Acclimatization and Performance of Micropropagated Clonal Rootstocks and Scion Cultivars of Apple under Different Growing Structures

Abstract

In-vitro multiplied plantlets of apple cvs. Scarlet Gala and Vance Delicious, and clonal rootstocks M-7 and Merton-793 at three leaves stage were studied for acclimatization and performance in the Department of Horticulture, CSKHPKV, Palampur in 2011. The plantlets were first kept under hi-tech polyhouse condition for hardening and acclimatization. Three months later the cultivar Scarlet Gala and clonal rootstock (M-7) were further transplanted under ordinary plolyhouse, shade-net house and cultivars Scarlet Gala, Vance Delicious and rootstocks M-7 and Merton- 793 were planted in nursery bed under hitech polyhouse. The observations on vegetative growth, leaf area and chlorophyll content were recorded. Among various structures, the growth of clonal rootstock (M-7) and scion variety (Scarlet Gala) was more under ordinary polyhouse, followed by shade-net house and minimum was under hi-tech polyhouse. Similarly, leaf area, number of leaves per plantlets and chlorophyll content were also found maximum in plantlets under polyhouse followed by shade-net and minimum under hi-tech polyhouse condition.