in clonal seed orchards for the production of superior seed. Keeping in view the importance of chir pine for the lower Himalayan areas, work on standardization of grafting technique was undertaken. Various grafting techniques were employed to achieve high grafting rate. A success of 29.55 per cent under partial shade and 46.79 per cent in open conditions have been achieved through top bud cleft grafting.

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